Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-07-24
Electricity Will Cause Instant
 and Painless Death,
EXPERIMENTS ON HIS woRKMEN
He Believes in an Alternating Current of
 1000 Volts.

Ensct of an Electric Current.
 NEW YORK, July M-Thomas A. Edison, the "Wizard of Menlo Park" testified be- fore Referee Becker in the Kemmler case as to the probabilities of electricity in its application as Q death dealing force.
 MT. Edison said that for 23 years he had been actively interested in the workings of electricity, and considered himself very well acquainted with dynamos. On Satur- day, hearing that he would probably be called to testify in the case, he experi- mented on 250 of his workmeh, with view of ascertaining their resistancos. Hefound the averge measurement to be 1000 ohms, the resistances exhibited varying from eco to 1,sOO ohms He had heard of tests that proved that some parts of the body exhibi- ted resistance of POO, 600 otlms, and he did not doubt it in the least. A burn was con- elusive evidence that the contact was i'm perfect and that very little current passed through the body.
 II have come to the conclusion" said Mir. Edison, ''that 1000 volts will cause in stantaneous and painless death. If MT. Smith, who stated that he had experien ced shock of ,50O volts without serious in- jury, will come over to my labratory and
 
 will give 1t to him."
 In his experiments on his workmen Mir. Edisoa found that eight volts of the alter hating current was all thoy cared to try.
 h the cross-examination MY. Edison testified regarding the Westinghouse machines and admitted that 1t was based on belief.
 INSTANT AND PAINLESS DEATH.
 When asked by the coupsel for the State if an electric current could be applied by artificial means in such 8 manner as to pro- duce death in every case, MT. Edison promptly replied:
 ''Yes, instantly and paiulessly."
 When the greatest e1sctYioian of the age answered this question there was rejoicing among the friends of the new system of execution.
 When asked what form of electrode would you advise in applying the current in criminal execution, he replied:
 "Put the criminals hands in jars of water with potash.''
 EXPERIMENTING ON A FROG. The following questions were asked by Deputy Attorney General Post:
 'Have you ever made experiments to as- certain the effect produced upon muscular tissue by the application of an electric our. remit"
 
 time 8 surgeon prepared several frogs legs, laying bare the nerves. l took one leg and connected 1t with wire running from Washington to Now York. By the twitch- ing of the muscles was able to receive a telegraphic communication from that city without the aid of a sounder."
 ''W as that produced by the intermittent current"
 "Yes."
 "what amount of energy did you use upon the frogP'
 II should say about one fve-thousandth of an ampere. But l might say that the electricity was in the frog itself" MECHANICAL EFFECT. Regarding the mechanical effect of au | electric current MT. Edison said he did poi know much about it. In experimenting | upon animal tissue or membranes he found | that when the current was applied there was powerful rush of water through the pores He had heard 1t through . telep4 one two hundsed feet away. He thought that { 1 current passing through human body would cause the whole fluids to past | through the tissues. As to the heat devel oped, he said he had tpassed g current o1 1,200 volts through glass tube filled witt water, the tube being as tall as man, ant of the same resistance, and found that thu l temperature only rose nine degrees centi grade in 8 minute.
 A. E. Kennelly, ono of MT. Edison's elec tricians, next testified. He believed LOO volts was enough to cause death in al cases.
 The hearing will probably be concluded this afternoon.