Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-13
EXECUTION BIZ ELECTRICITY.
An Expert Tells About the Work of the
Current in Killing Men and Animals.

NEW YORK, July 12-When the lawyer
and electrical experts met in Bourk'
Cockran's Office in the Equitable building
this morning in the examination befort
| Referee Becker to decide whether VIM
| Kemmler's electrical execution would bt
a cruel and unusual punishment, Elbridg'
L. Gerry was not on hand. He sent another
telegram from Newport which said that he
| would not return to New York before the
10Th or 22d of this month. The lawyers cast
| around and found that Matthew Hale.
| Albany, YVES the only member OF the COM
| mission which drew up the plans Tor the
electrical killing that could be got at. A
| telegram was sent to him to come down
| tomorrow and testify. Electrical Expert
| Brown took the chair again, when the
! hearing began. He said that not all of the
animals which had undergone experiments
were dissected Immediately after the ex-
periments. Some were burned, while
| the bodies of others were carted away.
In the experiments at Columbia
college one of the dogs was
| burned, but it caused such an odor that
! the others were removed. The horses used
| in the experiments in Edison's laboratory
were removed the next day, while the
calves We're cut up by the butchers.
O.: Were the horses cut up? A: No.
O.: Then you don't know the effect of
the electrical current upon horses after
death! A: No.
O.: Have you ever heard of instan ces
where men or animals revived after the
electrical shock and after they were sup
posed TO be dead? A: have heard OF
such cases, but they never came under my
observation.
O.: Did you take steps to see whether
any of the animals used in your expert
ments would revive? A: The horses and
DOGS had that opportunity.
Mr. Brown said that all OF the dogs were
not actually killed in the experiment, as IN
many Of them attempts were made to ma
the lowest pressure which would cause
death. One dog they found could not be
killed even with the highest power of the
continuous circuit Mr.. Brown said the
dogs name was A. ax.
Because he defied the lightning I sup
pose" said Mr.. Cochran.
Mr. Brown explained that if Ajax had
been subjected to the alternating current
some electricians would have complained
that the dog was already dying from the
effects of the continuous current.
When Mr.. Brown was asked whether he
was the inventor of any appliances Tor
rendering electric light wires safe, he sad
that he had attempted to show how the
risk of death could be reduced by contact
with arc wires. The Wheatstone bridge,
he said, will measure the resist
ance of metals and fluids and there,
fore the resistance Of animals. The
use of the Wheatstone bridge in ascer-
tanning the resistance of subject is SIM
ply means of precaution against acct
dent, not necessarily part OF the ma
chinery of execution. In the opinion or
the witness a current could be supplied by
the apparatus furnished which would IN
evitably Kill the subject.
M RroyyD opk uOIylaiOpd that he had
never seen a man killed and had never
known of the physical condition of any
men killed by contact with electric light
wires He nevertheless was confident,
from his knowledge of the subject, that
the current would inevita bly, kill.
''What indicates the electrical force or
energyp he was asked.
The electro motive force which is ex-
pressed In volts multiplied by the current
expressed in amperes gives US the electri-
cal energy in terms of electrical horse
power, and 1t is that which we rely upon
to kill"
MR. Brown said it was impossible to ex-
actly determine the electrical energy re-
qured, as the moment the current Is
applied the resistance of the subject drops
and the electro-motive force, which is one
of the factors of the electrical energy can
not be accurately fixed.
"Then the electrical energy is what kills,
and that must be determined. Have you
ever determined it? Did you ever measure
the electrical energy of the alternating
currents"
No"
This finished Mr.. Cochran's examina-
ton, and then Deputy Attorney General
Poste went to work to bring out still more
information on electrical subjects.
In reference to the burning effects upon
the hands by grasping a live wire, Mr.
tl,+i in, ha ho,,
a conductor of small size, like a
light wire, there would be points
of contact that would have less
pressure than others. When the whole
surface had become thoroughly dried or
the skin so heated that the flesh became
carbonized, a spark would be formed II
the current continued constantly. and that
spark would burn the flesh. The burning
was more likely to result from loose
than close contact.
SIS there any difficulty in making
close contact with an electrode to the
human body?"
"If the electrode is properly moistened,
and the supply of fluid is abundant, there
is no danger of burning, for the fluid used
in moistening cannot heat above boiling
point"
"What is the intensity Of the force re-
quired TO Kill man of the average resist
ence when the charge is applied to the
head?"
Beyond any doubt the pressure of 800
or 1000 volts with the electrodes of the
proper sizes would be fatal, with the cur
rent passing from head to toot.'
Even with man with resistance of So
coo ohms Mr.. Brown would not vary his !
opinion if the surface of the electrodes was
kept wet. Death would ensue, he calcu- |
lated, in less than fifteen seconds and |
in this time the electrodes would |
not become appreciably heated. He |
doubted whether salt water, il used to |
moisten the electrode, could ever reach the |
boiling point on account of the rapid radl- |
alton of the heat. Mr.. Brown was positive |
that the culprit who got the benefit OF the |
electric shock would never appreciate the !
current. which travels faster even than |
the transmission of nerve sensation to the |
brain.
Mr.. Brown spoke of artificial electric |
currents as of three kinds-voltaic, dyna- |
mo-electric and magneto-electric currents, |
and this brought Mr.. Cochran on his feet. |
Yesterday you told me that your speci- |
atty was commercial electricity. Why, |
today DO you use the more high-sounding !
and poiysyllahic terms, such as voltaic, |
dynamo-electric and magneto-electricf |
Have you done any reading since yester |
days hearingy"
Yes, some," said Mr.. Brown with a
smile. Il read the Sun coming down in |
the train this morning"
Mr.. Cochran got his revenge by ask !
ing the witness about his !
studies in electricity and the I
authorities he had read. He asked him |
if he had read any of Eranklln's books. |
Mr.. Brown had, but he doubted whether |
Mr.. Franklin ever received the full force !
of the lightning in his immortal expert |
ment with the kite in the thunder storm. !
Then you know more than Ben Frank |