Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-12

H. NJ. Stevens, of Boston, does not believe
In using electricity for executing criminals.
He tried it once himself, and the results
were not entirely satisfactory. He is not
dead, but he suffered awful agony for a
humber of hours, and still feels the results
of his experience. He thinks Kemmler had
better be hanged.
BOSTON, June 1.-THE terrible uncer-
tainty of electricity in its effect upon the
human body was never better illustrated
than in the case of b. NJ. Stevens, of this
city, who four years ago received shock
equivalent to !, 500 vOlts-tbe greatest on
record, 50 far as known. The fact that he
recovered, alter awful agony, and is to-day
a healthy and robust man, argues strongly
against the claim of electrical experts that
electricity affords simple and eficacious
method of producing death.
In view of Murderer Kemmler's efforts in
New York State to escape the execution of
his death sentence by electricity, the testi-
mony of Mr.. Stevens is very interesting at
this time. he is Assistant Superintendent
of the Boston Electric Light Company, and
to-day gave the correspondent full ac-
count of his remarkable contact with the
mysterious electric fluid He was Superin-
tendent, four years ago this summer, of the
Middlesex Electric Lighting Company, in
Lowell. In making tour of inspection of
the machines he came in contact with the
brushes of 35-light dynamo. He slipped
upon an oily spot on the floor, fell forward,
instinctively put out both hands to save
himself and unwittingly grabbed with
either hand the positive and negative
brushes of the machine.
SOMETHING OF A SHOCK.
A circuit was completed, with his body
as the medium, and a force of electricity
equal to $4,000 candle power, or about ], 500
volts, shot instantaneously through him and
prostrated him violently in the field of the
machine. There he lay for few seconds,
the current all the time entering his body,
until finally, from his own weight, he
dropped of to the floor. To all appearances
he was dead. All this happened in less
time than il takes to describe it.
The shock was sufficient to kill an ordi-
nary man. According to the best electrical
opinion, Murderer Kemmler, in New York,
will receive no greater charge Stevens,
however was not dead, and his recovery is
the most remarkable part of his strange ex-
perience. They picked him up and carried
him away. DR.. Brissel, Of Lowell, was
summoned. Thepulse and the heart showed
no signs of life. The eyes were set, the
limbs were rigid and the arms were drawn
close to the body.
The flesh was cold and the bloody gashes
between the fingers were apparent, showing
where the flesh had been burned. The doc
tors went to work earnestly enough, but the
case was one in which the symptoms were
altogether unknown to medical science.
They pried open the mouth and poured
big glass of whisky into the stomach. 1t
had no effect.
ALMOST A MIRACLE.
Next the medical men poun led and
rubbed for an hour, but the body never
moved a muscle. The miraculous now oc-
CURED. This man had all the while been
insulated with enough electricity in his
system to charge another machine. He had
been lying all the while on the floor. An
attendant at the station suggested placing
the body on the ground where it was damp.
This was done and the man began to revive.
After an hour the patient became conscious,
but it was the consciousness of agony. The
electricity was slowly passing out of the
body into the ground.
Stevens suffered terribly for four hours
after consciousness. He kept gasping for
breath, and tried to articulate but could
not They gave him more whisky, and
continued the rubbing and pounding proc
L. IL 4-l L..
his room in the st. Charles Hotel. Every
faculty and function had been paralyzed,
but one bV one they regained something
like their normal condition. The legs felt
alternately as if they had been amputated
at the knee, or again as if they had been
heightened out until they were a block
long and tapered to point. On one leg,
above the knee, were two light blue spots.
VERY SENSITIVE.
After doctoring him for a couple of weeks
the physicians brought him around, but
from that day to this Mr.. Stevens has car
ried the reminders of that terrible charge of
] 800 volts in his body. He is a sort of
DYNAMO all in himself he is very sensi-
tive to the approach or presence of a thun-
der storm, and always feels depressed dur
ing its continuance.
"Do believe in killing q man by elec-
trieity?" he exclaimed, when asked what he
thoughtYof executing man in that way.
''No, do not. don't believe the profess
sion knows enough about electricity yet to
warrant them attempting to kill a man with
it. All electricians know that different
men are differently affected by electricity.
Some can stand little, others more and
some can take an enormous charge without
fatal result This must be borne in mind
in giving man acharge, and iti especially
important in the case of executing a mur-
derer. Suppose they don't give him enough
and he recovers, as I did, what torture must
he sufferl And why shouldn't he recover
and fool the physicians? If he's a natu-
rally strong man, has no heart trouble and
is well preserved, the chances are that he
will pull through If they give him the op-
Portunity.
SOME POSSIBILITIES.
"0r again, if he has been a laborer, &C.
10 manual labor or exposure to the
sun for long time, his flesh must neces-
sarily have become more or less hardened,
that is insulated, and the electricity would
have less effect upon him. There are ever
so many fine points to be considered; and
from what know from personal observa-
tion as practical investigator of the work.
ings Of electricity, I think it's very risky
thing to try TO execute this Kemmler by
electricity. The science is not far enough
removed from the experimental stage as yet.
I am in favor of the old-fashioned hang
mans rope, and if can help Kemmler to
escape his death sentence BY electricity, 1
am willing to do SO by any means in my
power"
Another remarkable thing about Mr..
Stevens experience is that after recovery he
began to gain flesh rapidly. At the time be
weighed 135. and in six months he tipped
fiie beam at 165, and to-day weighs close to
lsO He says it is due to the electricity, but
lust why be cannot say.
WEAK stomach, ,Beecham'sPills act like magic
PEARS Soap secures q beautiful complexion.