New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-17
EXECUTIONS BY ELECTRICITY.

BE. PUT INTO PRACTICE.

BE PUT INTO PRACTICE.
To tho Edtor OF The TribnHc
Sir: ! beg 10 be allowed TO protest through your
columns in the Interest OF humanity and proprety
against the manner in which tir enacted method Of
electrical execution OF criminals IL at present being
carried out. To state the plsnly. the arrange
Of details has been PLACED In the hands of a
man who Is far A. aware. Is only known
70 bho profession on account OF the v!nd!cNr au@h
be has for several yesrs beon making the alter
mating current ~ stem and who signals his advent by
selec ting a widely known commercial machine of the
alternating typo the one To be usoi In
executions, notwithstanding the manifest improperly
AOf introducing grounds for spicon thai the most
AMI snlcun act Of society 70 BE- incidentally
made 10 sIbser" ultN-'"- interests.
Had the machI g -" ben the only one, capable
Of doing the deadly there would be no excuse
for the IN which The ScieCtioh has been
hcrsded but In tie presence OF other and infinitely
and more appropriate methods. It +, incApca
bic how the public authorities have allowed them
selves 10 b. mled thus IN the matter.
We are informed that thr cUrrslt in the system
selected IL an aitsFnaung one Of 900 volts and
further, that there shall " failure in
It's action, the criminal Is have a metal helmet
bound about bis head hts feet cncased IN metal
Shoes etc, all which details. II necessary many
inhumaniues toward the poor already IN tho
last thpoes Of terror. As all these precautions arr
evidence OF uncertainty in regard 10 the effect Of
the current 10 he used. a rational conclusion Is that
humanitarian considrr hav" not had the weight
they should have had In the selection
II an alternating current machine was considered
the proper 10 be used why was not a machln>
constructed imported " high voltage In Ia"
present state Of electrical engineering thcro Is no
reason why any Of number Of firms in tho
United could nor in short r'nS have produced
a machine Of 100 or q 900 OF greater voltage; and
the experience OF certain hrlns In Europc With high
Insulation would have rendered tho Production OF
such a machine there certainty.
But what Is thrrr for combining the sslsotiun
to the alternating machine There are hund rods OF
continuous current machines NJ the Unhed States Of
3 900 volts or upwaris, and ~ DcprcL OF Paris has
constructed them 81 5000 vOlta The most prIudiced
friend OF the continuous current would not claim tina,
current from any one OF tlrS" i not fatal while
from those with the higher vOitlgrs would entiry
dispense with all demoraiizlng acocssore-.
IT. however, an alternating or Intermittent current
were a sine qua non, we'll known devtr" could have
been attached TO any high voltage continuous current
machine and Intermittent or alternating current pro
duced OF corresponding power. But better yo and
simplest Of all would have been q FRACTIONAL or In
lion machine In conjunction with Lrydrn ar~ this
prupossd for the purpose not only on account OF II.
absolute certainly hn also owing to the abScnc' OF
secondary batteries Of III" kind NJ T1ante performed
his marvellous experiments with and by moan. Of
which he forged vcrtabe thuhdcrbolts each capable
Of snnihilatinR regiment
ANY Of the above mettOds would be certain and
with the criminal seated in metallic
chair clothed as usual This trousers perhaps before
hand Chemically treated, wand approached 10 his
neck Womb Instantly chIllkhINh 'n' Ni.ni hVdih ~
II is Tho time required tn have installed the proper
method has apparently been spent In sharp pracuce
10 Obtain a certain dynamo and tn" complication Of
accessories invest the execution with moro rrirnle'
for the criminal and NOR" horrors for the public than
were sought 10 be miticatcd nv the chang" of system
and withal there r. al uncertainty " the low voltage
machine will surely or in.tantsneousiy DO rs WORK
In the interest Of true electrical science and OF the
public in tho discharge Of rs most awful duty. again
protest against the manner In which electrical rNrcn.
ton IL tcing initiated. 49, ..
A NEMBER or THE kMERIC An INSTITUTE
or ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS.
Brooklyn, June 9. 1850.