Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-08-16
FIRST E%LECTRICIDE
Murderer kemmler Is Officially
Murdered by Electricity.
The First Shock Did Not Kill and the
Dose Was Repcated-History
of His Crime.

AUBURN, N. Y, Aug. g. With a
short, sharp shock, painless as far as
the world will ever know, the soul Of
William Kemmler was separated from
his body at GAO o'clock this morning.
A cap adjusted TO the head OF a man
bound captive in q strange looking
chair, a lever quickly swung around the
arc of a semi-circle, a quick CONFUSION,
q sudden revival of muscular action.
another turn of the lever a pause, a
room filed with sickening fumes and
the twenty-seven witnesses Of the first
clectricide in history knew that the
death of Title Ziegler had been avenged
In law, and the crime of VIM. Kemmler
expiated so far as human hands could
force it's expiation.
The witnesses of the execution had
gathered in response to the call OF
Warden Durston at 6 o'clock this morn
ing. The law named twenty-seven as
the number of these who should witness
the execution as assistants in some
official capacity. AT $3.50 the door lead
ing into the execution room opened and
Warden Durs.on's figure appeared in the
doorway. Behind him walked Kemmler.
Then followed DIR. w. Il. Houghton and
Chaplain Gates. Kemmler was by far
the coolest man IN tho party. He took
a seat In a wooden chair at The right OF
the execution chair. He looked at the
little circle of men around him, seem-
ing rather pleased at being the center of
interest. Warden Durston, with his
hand on the back OF a chair, said: "Now
gentlemen this is VIM. Kemmler. /
have warned him that he has got to die,
and If he has got anything to say
he will say t." AS the warden
finished Kemmlcr said: well, / wish
everyone good luck in this world and ]
think am coming to a good place and
the papers have been saying that's not
30. That's all | have to say"
With the conclusion of this speech he
took off his coat, handed it to the war
den and sat down in the electric chair
quietly as though sitting down to din.
ner. Kemmler assisted in adjusting the
fastening that bound him to the chair
an d everything being ready the current
was turned Oh.
There was suddenly a convulsion OF
the frame in the chair. The muscles OF
the face twitched, but no cry escaped
the lips of Kemmler and he died SO far
as any superficial evidence indicated
upon the instant the switch lever was
switched into the current.
The first shock was not Successful.
He revived and there was frequent res
piration, though the doctors claim no
consciousness. After some delay the
current was turned pm and kept turned
on for fou and a half minutes. The
first contact having been eleven seconds
the current was kept on the second time
till the body fumed and gave off ar un.
pleasant odor.
DIR. Spitzka, the celebrated expert,
said afterward that the experiment was
a failure and there would never be an
other electrocution. The doctors unite
in the belief hat death was painless,
that all consciousness was destroyed at
the moment of the final contact.
HIsToR or THE CRIME.
The murder for which Kemmler suf-
fered punishment was horribly brutal.
1t was committed on the morning Of
Friday, March 30, 1889. The scene of
the murder was in the rear of a large,
old-fashioned square cottage, sec South
Division street, in Buffalo. A suite OF
four dingy rooms in the extreme rear of
this ctrp,tnpa ~ ncopninl bu Eap,p,1or
and his mistress, Tillie Ziegler, q
woman who had run away from her hus-
band in Philadelphia with Kemmler.
The oma had ono child, a bright lit
tie girl 5 years old, who was the only
witness to the murder and who gave inn
portant evidence in convictiDg Kemm-
Ter. The weapon used was a Ratchet.
and the body OF the m was fright
fully gashed, no less than twenty-six
wounds being inflicted.
The couple had many quarrels and
disturbed the neighbors greatly. These
quarrels, caused by drunkenness and
jealousy, eliminated in Tillie Ziegler's
violent death. On the morning of the
murder some of the neignbors heard
the couple quarreling. 1t soon became
evident that the quarrel was of unusual
severity, for screams and tho smashing
of furniture were heard. The screams
soon subsidized, only a low moaning
sound being heard. A chopping noiso
succeeded, as though Kemmler was
splitting wood, but it was the body of
his victim that he was hacking.
Soon Kemmler was heard walking
about, and shortly appeared at a neigh
boris house with his clothes smeared
with blood. When asked what he had
done he replied: i've killed her. ]
had to do it."
'What do you mean?" was asked.
"I've killed her." was the reply, land
I'll have to take the rope for it."
Soon he went to a saloon where he
was arrested by a policeman who had
been informed of the murder. When
Kemmler's rooms we're entered the
kitchen was Uttered with broken dishes,
overturned chairs and tables, and bro.
ken furniture. In the kitchen near the
stove was the body of the dying m
The walls of this room and those adjoin.
ing were despatched with blood.
Tho little daughter Of the victim,
when questioned about the murder,
lisped: Papa killed mamma with a
Ratchet"