The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-07
AUBURNS HORROR
KEMMLER NOT KILLED BY
THE FIRST SHOCK.
DEATH SLOW AT BEST.
His Body Lifted Up by the
Current.
SMOKE FROM HIS FLESH.
The Sight So Horrible that One
Man tainted.

AUBURN, N. Y, Aug. 6.-Between 9 and
O'clock this morning, in the basement of
the state prison in this city. William
Kemmler was killed under the law by use
of electricity.
On March 30. 1889, he murdered his mis-
tress, "Tillie" Ziegler. and his death to-day
was in expiation of his crime.
He breakfasted lightly between and
o'clock. and religious services were held.
He made his own toilet.
He was cheerful, cool and without APP
parent dread.
IN THE CHAMBER OF DEATH.
He entered the death chamber about $50
o'clock. He assisted in preparing himself
for DEATH He was placed In an ordinary
chair by the warden, who introduced him
to those present He made brief farewell
remarks. There were no prayers in the
death room. The man was evidently devoid
Of nervous tension. His voice while speak
| ing had no tremor. He submitted to the
straps quietly. He directed the adjustment
of the electrodes. He made suggestions to
| the warden, and finally sat without tremor
to await the stroke.
THE FIRST SHOCK DIDN'T KILL.
A convulsion marked the application of
the electricity. He was said to be dead in
seventeen seconds and the current was
stopped. Later respiration was resumed.
the current was again applied and inAthir-
teen minutes from the first stroke he was
again declared dead. The flesh on his back
was burned and also n spot on the top of his
head. The autopsy was begun three hours
after death, and its superficial disclosures
were noted by all the doctors present. A
miscrOscOpic examination latar must datar-
mine the exact conditions.
RoUsING THE WITNESSES.
At 5 o'clock this morning Landlord
Gregory Of the Osborne house, holding in
one hand list of room numbers, stood in
his office tapping the push buttons that
rang the electric fire bell In each of the
rooms indicated upon his list. In them were
sleeping persons who had been summoned
by the prison warden to witness the death
of murderer William Kemmler by elec-
tricity. Almost simultaneously porters
were heavily humping at the rooms corre-
spending to the numbers on the list. There
was TO be no mistake about the efficacy Of
the summons, and there was not. Doctors
and laymen hurriedly dressed, and while
they did 80 the sun was laying its bars Of
light level over the city of Auburn. The
sky was cloudless, the air cool, and a slight
breeze swayed the tree tops.
THE EvER-vIGILANT NEWSPAPER MEN.
The men of the press had been vigilant,
and they, too, came troop1ng from their
rooms to join the others at coffee and rolls
before going to prison. In the pocket of
each guest of the state was q card bearing
an order of admission to the prison, and
before retiring each bad been privately
warned to present himself at the prison gate
not later than o'clock this morning. Some
were there at the hour named but others
were not, and Warden Durston, under evil
dent nervous tension, was pacing the halls
and peering down to the big iron gate at the
entrance, impatient of the delay.
THE DOCTORS TARDY.
The stated hour had expired and fifteen
minutes more before DR.. Spitzka arrived
with case of instruments in his hand Drs.
Shrady and jenkins Of New Y ork were yet
missing; they were yet at the hotel table,
At z o'clock 200 convicts would lie marched
out from the mess room to the shops, and
then the betting to operate the dynamo
away down In the loft of the marble shops
could not be run on without the prisoners
knowing that Kernmler was about to die.
FEARS OF CONVICT REVOLT
No one could tell what spirit might be
developed by the men in striped clothes il
such a knowledge was forced upon them.
The agent and warden therefore grew mo-
mentarily more impatient. He would have
the execution all over, il possible, before
the men we're ast1r in the shops. "Gentle-
men, will not wait any longer for those
who are not here" he exclaimed at length.
after peering the last time down TO the iron
gate. This affair cannot be made subject
TO personal convenience, and think it un-
fair to me that | should have been kept
waiting until this hour"
ONLY 81 MINUTES TO SPARE.
The big clock in the main hall then
marked 623 o'clock. Only thirty-seven
minutes were left in which to take Kemm-
ler's life before the convicts would be re-
leased to work Acquiescing silently
those waiting in the cool breeze OF tne nail
gathered about the warden, who led the
way to the rear hall. where guard with
the great key stood to open and close the
door to the basement region OF the prison.
GOING WHERE DEATH LURKED.
The huge iron bolted barrier swung back,
the warden led the way and the silent
party descended the iron stairway 20 the
stone fioored hall. where the fatal apparatus
and It's first subject were waiting. Tbs
way lay through low doorway Ia a mas
siye basement wall into room but dimply
lighted as yet by the early sunshine. la
the semi-gloom the massive chair OF death
seemed 20 loom out OF the shadows little
distance from tho eatrance. As each guest