The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1890-08-09
EXECUTED BY ELECTRICITY.
Death of the Murderer. kemmler, at
Auburn Penitentiary.

Kemmler. A number of invited guests,
mostly doctors, were present at the hour
| for the execution-six o'clock
The stated hour had arrived aud fifteen
minutes more before DR., Spitzlsa arrived
with case of instruments in hanG. Drs.
Shrady and Jenkins, of New York, were
yet missing. They were yet at the hotel
table. AT o'clock the !, 300 couvicts would
be marched out from the messroom to
the shops, and then the betting to operate
the dynamo way down in the loft OF the
marble shop could not be run on withou,
the prisoners knowledge that kemmler
\ was to die. No one could tell what spirit
might be developed by the men in striped
clothes If such knowledge was forced upon
them. The agent and warden therefore
| grew momentarily more impatient,
"Gentlemen, will not wait any longer
for those who are not here,n he exclaimed
at length, after peering last time down
to the Iron gate. This affair cannot be
made subject to personal convenience, and
I think it unfair to me that should have
been kept waiting until this hour
The party proceeded at once to the exc
cution room where chairs were placed tor
in his cell was being prepared for death.
1t was explained to him that he must have
the top OF his head shaved. The prisoner
demurred. He had taken great pains
dressing his hair, and, besides, as he ex-
planned to the warden, he did not want TO
be disfgured. He wanted the people TO
see and know that he was not man OF
repulsive appearance, as had been stated.
Nevertheless his head was shaved and
then the death warrant was read to him
Having been taken 10 the death chamber
he was asked If he had anything to say be
| fore he died His answer was We'll, /
wish everybody good luck in the world,
he said in easy, steady tones, "aud III 90
to good place; and the papers have been
saying lots of stuff about me that amt so.''
The mask covered his eyes, grasped his
chin and firmly pressed his forehead. ~
was not well fitted Kemmler said, and
he spoke to direct its proper adjustment.
DO everything right Mr.. Duuston.'
said he, land push down that more on top
of my head
He referred TO the electrOds which was
| being fitted to the top of his head. 1t was
done, seeming TO push his head down be
tween the shoulders while the mask was
buckled back so tightly that the edge was
buried in the skin of the nose and fore
head. Once more he spoke, and they We're
his last words.
well, want to do the best can i can't
do any better than that, he said
God bless you, Kemmler,you have done
WELL spoke DIR. Spitzka, in his quick,
nervous way, and there were plying tears
in many eyes; ard husky voices muttered:
"You have, Kemmler, you have" Every
strap had been frightened, each eleotrode
had been pressed to the seat Of life the
warden's deputy stepped back.
There was hush. The warden inquired
of Drs Mcdonald and Spitzka how long
the current should be maintained in
Kemmler's body. The first response was
twenty seconds, which was almost instant
! ly changed TO ten seconds.
Very well, gentlemen, !" responded the
warden, and he moved toward the door Of
his secret room. And at that moment DIR.
Fell of Buffalo who made the death chair,
was dropping water from bulb syringe
| through q long rubber tube into the cleo
4 trode sponges. The warden reappeared
from the ante-room.
We'll, everything is ready he said,
while he faced the death chair, six feet
away. The bound man in the chair had
heard every word. His hands were
clinched and rigid. He awaited the shock
The hour was 6o'clock and 4Si1 minutes.
| The warden turned and nodded his head
to some one who stood in the secret room
at the fatal switch. There was convul-
sive start of the bound figure in the char,
little squeaking sound Of straining
| straps. breathless watchers with every
sense bent upon the moveless wretch
bound head and foot, and no sound save
bird songs in the bright sunshine outside
the windows. Drs. Spitzka and DR. Shrady
drawn by deep interest almost uncOn-
sciously from their places, moved on tip
toe to places by the chair. But all was
still and no one spoke. Every faculty was
contributing to that of vision. Such a
scene there never was on earth before
No man had ever before died thus by the
deliberate purpose of his fellow man.
After the convulsive start that marked
the stroke of lightning upon Kemmlcr,
there was no NOV ement of muscle or
/
of nose to chin seem to have been pursed
up as one facing a sleety storm or Of one
breathing powerful dust wind.
But was it death
| Who should say. The law demanded
that the current of electricity should be
maintained against the vitals until death
should come. But what should tell when
death had come. The men of science be
lieved that the nerve centers were being
beaten as with heavy hammers at the rate
OF 23o times each second. They thought
the blood was becoming by mechanical
| change, fiuidized and useless TO sustain
life. And so they watched and listened in
the silent room five, ten, fifteen, seven
teen seconds.
"There, that's enough, take of the cur
rent" said the warden's chosen physician
| Spitzka and the warden passed the word
within the adjoining room, where someone
had turned on the current and where the
same one cut it of Then spoke the doc
tors:
There, he exclaimed, as he strobe
away from the chair, to a knot Of wit
! nesses at the other end of the room there