Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-07
THE FATAL APPARATUS.
The Deadly Dynamo-The Elecirocuting
Chair-The Death Agent.

marble shops in Auburn prison Is rugged
dynamo which takes power from the shop
below. IL is fifty-horse power machine,
which is the mechanical force, allowing for
waste in gearing and transmission, deemed
necessary TO maintain fifty of the arc or
big white street-lamps.
This machine IL 50 constructed as TO
generate what il known as an alternating
current. In lay terms it may be said that
in alternating dynamOs the cleo
trio force undergoes rapid periodic
changes, being one moment mt zero, in
creasing TO maximum, diminishing 10
zero: then, reversing IN direction, u
again rises 10 maximum, 10 iaiI
again to zero. Theaverage of these rapidly
changing strengths is sometimes called the
electro-motive force Of the dynamo. The
Auburn machine is capable of about 230 OF
these reyersals every second, or about H.
600 every minute. When applied TO the
criminal. as in Kemmler's case, these rapid
ly alternating thrObs have each about the
physical force necessary TO hit l37 pounds
one foot in one second. The nerve-cclls
and tissues are believed to be racked and
smitten first in one direction and then
another by this terrific and mysterious
force about 900 times every minute. 1t
j. like beating an object with heavy ham
mer alternately on either side with great
force very RAPIDLY. In the case of cleo
trocuting the nerve-cells are believed 20 be
torn from the glands OF the ganglia dlsin-
tegrated-killed.
TO KILL ONE MAN.
As indicated, the dynamo IN use is of
vastly greater power than that needed 70
kill one man instantly. A machine that
could be placed in waste-basket might
be constructed 10 do all that Is required.
If allowance is made for loss IN the frIc-
-. u,I int ha
cess of transformation 10 electricity II =
probable that a dynamo might be con-
structed which might be operated one
minute bv weight Of about eight hun
dred pounds falling ten feet. During this
time electrical energy sufficient 10 XII o
man in from one TO ten seconds would be
generated. This possibility is cited TO
bring 10 the lay mind a more vivid and
practical appreciation Of mechanical force
involvedin the killing of human being by
electricity.
From the DYNAMO in the loft Of the mar
bic shop in Auburn prison heavy wires
lead through a gauge on the wall up 70
the top Of the building which IS known as
the south wing. Thence they trail along
the roofs over the main part of the prison
and creep their way stealthily among the
vines that cover the prison front down
TO the basement and through square
window INTO tue tutelhl foOiI-
The ELECrRooUIISG CHAIR.
Since its constructions under the direc-
ton of Warden Durston. the chair IN
which Kemmler sat TO be killed mas been
i'm care of a convict clerk in one OF the
prison departments. He held the keys 10
the store-room in which the chair was hid
den. and guarded II with great care. Con
yicts made it, a convict kept It from curious
inspection. 70 bring 1t from It's hiding
place was the last act Of preparation tor
kemmler's execution.
The char is not OF horrid appearance.
1t has no lines of beauty, but with its foot
rest 10 affords comfortable position 10 the
occupant. There l. not "A curved line on
its sturdy frame. Upright aud cross-bars,
arms and rungs are OF heavy hardwood,
square and straight:
And the arms Of the chair They are
wide, very wide. Not for comfort OF the
occupant-no. Why then? See the broad,
heavy buckles on the outer lower edges,
and the equally broad, stout straps on the
inner sido-one where the wrist falls, the
| other where the elbow would rest. These
might bind forearm very, very close to
the broad chair-arIns.
THE DEATH AGENT.
The chair has q perforated wooden seat
The side-posts of the back reach above
where a human head would rest. There
are more buckles, too. and straps on these
posts Just below where the shoulder would
rest, to pinion the upper arms. The CEN
trail rest 10 the back i furnished by "A stout.
broad bar of wood, at the top OF which,
| above the sitter's head. Is m0rtised IN "a
stout stick which is braced from above.
| Through the stick thus projecting forward
! from the back bar and over the sitter ;
I = 4 inch hala hfrarfly ahnVa fNa
head. Ii is little aperture, yet through
| il passed the current which was the agent
of kemmler's death.
Fastened 10 the head-rest is pad. heavily
insulated with rubber, fashioned to tit the
curves of the neck and upper spinal
column. The criminals headls drawn bac
hard and tight into this neck-saddle by the
heavy leather mask that fits the forehead.
shades the eyes and envelops the chin, but
leaves the nose and mouth exposed. There
are straps upon the mask that buckle back
about the upright central bar. The head
is fixed and fast. The arms are pinioned,
the wrists. the elbows; the legs are bound,
"A stout broad strap circles the waist and
| holds il fast: the electrode for the head Is
| connected through the stick projecting
| above the head. the other through the bar
| to the barred base Of the spine. and the oc-
| cupant OF the chair has been made part Of
| u tiifulA through NniAhs WITCH Aiit fuAlNAt~
is switched on, flashes the force that kills.
THE CHAMBER OF DEATH.
| Once the conyicts-there are now more
than 200 in the Auburn prison-eat IN
the space which is now the room where
Kemmler died. 1t used TO be part of the
mess-room. The room thus taken from
the mess hall is about 1sx20 feet in size.
! A bath-tub and sink are in one corner.
lie hrt l,.r
| is of stone, the ceiling is 10 feet high, and
the two windows eastward look out upon
a beautifully kept lawn within the 20-foot
| high prison wall 100 feet away on the
| street.
| Near one corner Of the room is low,
broad, and heavy door. 1t opens into a
short corridor leading TO the solitary cham
Der with Its iron cage. where kemmler
awaited death. and where, doubtless. Others
will do the same.
Between the windows on the street side
! of the room the wall Is faced with matched
! boards TO hold the electrical apparatus.
The wires from the distant dynamo lead in
through the corner window 10 a volt or
| force-meter fastened against the board
| facing. BY this the swiftness Of the death
| current was measured.
Quite near aud at the right of the lamp
switch is the al -potent-switch of the main
circuit. The lever is about fourteen
inches long and has rubber handle, so
that the executoner may not be electro
cuted instead OF the criminal in the chair.
The closing OF this lever into the metal
Jaws that receive it establishes circuit
| through the electrodes at the chair.
From the ceiling depends the death
carrying wire, the criminal sitting with his
right side TO 2 the street windows facing
toward the door where the criminal enters,
SO that walking obliquely from the door
he takes the seat without turning
A button on the. wall when pressed
sounds a signal in the dynamo-rotom, the
belt is put on the machine to innocently
may be at once turned of after its work is
done.
THE LAW FOR sLecTRocUTloN.