Telegram-herald., 1890-11-30
KEMMLER'S ROUTE
Preparations For the klectrOcatlon
OF Wood az Sing sing.
DEADLY CURRENT TRIED on 4 HORSE
TIE Fris0.sF Kssisasd 80 nts fats Aoa
sPsads nis Ktzas IA FF.ysr-trsrts
OF Csuassl ia his Bshsif-ss-
lsctiEg Witnesses.

NEw YOKK. Nov. "a horse Was
killed Al sing sins, presumably by elec-
q icity generated By the same DYNAMO
that viii De set IN motion some day
nett wee for the puFposs Of depriving
murderer Mood OF bs life. The Kill
ing took place late Wednesday after
noon. The morse was led into the room
where Wood will SO when he receives
the fatal shock. Electrodes were placed
10 the wires which had already been
prepared and then they were applled 10
the horse. The dynamo was run until
the indicator showed that the current
had reached a strength OF 1900 volts,
and AT that point Il was turned into the
wires. According 10 all accounts the
horse closed It's eyes and fell over
dead. On the result OF this experiment
the prison officials base the assertion
that murderer Wood is going 10 die IL
stsntly and painlessly.
DR.. AlphOnso II. Rockwell, of this
city, thus describes the killing OF the
horse: "rhe animal was brought into
the death chamber shortly after
O'Clock. lie was big, healthy and
strong. Some little time was consumed
IN arranging the electrodes, and the
horse got rather restless, and acted IS
II he knew his time had come. One of
the electrodes was fastened 10 one of
the horses hind legs Just below the
ganlbrel JOINT, the other was capp ed
upon the forehead. When all was n
readiness, the current of 1900 volts was
turned on and the animal instantly
dropped. A series of cOnvulsions shook
the horses body and noises issued from
its mouth which sounded like grOans.
The horse died instantly and palnlessly,
in my opinion. The electrodes left no
marks upon the animal, not so much
as hair being scorched. ! see no
reason why Wood will not die just
as easily. Although ii has not
been oficia lily settled, il is prob
able that the electr odes Will be attached
10 Woods leg and head. and that the
same number of volts used upon the
horse will be turned upon him. The
result Will prove as satisfactory, l
think, and death will be instantaneous.
The prison officials will not admit that
the horse experiment was made, but 1t
unquestlonably was. There will be no
further experiments made with the
machinery, il is said. 1t is not certain
that electricity is going to be applied to
Wood IN the same way in which II was
applied to Kemmler. Electricians say
that the Kemmler experiment proved
that the spinal column is not frs +
class conductor, and that the curren
should be applied to some other part o
the body than the small Of the back
The electricians who will have charge
OF the execution, are disposed to attac n
considerable weight to the argument of
Wizard Edison, that TO make death cer-
tain and instantaneous, the currentmust
be applied to the condemned mans
hands. 1t is possible that four instead
of two electrodes may be used, one on
each hand, one on the calf of the leg,
and the fourth on the head.
Wood is resigned TO his fate. He has
no hope left. Yesterday morning he
said as much to the deputy keeper of
the prisoner, and at the same time he
asked that Rev. Father Greeden, the
village priest, who has been minister
ing 10 him since be has been in prison,
should be with him at the execution.
lie wanted no other minister, he said.
His wish will be granted, and as the
law permits two ministers to be present,
this Will reduce the number of witnesses
to twenty-six. Wood had no visitors
yesterday. lie did not want any, ne
said. He asked IN the morning if toe
warden would not instruct the guards,
who form the death watch, not
TO watch hlm while he was at
PRAYER The law was read to
l.-r 10 f,a ..
fed. lie had big dinner yesterday
and spent the rest of the day smoking
cigars and praying. He had nothing at
all to say TO the guards. Woods cOun-
sci has prepared the application for
writ of habeas corpus on the ground
that colOred men were excluded from
the juries that indicted and convicted
Wood, and he will present 1t Supreme
Court Justice today. 1t Is almost GER
tam that 1t will be denied. but there IS
bare possibility that the Justice will
reserve his decision, and, If ne does,
for any length of time, Il will set as a
stay, and Wood may have TO be re-sen-
fenced. In that case the execution can
not take place for month. The prison
officials do not believe that this is
within the limit Of possibility, and they
will 60 ahead with the details that are
yet to be attended 70. These are not
many. Nearly everything except the
death-Chair 5 in place. The question
about the location of the switchboard
has been settled. 1t viii be in the
room where the execution takes place.
Warden Brush will probably begin to-
day or tomorrow TO izvite the persons
who are "a witness the execution. lie
viii not do 1t by letter, but will see the
men himself or send a messenger. The
prison will be closed on Saturday night.
and no one except officials and the
tweBty-sN witnesses viii be admitted
until after the execution has taken
place No passes vii be recognized.
No visitors will be admitted unless
armed With \ permit signed by either
Governor It'll or State Prison superin-
teudent Isthrop. EKtraord nary pre-
cautions are being taken 20 prevent any
news about the execution from leaking
out.
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