The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-08
KEMHLER'S DEATH.
An English Electricians Opinion Of the
New Mode Of Execution.

NEW YORK, Aug. General Daniel E.
Sckles. Sheriff of New York, in an inter-
view expressed the opinion that the exhl-
btion in the death chamber at Auburn
Prison would not have the slightest infiu-
ence in securing the repeal of the law.
"Why should the law be repealed?" he
asked. "Smply because this man suffered?
Nonsense. He deserved TO suffer, and the
greater the suffering the greater the deter
ring effect on murderous creatures OF his
"But, General" suggested reporter,
title oStenslble reason why the law was
substituted for the old law was that it was
supposed to provide Il more civilized way of
putting criminals TO death. Their suffer-
ings were to be decreased as much as pos
sible."
"Yes, understand that And let me say
right here, the maudlin sentiment of SYM
pathy for these wife-bntchers and other
brutes, stimulated by alleged conversion, is
altogether wrong. Men like this Kemmler
should be punished, and If their punishment
is enhanced by the latest method of execu-
tion it is not cause for sorrow, by any
means. But aside from that, granting that
painless as possible. 1t has by no means
been demonstrated that the execution was a
failure 1t was the first attempt, remem-
Der, and as successful, imagine. as was
crucifying him. Electrocution is an art
that has to be acquired by practice, and
after three or four scoundrels have been
put out OF the way by this method then
things will gradually move more easily"
AUBURN, Aug. Z. = The subject which
continues to excite the greatest interest in
connection with the execution OF kemmler
is the record Of the voltage OF the shock
which killed him. 1t has been generally
supposed the first shock was 1900 volts and
-nn
trician Barnes, who was in the dynamo
room, said to one Of the physicians In at
tendance yesterday that at no time was the
voltage more than HOO, and it frequently
fell to 800.
Warden Durston stated this afternoon
room in the prison where the autopsy was
held. He had not decided where the re-
mains will be buried.
BUFFALO, Aug. 7.-Dr. A. p. Southwick,
the father of the Electrical Execution law,
said to-day in an interview: II feel just
as l always have felt oil this matter. There
is nothing against the system at all, and the
fact is. there has been q great deal OF sense
less sensational talk about the execution.
For Instance, the pig story in regard to
froth, saliva, etc., coming from Kemmer's
mouth is ridiculous. 1t was a perfectly
natural thing and was caused by muscular
contraction OF the stomach. II the mistake
of ordering off the current so quickly had
not been made there would have been none
of this talk. The burning of flesh is also
exaggerated, and was caused simply by the
fact that the sponge under the electrode
was too small. light current passing
through and the sponge having dried out.
The eectrode just touched the skin.
Kemmler never knew what happened to
him and died absolutely without pain"
LONDON, Aug. 7.-Mr. Preece. chief elec-
trician of the p0stoffice, in an interview to-
day. recalled his denouncing electricity as
a means Of execution before the British
association in 1885, his experience proving
the difficulty and uncertainty of killing even
a rabbit with the most powerful induction
coil ever made. The great difficulty lay In
the absence of any accurate knowledge as
to what amount of electricity would be
certain to produce death without torture.
From scientific view Kemmler's execution
was failure. Beyond doubt, lie suffered