The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-08-08

twenty seconds which was almost instantly
changed to ten seconds.
VERY well, gentlemen. responded the
warden, and he moved toward the door of
his secret room. And. at the moment DIR.
Fell of Buffalo, who made the death chair,
was dropping water from bulb syringe
through q long rubber tube into the cleo
trode sponges, the warden reappeared from
the ante-room.
"Well, is everything ready?" said he,
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 WAITED THE SHOCK.
The warden turned and nodded his head to
some one who stood in the secret room at
the fatal switch. There was quick con-
vulsive start Of the bound figure in the
chair, a little squeaking sound Of straining
straps, breathless watchers with every sense
bent upon the moveless wretch bound head,
hand and foot, and no sound, save bird
songs in the bright sunshine outside the
window was lifted by the straying
the bars. This noise was
slight, but to the tense and breathless
watchers in the basement death chamber it
seemed equal to the sound ofclashing arms.
interest almost unconsciously from their
places, moved on tip-toe to places by the
chair. But all was still and no man spoke.
Every faculty was contributing to that of
vision. Such scene there never was on
earth before. No man ever before had died
thus by the deliberate purpose of his fellow
man.
After that convulsive start that marked
the stroke of lightning upon Kemmler
there was no movement of muscle nor
twitch Of nerve. The features from the
bridge of the nose to the chin seemed to
have been pursed up, as those of one facing
sleety storm or of one breasting power
full dust bearing wind.
'"There. that's enough. Take off the cur
rent. said the warden's chosen physicians
Macdonald and Spitzka-after seventeen
seconds had passed, and the warden passed
the word within the adjoining room, where
some one had let on the current and where
the same one
CUT IT OFF.
Happiest of all in the room was DR..
SOuthwick of Buffalo, the father of electri-
cising in capital cases, and who has been
studying and working upon the subject
since 1881.
There" he exclaimed, as he strobe away
from the chair to knot of witnesses at the
OCAC1 cuu VI Guc IOOI1, CucIc Is Cuc CulIul-
nation of ten years work and study. We
live IN higher civilization from this day."
But even while he spoke, a quick, sharp
cry went up from those yet closely watch
ing about the silent figure in the chair.
There had been q movement in the breast
of the man whom all believed had died one
minute and forty seconds before. Soon
there was another movement, accompanied
by sudden gasp, and then the breast be-
gan to heave with long, deep, stertOrous
respirations.
''Start the current start the current
again, shouted DR.. Spitzka. All crowded
about the chair and watched the laboring
tight bands about him, was rising and fall
ing with strong force. Slightly foamy
saliva was exuded from the mouth, the en-
tire body racked in the efforts of the organs
to resume their functions, and deep lear
tell upon some lest consciousness should
return. The doctors declared, however,
that the man was beyond consciousness,
and some thought the action which startled
all and sent the warden away with a
white face to order the current returned
was only reflex muscular action.
THIS SPECTACLE
was continued from Gas until CAT o'clock
There came again to the figure in the chair
another shock. under which the straps were
strained again. The lungs, however, filled
again and again while the current was pour
ing through the unconscious body.
At 6:5l another grOan of dsmay was
heard near the chair and smoke was OBJ
served curling up from Reminders back.
Hes burning" shouted one.
Cut OFT the current, cried another.
He's dead. There's no use in keeping
up the current longer" said some one else.
=, Again the warden gave the signal to open
the switch and the body in the chair, sur
charged with four distinct shocks that had
been given it, developed no further move
ment.
Hes PROFESSIONALLY dead" said DR..
Macdonald
Almost immediately attendants began to
unbind the corpse in the great chair.
kemmler's body was entirely unbound
about 7:30 and the doctors determined
not to proceed at once with the
autopsy. The witnesses returned to the
hotel for breakfast, with the understanding
that they should return at 815 a. m. The
physicians had been slow TO move the
autopsy until undutiable post-mortem indi-
cations should be observed. Upon their
return therefor they were made. The doc
tors then lifted the body to the dissecting
table and laid it upon the back. At
utes after the current through Kemmler
was stopped, the table was wheeled beneath
the windows, through which the sunlight
then was streaming and at the call for in
spection all gathered around while DR..
Jenkins of New York prepared to use the
scalpel and the saw. DR.. Shrady sat near
and in short hand took the running de-
scription of conditions developed, himself
prompting and at times directing.
Examination of the electrodes on the
fatal chair disclose that the sponge in the
one at the base of the spine was dried and
scorched by heat generated, owing to i'm
perfect contact or to insufficient wetting of
the sponge during contact The result was
a torri hi O burninn of the bacl. cloar fl,rol,nb