Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-29

law believed it would be-instantaneous
painless, sure. 1t might be said right here
that, if it is not, if it results in one of the
unhappy contingencies suggested, it will..be
through no fault of Warden Durston.
Whatever a man could do to carry out
properly and we'll his terrible task, Warden
Durston has done. The responsibility he is
under he fully appreciates, and it has worn
| upon him, but he has risen to meet it. Who
ever follows him will have all the advan-
tage of his experience, and will little appre-
ciate the difference between the weight of
the burden they bear and that which has
fallen upon his shoulders.
Although all the essential details for the
execution itself have been completed, there
still rests upon Mr.. Durston an amount OF
labor and embarrassment which nobody
would envy him. The pressure brought to
bear upon him for admission has been some
thing beyond belief. The law distinctly
designates what number shall be present.
and the appointment of only portion of
these lies absolutely with the Warden. The
District Attorney and the Sheriff Of the
county wherein the condemned was con-
victed, he is compelled to invite; the prisoner
himself may select two clergymen to be
with MIN; and there must be invited also
one Judge of the Supreme Bench of the
State. Then comes two doctors, two
electrical experts and jury of twelve
persons. These, with seven assistants and
the Warden himself, make up the total of
twenty-seven. 1t is safe to say that Mr..
Durston has received personally at least
hundred urgent applications for the few
places within his power to assign, to say
nothing of the still greater number which
have been brought to him through promi-
nent State officials. In fact, this branch of
the matter alone has been about enough to
make life burden to him.
The subject, however, he has not allowed
greatly to annoy him. When it was a cues
tion of killing Kemmler year ago he made
out list of those to whom he intended to
give invitations. To all of those persons,
with few exceptions, he again sent invita-
tions last week. Several of them, either
because they are beyond reach or for other
reasons, are unable to be present this year,
and their places have been supplied by
others. The list, however, remains to
great extent the same as that decided upon
q year ago.
There will, of course, be an autopsy,
though it is not expected that it will reveal
anything startling, or of special value to
medical science. As to how soon after death
the autopsy will be performed is point of
some interest. The case of Mind Reader
Bishop is one which bears somewhat upon
this question. 1t will be remembered
that in Bishops case the doctors maintained
that in autopsies of the brain and nervous
system generally great promptness was nee
essary, as changes were very rapid. 1t is
probable that this fact will govern the
doctors in their autopsy on Kemmler. II,
as by no means is improbable, the execution
shall take place in the night, then Kemmler
may be killed, dissected and buried in
quicklime between the setting and the rising
of the sun.
EThe finishing touches have now been put
on the little room in which the execution is
to take place. 1t has been painted a light
gray color and thoroughly cleaned. There
is not an article of furniture in it save the
iron bath-tub In which prisoners were at one
time secured on their admission to the
prison, and an iron sink by the wall close to
it. These are firmly fastened to the floor
On the wall opposite the windows are
number of gas and water pipes. These have
all been freshly painted the same light gray
as the walls. From the center of the ceiling
there hangs plain gas fixture with two