The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-08-08
Opinion of a Chicago Electro
clan Concerning the Ex-
ecution of Kemmler.
He Must Have Suffered the Tortures
Of the Damned---A Most
Barbarons Affair.
The Operators Did Not Understand
Their Business---What They
Should Have Done.

CHICAGO. Aug. Z.
Horrible, horrible" wAs the exclama-
tion of City Electrician Barrett, Of Chi
cago, when he had finished reading the no.
count on Kemmler's execution.
DO yon think the man was uneon-
scious9" was asked.
No, do mot"
he must have suffered, them
Suffered? WY, thai man must have
suffered tine tortnnes OF ths damned, II
was the most barbarioua thing ever
heard Of.
What reason have you for thinking he
was eonsciousf"
The best Tsason in the world. know
how il 10 from experience. IL all the lned-
ical experts In the world we're 10 tell ms
that that man did not suffer, would not
bslisva II. had occasion u one time 10
close line that was opened By lightning.
In attempting 10 do 30 / received severe
shock. In an instant all powsr Of motion
was taken away from me. was ~ helps
less a. q corpse, and remained 80 for an
hour TIL help came. Now, while | was I'M
able 10 move muscle. ! was as conscious
80 1 am.rseht nov"
-Do you think 10 possible 10 make exe-
cution by electricity . successg"
Certainly, 50 FAR - the killing goes.
While l think is an outrage 60 nss Il for
that purpose. one Of che greatest elements
for human good God has given us, still Il
is posslble 20 make II successful. In this
case those who bad IL In charge made
horrible botch Of tho whole business.
What they ought 10 have done Is this.
Measured his resistance, 10 they could
Aave told Just hos much II would taxa TO
kill him"
In "a possible 10 do that with any degree
Of securacyg"
"It il. and had they understood their
business fhat is what would have been
DONE"
The report says thai the voif meter
varied between 800 and 800 volts.
-Don't you believe ID. That would have
been snflicinuk Al. haxe. killsd 100 man and
10 have barned him 10 q crisp. There
must have been some disarrangement OF
; tho wire
What effect do you think IL will have
on the adoption or rejection Of Tins mode
Of execntion2"
81 think the law sill ultimately be re-
psaisd. There 10 not an electrician In the
country Who IN not opposed 10 IL. Then
there afe Too mary ways OF taking life to
ran the chances of causing such horrible
and barbarous spectacle of hatchery"
Dr. soushwiek's 0pinlen.
BUFFALO. N. ". Ang 2.
DIR. Southwick, father of the electrical
execution Law, said in an interview: Il feel
just ~ / have always fels In this matter.
There 10 nothing against this system, and
the fact is there has besn great deal OF
seuseless sensational talk about the execn-
tion. In fact party Of ladies could sit In
the room where an execution of this kind
vas going on and not see anything repal-
siye whatever. II the mistake OF ordering
on the current 90 quickly had not been
made, there would have been mona OF
this talk. think kemmler's nerve af-
fectsd those there about N mnch "a any
thing. IL looked 10 me, though, as an syi-
asHss Of aeAsaa iHesPseisy. He seemed tu
be without fear and helped 10 adjust the
straps In way that was simply astonsshr
ing. NO, sir, do not consider that tbse
will be the last execution by electricity
There viii be- lots OF them. II has proven
that lbe idea In correct. and | think the
Law is good one. The execution was .
success. Kemmier never knew what hap
pensd to him and died absolutely without
pain.
ssassmsna FROM warden Darston.
AUHuRs. NJ n. AUG. 2.
Warden Durston stated this afternoon
thar the remains OF ksmmler will lie In ths
room In the prison where the antopsy val
held Yesterday He has not decided whsrs
the remains will be finaliy buried. Tn
subject which continues TO excit'
the greatest interest in conecfioI
with the execution III che recor'
voltage Of the shock which kills.
him. Il is generally supposed that th
frst shook was 800 volts and the seoon'
between 1860 and 2,0O0. Elscsrieial
Barnes, who vas In the dynamo room, sai
10 one Of the physicians In attendance JOS
terday thai at no time was the voltage NOR
than /, 100, and that il frequently dEopps
10 $50.