Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-14

dead 10 him after the first shock. But
/ think that II he had been allowed 10
continue to respire he would have re-
vived."
DIR. Daniel expressed the belief that
Kemmler died at the first shock. He
said he thought the execution success
and that It had demonstrated the super
iority of electricity over hanging.
REMMLER's CRIME-HIs TRAINING,
CHARACTERISTICS, ARREST AND
SENTENCE.
1 Kemmler was man of low birth, and
the environment Of his early life was
very bad. With little school training,
and less Of church influence, surround
ed by evil, he was sample product Of
conditions existing to-day Ia all large
cities. His father was q butcher In
Philadelphia, where William, the muir
dered, was born in 1880. He grew up
in the shambles and in the market
place.
He worked In the slaughter house
with his father, then he became brick
yard worker, and finally he became
huckster on his own account. or his
rascaliy devices to cheat customers,
while huckstering, Kemmler since his
imprisonment has told with chuckles
and much gusto.
In 1887 he married q worthless
woman named Ida Porter, In Camden,
N. J. Two days later ne found she
had been previously married, and he
left her to live with Martha Ziegler.
They moved to Buffalo, N. Y.
,, Kemmler frequently found his mis-
,, tress purloining money from his cloth
! ing, and he suspected infidelity on her
I part, and they quarreled and fought.
Kemmler sunk in evil until he became
!, a hopeless drunkard.
On the morning of March 20, 1889, all
Buffalo was shocked by the news ofthe
/, brutal butchery of a woman at No. 526
!, South Division street. The woman
I killed was "Tillie Ziegler," and the
murderer was the Philadelphia butch
> er's son. Kemmler. The murder was
!, the first that had been committed in
: the State of New York after the law to
! kill murderers by electricity had be-
come operative.
Kemmler was arrested, and in the
:. meantime the unfortunate woman was
u removed to hospital. Her face, arms
= and breat We're covered with blood, and
g she was quite insensible. A casual ex-
!, animation resulted in the discovery OF
: 26 distinct gashes on the face and head
and five bad wounds on the right hand,
, arm and shoulder, she having evidently
: tried to defend herself from the savage
!. attack of her paramour. She fingered
y in a comatose condition until the next
day, when death ensued before she had
once regained consciousness, and she
!, was, therefore, unable to make an an
! temortem statement. The only eye
y witness was the 4 year-old daughter ol
the victim, who said: "Papa hit nam
= ma with the hatchet when she was ly
- ing on the floor"
= The couple in Buffalo had lived undel
~ ~ the name of Hort. The victims father
y a Philadelphia huckster named Trip
- ner, came to Buffalo and identified the
body of the dead woman as his child
: With him came Henry Kemmler, tn,
" murderer's brother, who had married ;
y sister of the dead woman.
y The woman was described by tn,
Buffalo papers at the time as a prepos
r. sessing brunette of about 1876 pounds
~ ~ and quite stylish looking.
After his arrest the murderer re
time there were doubts as to his sanity
9 He made no attempt to escape after tn
< assault. When pressed to give rea
le son for the deed he only said: II want
n ed to kill her, and the sooner hang fo
l. found at his room. The corOner's jur,
AZ pronounced Kemmler murderer, ant
n Immediately after the inquest he wa
Or taken from the Jail to the police cour
e. and arraigned on charge of murde
at in the first degree. He pleaded guilty
IN saying he had no use for lawyer.
r. Judge Childs sentenced him to di
ne within the week beginning June "a
of 1889, by the application of electricit.
ve as provided by the code, at AuburI
ps state prison. Counselor Hatch tool
M exceptions to the sentence upon tn
" ground that the punishment was crue
or and unusual and contrary to the spiri
so of the constitution. Kemmler reaches
e. Auburn Friday, May "a, at midnight
A writ of habeas corpus was served uE
" on Warden Durston just before th
t. fatal day,arrived, and upon June 25 a
r. exhaustive argument was heard b
ne County Judge Day. The whole argu
as ment was as to the constitutionality {
mt the law substituting electricity for th
gibbet, upon the ground of the forme
being cruel and unusual. Judge Da
'K dismissed the writ, and the case ws
taken to the general term of the 81
preme court at Rochester, where th
constitutionality of the law was VI
held. The last resort was the court /
Mt appeals, and here, too, the decision W,
,e- adverse to Kemmler's counsel.
On The criminal was resentenced to d
n in the week beginning April %, 1S9
rst 1t is likely Kemmler would have bee
le- electricized on April so, but on the
ne a United States writ of habeas corpl
of was served on the warden, and the cas-
ou was then carried to the United Stat,
at supreme court on the point of constitl
ng tionality of the law on the san
grounds as urged in the State court
d. The New York courts were upheld !
it. the final appeal, and Kemmler ws
x again sentenced to be killed in tt
k. week beginning August 4.
no