The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-14
MR Balm SAW ALL
And Throws Some Light Upon the
Auburn Electrocution.

From the Washington Post.
George Grantham Bain. who represented
the United Press at the Kemmler electrocu-
ton, returned to Washington yesterday.
He denies that he tainted. He was so busy
that he went without breakfast on the
morning of the execution, during the pro-
gress or which he took some $50 pages of
notes. The inevitable excitement of
the occasion and his hard
work weakened him seriously,
ana he told DR.. Daniels, near whom he
stood, that he felt weak and dizzy. The
doctor babe him lie down on a bench, and
he did so, the doctor tanning him.
From where he lay he could see aud hear
all that TRANSFERRED, and he continued tn
make notes during the time he was lying
down. He's felt better, and was quickly
on his his feet again. He did not faint.
Mr.. Balm showed the reporter his notes,
which were made on the spot, during the
execution. and to the accuracy of which he
will swear. These notes. which present an
almost Photographic reproduction of the
execution, throw considerable light on the
Spitzka-Daniels controversy as to who was
responsible for the e gth of time the cur
re 1T was passed Through Kemmler.
The two now disputing doctors and Mr..
Balm were sitting together when the warden
asked Drs. SpitZka and Mcdonald as to the
time the shock was to be continued. DR..
Spitzka said fifteen seconds. When the
warden replied, "thats a long time" Dr.
Spitzka turned to D.. Mcdonald and said
What do you say, d ctor; you've had more
to do with these things than / havesn
swell, I've left the matter entirely TO
you,n said the warden. "How much time
d. you say?'
"Wen," DIR. Mcdonald remarked, "Say
ten seconds at least"
"All right" said the warden, and he
turned to his death-dealing arrangements.
When the current was turned on, Mr..
Bans notes show, DIR. Spitzka was standing
in front of the chair, and after the electricity
had been thrilling through Kemmler's body
some seconds he cried out "Stopl stopp
The cry was echoed by several of the doc
tors. This would dispose of the doctors
statement that he had nothing to do with
the length of time the current was turned
on. Dr. Spitzka has been quoted as saying
that it was the muscular movements indi-
cative of respiration that caused him to
order the current turned on again, and has
said since the execution that he is now con-
vinced that these m ton were merely the
result OF reflex muscular action, and that
the man was really dead when he seemed to
be Breathing.
Mr.. Balm says that Drs. Shrady, Jenkins
and Balch were standing together beside the
chair after the first shock, and DR.. Balch
noticed an abrasion made by the finger-nail
Of the executed man in clenching his hands
The way the blood flowed from this abrasion
showed that life was not extinct. When DR..
Balch called DR.. Spitzka's attention to this
the chest had not begun to heave at all, and
as soon as DR.. Spltzka saw tie blood he
cried: Turn the Gu rent on again instantly.
This man is not dead" 1t was not until
after the current was turned on at Dr.
Spitzka's order that the breast began tc
heave.
MIR. Balm says he has been stopped at
every street cor er since he came back and
asked his opinion of the execution. While
at first he was disposed to regard it unfa-
vorably, he has about concluded that it is
better than hanging, with its attending
blunders and accidents.
AS to his sensations, he says that the
most horrible moments were when the
wretched man in the deathchair was breath
ing ID apparently returning to life. II
was the anticipation Of the awful shrek OF
tortured agony that would announce the
poor wretch's return to consciousness that
blanched their faces and turned them faint
and they coud not but think what horrible
thing that shrek would be when it re-
sounded, as they expected it would, through
the death chamber, AID the thought un-
nerved them, doctors and all.
Mr.. Balm last night received a letter from
the "School of Vital Science" in Philadel
phia, signed ''in behalf of the vital friends Of
the School of Vital Science, am thy vita
friend. Victor B. Hail." in which the writer
asked Mr.. Balm TO arrange for a secret in
terview between him and the mayor and
select council of Washington" He wanted
to address them in opposition to the intro.
duction of electrical executions in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and seemed quite appre-
hensive lest the trusty hangman's rope
should be superseded