The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-08-15
FIRST ElECTRICIDE
Murderer KemmIer Is Officially
Murdered by Electricity.

NV uSlCu Wy IICOli lCttyB
The First Shock Did Not Kill and the
Dose Was Rcpeated-History
of His Crime.
AUBURN, N. Y, Aug. 6.-With a
short, slarp shock, painless as far as
the world will ever know, the soul of
William Kemmler was separated from
his body at Gao o'clock this morning.
A cap adjusted to the head of man
bound captive in strange looking
chair, lever quickly swung around the
arc OF semi-circle, quick convulslon,
d sudden revival of muscular action,
another turn of the lever, pause, a
room filled with sickening fumes and
the twenty-seren witnesses of the first
electricide i'll history knew that the
death of Iillie Ziegler had been avenged
in law, and the crime of VIM. Kemmler
cxpiated SO far as human hands could
force its expiation.
The witnesses of tho execution had
gathered in response to the call Of
Warden Durston at o'clock this morn
ing. The law named twcnty-sevcn as
the number of these who should witness
the execution as assistants in some
official capacity. AT 63O the door lead
ing into the execution room opened and
Warden Durston's figure appeared in the
doorway. Behind him walked Kemmler.
Then followed DIR. w. L. Houghton and
Chaplain Gates. Kemmler was by far
the coolest man in the party. He took
seat in a wooden chair at the right of
the execution chair. He looked at the
little circle Of men around him, seem
ing rather pleased at being the center Of
interest Warden Durston, with his
hand on the back Of chair, said: Now
gentlemen this is Wm. Kommlcr
have warned him that he has got to die,
and if he has got anything to say
he will say it. AS tho warden
finished kemmler said: "Well, l wish
everyone good luck in this world and
shink am coming to good place and
tho papers have been saying that's not
so. That's all have to say"
With the conclusion of this speech he
took off his coat, handed it to tho war;
den and sat down in the electric chair
quietly as though sitting down to din
ner. kemmler assisted in adjusting the
fastening that bound him to the chair
an everything being ready the current
was turned on.
There was suddenly convulsion of
the frame in the chair. The muscles of
the face twitched, but no cry escaped
the lips of kemmler and he died so far
as any superficial evidence indicated
upon the instant the switch lever was
switch ed into the current
The first shock was not successful.
He revived and there was frequent res
piratlon, though the doctors claim no
consciousness. After some DELAY the
current was turned on and kept turned
on for four and a half minutes. Tho
first contact having been eleven seconds
the current was kept on the second time
till the body fumed and gave off an un-
pleasant odor.
DIR. Spitzka, the celebrated expert,
said afterward that the experiment was
failure and there would never be an
other electrocution. The doctors unite
in the belief that death was painless,
that all consciousness was DESTROYED at
the moment of the final contact.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The murder for which Kemmler suf-
fered punishment was horribly brutal
1T was committed on the morning of
Friday, March 50, 1889. The scene of
the murder was in the rear OF large,
old-fashloned square cottage, 526 South
Division street, in Buffalo. A suite of
four dingy rooms in the extreme rear of
this structure was occupied by kcmmler
and his mistress, Tillie Zicgler, a
woman who had run away IRON her hus-
band in Philadelphia with Kemmler.
The woman had one child, a bright lit
tie girl years old, who was the only
witness to tho murder and who gave i'm
portant evidence in convicting Kemm-
Ter. The weapon used was hatchet.
and the body Of the woman was fright
fully gashed, no less than twenty-six
wounds being inflicted
Tho couple had many quarrels and
disturbed the neighbors greatly. These
quarrels, caused by drunkenness and
jealousy, eliminated in Tillie Ziegler's
violent death. On the morning of the
murder some of the neignbors heard
the couple quarreling. 1t soon became
evident that the quarrel was of unusual
severity, for screams and the smashing
OF furniture were heard. Tho screams
soon subsided, only low moaning
sound being heard. A chopping noise
succeeded, as though Kemmler was
splitting wood, but it was the body of
his victim that he was hacking.
Soon Kemmler was heard walking
about, and shortly appeared at a neigh
boris house with his clothes smcared
with blood. When asked what he had
done he replied: 1--WE killed her. l
had to do it,"
"What do you mean?" was asked.
1--WE killed her. was the reply, land
I'll have to take the rope FOR it. -
Soon he went to saloon where he
was arrested by policeman who had
been informed of tho murder. When
kemmler's rooms were entered the
kitchen was Uttered with broken dishes,
overturned chairs and tables, and bro
ken furniture. In the kitchen near the
stove was the body of the dying woman.
The walls Of this room and those adioin-
ing were bespattered with blood
Tho little daughter of tho victim,
when questioned about the murder,
lisped: Papa killed mamma with a
hatchet'
Fatally Shot by n Grader.
BUFFALO GAP, s. D., Aug. 6.--Mr.
Skemp, contractor on tho Burlington
and Missouri railway, twelve miles west
OF Hot Springs, was accidentally shot
through the abdomen by grader, who
was carelessly fourishing a 44-caliber
revolver. He is a prominent resident
of WatertoWn. Mhara his family rnsidan