Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-08-07

but that of the warden CRYING to the on
orator 10 turn on the current and a whiZ-
zing sound, half "a groan. which forced
itself past the tightly closed lips and
sounded through the still chamber with
ghastly distinctncss. Some witnesses
turned away from the sight and one
tainted. 1t seemed a long time in
reaching the climax. Seventy-three
seconds elapsed until response
came from the dynamo room.
IL came with the same suddenness that
marked the first shock. The sound which
had Mortified the listeners about the
chair was cut off sharply as the body
once more become rigid. a slimy ooze still
dropped from his mouth slowly down his
beard on 10 the gray vest. Twice were
these twitchings of the body as the elec-
trician in the next room threw the current
on and off. The dynamo was run up to
its highest speed and full current of aOD0
volts sent through his body. How long it
kept in action no one knows. To the eX-
cited group about the chair IL seemed an
interminabe tirle. No one was anxious
to give the signal to stop. All dreaded the
responsibility of Offering TO the man a
chance to revive, or give again at least.
those appearances of returning animation
which startled and sickened the witnesses
a few minutes before as0the anxious
group stood silently around watching the
body. suddenly there arose from it
white vapor bearing with it pungent
and sickening Odor. The BODY was burn
ing. Again were there cries to stop the
current and again the warden sprang to
the door and gave quick order to the
assistants that the current be stopped and
again was there a relaxation of the body.
Some of the eminent experts in attend
ance said while the body was still warm
in the chair that there was nOdOubt there
were signs of returning animation. but
reSpirationfor respiration they believed it
To be-. was growing stronger. aud that in
time, II the current had not been turned
on again lac would have revived. Others.
among them Dr. Spizka. stated with equal
positiveness the conviction that the first
shock killed kemmler instantly. Drs.
Daniels and Southwick. the father Of the
system Of electrodes. believed kemmiar
dead but they think the current should
have been continued longer than seven
teen seconds which was the official time
Of the first contact. There Is no way in
which positive determination of this
question can be made. II will always re-
main unsolved The autopsy began at 8
O'Clock. When the body was laid out ON
the table very severe rig0r mOrtiS set in.
There was little relaxation and it was
with difficulty that the corpse was
stra,ghtcned out. ON examination il was
found that the second aertOid had burned
through the skin aud into the flesh at the
base OF the spine making a scar nearly five
inches in diameter. The heart. lungs and
other organs were taken out and found to
be in good. healthy condition. They
will be- preserved for further examination.
The brain was also taken out, IL. too. will
be carefully examined.
NEW YORK. Aug. 6-The evening pa
perS generally condemn electrical eXccu-
tions by law In the light Of the Kemmler
affair.
The sun says public Judgment will
probably be unanimous that no further
electrical experiments in this direction
ought to be made on human subjects.
~ The Wofld-describes the affair as a
ghastly revolving torture.
The Telegram calls attention to the
singular condition of affairs as probable.
1t says there are no other sentences of
death awaiting execution. We may eX-
pect In all these eases renewed attempt
To save the lives of the condemned on the
ground THAT the first trial by electrocu-
tion shows il To bc not only unusual bnt
c uel. There will be no end TO confusion.
aud the result must be practically the
suspension of capital punishment in the
state until the legislature provides
another way of putting criminals 10
death.