The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-08-15


Hapricst of nll i'll the room was DR..
Sou,liwick OF Buffalo, the father o.: clectri-
cisii,g in capital cases, ard who has been
studying. and workin. upon the subject
since 1881.
There" he exclaimed. as he strobe away
from the chair to knot of witnesses at the
other end OF the room, there is the culmi-
nation often years work and study. We
live III Il higher civilization from this day."
But even while he spoke, quick, sharp
cry went up from those yet closely watch-
Ing about. the silent figure in the chair
There had been u movement i'll the breast
of the man whom all believed had died one
there was another movement, accompanied
by a sudden gasl, and then the breast be-
gan to hcave with long, deep stcrtoro,is
respirations.
start the current, start the current
again, shouted Dr. Spitzka. All crowded
about the chair and watched the laborlng
wretch, whose breast despite the broad
tight bands about him, was rising and fall.
ing with strong force. Slightly foamy
saliva was cxudci from the mouth, the en-
tire body racked in tlecti;urts OF the organs
to resume their functions, and deep ear
tell upon some lest consciousness should
return The doctors declared. however,
that the man was beyond CONSCIOUSNESS,
and some thought the action which startled
oil and sent the warden away with u
white lace to order the current returned
was only reflex muscu ar action.
THIS SPECTACLE
was continued iIUm 6:45 until Gi1 o'clock.
There came again tu the figure in the chair
another shock, under which the straps were
strained again. The lungs, irnwcvrr, filled
again and again while thcrt,rrrilt was pour
ing lhrnn,h the unconscious body.
AT 6:5l anutllcr sruan of dSmav was
heard near the chair ami smoke was nb.
served curling up from Kcmmlcr's back.
Hes burning, shouted one.
cut OIL the current" cried another.
lies dead. There's no use in Keeping
up The current Longer, said some one else
Again the warden gave the signal tuulrn
the switch and the body in the chair, sur
charged with four distinct shocks that had
been given il, developed no further move
iMcnt.
Hes nnqncstionab!y dead" said Dr.
Macdonald
Almost Immediately attendants began to
kcmmlcr's body was en,,re!S unbound
about $50 and the doctors determined
autopsy. The witnesses returned To The the
hotel for breakfast, with the understanding
that thny should return ut s:i5 IL. M. Til.
physicians had been slow TO move the
autopsy until undu,iublc ,nSt-norcm indi-
cations should be observed. lT,mn their
return therefor they were made The doe
tors tlien lifted the body to the ,isSccting
table and laid il upun the back At
slaa IL. H., three hours and six min
utcS after the current through Kemmlrr
was stopped, the table was wheeled beneath
he windows, through which the sunlight
then was streaming and at the call Tor in
spcctinn all gathered around while Dr.
Jenkins of New York prepared to use the
scalpcl and the saw. Dir. Shrady sat near
and in short hand took the running de-
scrimion ot conditions developed, himself
prompting and at times directing
Examination Of tho electrodes an the
latal chair disclose that the sponge in the
one ut he base the spine was dried and
scorclc,l hy heat generated, owing To i'm
perfect contact or to insullicirn; wc;ting OF
Tie sponge during rnntnrt. The result was
terrible burning of the back clear through
to the spine. The kin in contact had been
burned to black cin'lrr a;n the flesh
above had been cooked until yellow, while
the inner tissues had been baked.
The sponge in the upper clcctrode had
been sin.ed though not SO much as the
other and the scalp only singcd instead OF
incinerated.
The following Is u copy of an editorial
which Dr. George i, Schrndy. blitor o. the
Medical Record, of New York, tclcgraphctl
tonight To that journal:
THE EXECUTION DY ELEtTEIciTY
tils lei'stiirhed ng',ny OF suspense regarding
the efficiency Of citT, ricit rs means Of rxect-
iiS criminals has been finally terminated in tr
legal killing OF K"mmlrr AS WIS reasonably
anticipated death was Instantaneous. and no
lar as can be Judged tho unfortunate subject Of
TIN, experiment died without pain. The sI,ec.
thce presented was, however, l,y no means eli.
iys 10 slcii as hope ior improvements OF the
Old methods.
Although scence has triliinphel the question
OF the humanity of the act is still an open me
But Slinli W cell il y triumph Wien the object
attained was the killing of !, fellow being. Here.
tofore the pruli,icst aim OF science has lcei, To
save or ut least to proloiig human life and iil-
sure tor iis ro>Sessor the greatest enjoyment oi
its mnny hniii' les In this instance. it has btrii
plainly diverted from its course under a: para.
duSic;,l plea Of lirli humanity. And yet men of
science lave lent their best efforts In ts ,lirec-
tiOn to hrmnur the whms of IL few craiks and
world bcttcrcrs." who imagined they could
make legal murder q tine art and enforce into it
an element oi sciItimcntliity which might rob il
OF its atrOrity.
White We allow that electricity hns been a sue.
cess as lar ns the killing il concerned. We must
admit that We lave gained little if anything over
the ordinary mctho'l OF execution by hanging
The prrlmiiareS Of clectrn-i hulusiH are far
from pleasant to contemplate. Alongside
of those for hanging they are prctcntio,sly
horrible There is something more tham We cite
in the preparation OF the machine :hc .lclibcr
ate tixation OF the Villain. the adjustment oi
the cl,ctrode an'l the thousand deaths in con
tennl"t,ng temp. one Mi,iel, more than offsets the
IL.
horrors, though hidden, are nevertheless felt.
There is thing else to lie thought Of than
the mere luckness Of death. While the latter
might have been trumphantiy done, the agony
oi The criminal during the Preparations must ls
terrible as compared with that OF hanging 1t
becomes IL serious question if humanity is not
PAYING 700 DEAR a PRICE
for instant aieo,IS demolition. Tie mystery of
death IL intensified II thOllsiItlfold IN antitira.
tion Of what this instrument OF subtle power
may DO AZ compared with either the u,,,so of
Ii n rat pf
knot, the bore oi the bullet or the chOp of the
N.Y.. And yet Ia harness the lightning and bolt
it through human lody is thought to he one
Of the advances Of the nineteenth century
The expericr., in the keminlcr ca>e. in spite
Of all the prerautio taken, have shown MANY
difficulties in the way oi II general adoption Of
the method. II is far from simple in its apJlica-
tion. IL requires elaborate and careful prrpar
ations; it mutiplics machinery which, without
expert manipulation,is isliah!eto fail nits working
and bring about disastrous results; il lGay he a
source of danger o the eXcruioners aud rIcctn-
tors; it increases the expense of executions; hut
worse than all in the necessary preparation uf
seconds an amount OF horror and SUSPENSE
which holds no comparison with any other form
OF rapid demolition. save those OF being thrust
into the miizze OF u loaded cannon or tied to n
dynamite bomb.
Wien it is assumed that tho ends Of Justice
and humanity arc reached by the cOntriv:ince in
question. and when II must be admitted that
even this method cannot be Invested either of
cruelty or barburity, the way opens for the dis.
cuss:ol OF the abolition OF capital punishment
altogether.
From physical. humanitarian and judicial
standpnnts the time is ripe tor its coilsi,irru-
ton. We venture 10 predict that public opir-
ion will soon Danish the death chair
as 1t has has done the rope, and
that Imprisonment for life will be the only
proper punishment metcd to n murderer. This
is indeed. the only rational method which sci-
ece. Justice a1 religion consistent iy recon-
meml. The death chair will be the altar from
which this tiOct rinc Will be preached,
ENGLISH PRESS COMMENTS
LONDON, Aug. G.-Ihc Chronicle, com
menting upon the killing Of Kcmmlcr hy
electricity. says the scene was worthy oftlc
darkest chambers of the inquisition in the
century.
The Times says it would be impossible to
imagine more revolving exhibition. 1t
advocates lctllal chamber in preference to
the use of electricity.
The Standard says: "'rhe scene can be
as q disgrace to humanity. 1t will
send thrill Of indignation throughout the
civilized world. We cannot believe that
will allow the electrical execu.
lion act to stand.
PATRIARCHS MILITANT
Fifty Thousand feOIste Witness the Dem.
onatration In Chicago.
CHICAGO, Spcciai.-Tnerc was q surc,nc