The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-07

piled through perfect contact and contin-
ued twenty seconds.
The body of Kemmler win be buried to-
morrow in the prison burying ground with
quickiime. to hasten dissolution.
HOW KEMMLER WAS KILLED.
His Courage Marvellous Bunglins
Work Of the Executioners.
AUBURN. Aug 6-WiIIiam Kemmler. the
murderer of Lille Teiger, was executed by
electricity within the walls of the peniten-
tiary this morning. AT 6:38 the door at
the right of the execution chair leading
toward the execution room, opened, and
Warden Durston's figure appeared in the
doorway. Behind him walked q spruce
looking, broad-shouldered little man, full
bearded, with carefully arranged hair clus-
tering around his forehead. He was dressed
in new suit, q sack coat and vest of dark
gray material, trousers of mixed yellow
pattern. and q white shirt, whose polished
front was exposed directly below little
bow of lawn of q black and white check
pattern. This was William KemmIer. the
man about to be put to death. Behind him
walked DIR. w. E. Houghton and Chaplain
Yates.
Kemmler was by far the coolest man in
the party. He did not look about the
room with any special degree of interest.
He hesitated as the door closed behind
him and was carefully locked by the at
tendant at the other side. as If he did not
know exactly what to do.
Give me a chair. will you," said the
warden. Some one quickly handed him .
L. - - l. - e T.
a little to the right of the execution
chair, facing the little circle of men,
Kemmler sat down composedly, looked
about. then up and down, without any evi~,
dence OF fear or special interest in the
event. His face was not stolid nor in
different. He looked, If anything, as
though rather pleased at being the center
of Interest," .
chair with his hand on the back of it, and
almost the instant Kemmler took his seat,
he began to speak in short. quick periods.
ssNow, gentlemen" he said, 'sthis IS
William KemmIer. / have warned him
that he has to die, and if he has anything
to say he will say it,
KEMMLER MAKES SPEECH.
As the warden finished Kemmler looked
up and said in high-xeyed voice, without
any hesitation. and as though he had pre-
pared himself with the speech.
Well wish everyone good luck in this world,
and think am going 70 good place. Tho
papers have been saying . lot of stuff that ID
not so. That's all have to say.
At the conclusion of the speech he turned
his back on the jury, took off his coat and
handed it to the warden. This disclosed
AZ e, xk,o< b<f<n I'D e-<>~ Az
seat of hA trousers down SO as to expose
the base of the spine. When the coat was
off, Kemmler turned in the direction of
the room and began unbuttoning his vest,
at the same time the warden drawing the
intervening drapery of his shirt through
the trousers and cutting it of so as to leave
q little surface of flesh, against which one
of the electrodes was to press, absolutely
bare.
Warden Durston called attention to the
his vest, and Kemmler calmly buttoned
it again. and carefully arranged his tie.
aDon't hurry about this matter" said
the warden BE perfectly cool" Kemm~
Ter was perfectly cool. He by all odds was
the coolest man in the ROOM
STRAPPED IN THE DEATH-cHAIR.
When he was arranged he sat down in
the electric chair as quietly as though he
was sitting down to dinner.
Warden Durston stood on the right and
George Vieiing, of Albany, on the left.
They began Immediately to adjust the
straps, the condemned man holding up his
arms so as to give them every assistance.
When the strap had been adjusted about
the body the arms were fastened down and
the warden leaned over and parted Kemm-
ler's feet so as to bring his legs near the
legs of the chair.
While the straps were haing arranged
Kemmler said: Take yosr time. Don't
be in hurry. Be sure that everything is
ali right" Two or three tmes he repeated
these phrases. Warden Devs.on reassured
him with the remark that il would not
hurt him and that he (Durston) would be
with him all through; but it was not fear
that Kemmler felt. 1t was rsther certain
pride in the exactness of the experiment
He seemed to have greater interest in its
success than those who had made prepara-
tions for it and who were watching its pro-
gress to the final conclusion.
WE,n the strap had been adjusted ths
wardeE placed his hand on kemmler's
head ant held it against the rubber cnsh-
ion which ran down the back of the chair.
Kemmler's eyes were turned toward the
opposise side of the room. Before they
had followed the warden in his movements
about. Then the doomed man made q few
remarks in a perfectly clear, composed
tone of voice. .WelI. wish everybody
good luck" was one OF them. and "Durs.
ton, see that all things are ri ght." vas an
other.
Deputy vieling unfasten ed the thumb
screw which held the back OF the chair in
place, and began to lower it so that the
rubber cap, which had . saturated sponge.
pressed against the top of Kemmlers
head. The warden assisted In holding
kemmler's head.
Kemmler said: 'Oh, you had better
press that down further, / guess. Press
that DOWN. So the head piece was un-
ciamped and pressed further down. While
il was being done, Kemmler said, well,
want to do the best I can. can't do any
better than that"
Warden Durston took in bis hand the
leather harness which was to be adjusted
to Kemmler's head Ii was 9 muzzie OF
broad leather. strap of which went across
the forehead and chin top. and another
strap pressed down against the nose of
Kemmler until il flattened Itdown slightly
over his face. When the harness was pns
in place DR.. Spitzka. who was standing
near the chair, said: "God bless you,
Kemmler,n and the con demned man an
swered: Thank you"
Softly the door leading into the room