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

He Sooii WouIi NIL. Ills MINUS SWUNG III
his side easily save when, as though in
some embarrassment, he strokcd his brown
full beard and moustaclic us he confronted
the white, cxpcctant faces OF the twenty.
five men who, besides the warden,
WOULD SOON SEE HIM DIE.
Mr.. Durston placed plain wooleil.bo
toned chair directly in front of the other
and different chair and bale Kenmrr sill
upon il. lie obcyed readily. There was
no uncusincss about his movements lie
was apparently the most calm person in thu
room.
The warden took u place beside Kclmmlcr
and resting his arm over tho prisoner.
shoulder, on the clair back, the states OFF.
Ger presented the condemned man to those
prcscnt-imtroluccd him, indeed, md this
is what he said:
Now. gentlemen. this is Willinm Kemnler.
have Just read the warrnht TO him. and have
told lin he has got TO dic and If has anything
to say lie will say it.
floor. with hand upon either knee cl.
bows akimbo, the simple fellow spoke:
We'll, wish everybody good luck In the
world lie said IN easy. steady tones. !" and I'll
go to n good place; and the papers has been
saying lots of stuff about me that uin't so."
as he ceased speaking, and hIr. Dur,tnn
came To his side.
"Takc off your coat, Bill, said he.
There was 10 word, but with easy, stcaoy
joints he pulled off one sleeve and then
swung off the garment to the chair from
which he had risen. The warden stood be-
hind him, drew forth the bottom Of his
shirt and cut it off behind so as
To pEEMIT EASY ADJUSTMENT
of one Of the ecctaodcs. Meanwhile
Kcmmlcr rcadjustcd his ncck,ic, which
was already neatly fixed in bow-knot
care your suspendcrs all right" asked
the warden as lie laid down the shears he'd
used.
Yes all right" was the answer
"Wcll, then, Bill. you'd best sit down
here said the warden.
Take it cool, Bill, I'm going to
stay close beside you all the while till the
end, said the warden. Then he bucklcd u
strap at one shoulder.
81 will, I'll take it cool, returned kcmn,-
Ter. Aud then with his elbows upon tho
great arms of tho chair he drew himself
pressed him hard at the base of the spine.
Two Others were working at the straps,
first the arms. then the chest, waist. hips,
legs and lastly the leather mask. There
was some iumbling in nervous haste and
the doomed man observing 1t, spoke:
"Takc.yourtimc, "lic said, take your time
and will BESPOKE he held high his arms
to make easy the binding OF the chest.
Then, as the insulated neck saddle was be-
ing placed he suggested that il pressed for
ward as it was being adj justcd it would be
more easy lor him.
"All right, Bill, all right" returned the
warden, and his voice was II trile unsteady,
''it won't hurt you, Bill, it won't hurt you
at ALL" he added.
'Take your time, Mr.. Durston; don't be
in hurry" the prisoner said again in re-
sponsc. And then lie added, as the dang
ling mask was being shaped for adjustment:
Well ! wisl, everybody good luck"
THE MASK COVERED HIS EYES,
grasped his chin and firmly pressed his
forehead. 1t was not well fitted, Kcmmler
said, and spoke to direct its proper adjust
mcnt.
do everything right. Mr.. Durston," said
he, land push that down more on top of
my head" lie referred to the elcctrodc
wHith was ocIIS httco W tne top oi ms
head. 1t was done, seeming TO push his
head down between the shoulders, while
the mask was bucklcd back SO tightly that
the edge was buried in the skin OF the nose
and forehead. Once more he spoke, and
they were his last words: well, 1 want to
do the best ] can; can't do any better than
that. )" said he.
God bless YOU. Kcmmlcr, you have done
well" spoke DIR. Spitzka in his quick, ncrv-
Gus way, and there were plying tears in
many eyes, and husky voices muttercd.
"Yoll have, Keimmlcr, you have"
Every strap had been tigltcncd. each
elcctro,lc had been pressed to the seat ul
life, the wnrlen's deputies stepped back.
there was hush: The warden inquired OF
the current should be maintained III
Kemmlcr's body. The first response was
twenty seconds, which was almost instantly
changed to ten seconds.
Very well, gentlemen" responded the
warden, and he moved toward the door o
his secret room. And. at the moment DR.
Fell of Buffalo, who made tho death chair
was dropping water from bulb syringe
through long rubber tube into the olcc.
trode sponges, the warden reappeared from
the aiitc-room.
well, is everything ready?" said lie,
willie lie faced the death chair six feet
away. The bound man in the chair had
hculu cNCly WOIu. Ills udIluS WeTcCllNCICu
and rigid.
HE WAITED TIE SHOCK.
The warden turned and nodded his head to
some one who stood in the secret room ut
the fatal switch. There was quick con-
vulsive start of the bound figure in the
chair, little squcaking sound Of straining
straps, brcathlcss watchers with every sense
bent upon the movelcss wretch bound head.
hand and foot. and no sound, save bird
songs in the bright sunshine outside the
windows. The bar Of heavy shade at one
window was lifted by the straying
breeze and fell back against
the bars. This noise was
slight, but to the tense and breathlcss
watchers in the basement death chamber it
seemed equal to the sound ofclashing arms.
DR.. Spitzka and DR.. Shrady, drawn BY deep
interest almost unconsciously from their
places, moved on tip-toc to places by the
chair. But all was still and no man spoke.
Every fasn,yy wara contributing to tina. Of
thus by'' of his fellow
man