Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-14

Wucluoh ltS buHtooc was pauuca OF Ddfe.
At the sides and on the arms Of the
chair were straps Of heavy leather with
sturdy buckles, capable OF holding pros
trate the most energetic of struggling
men SHOULD the prisoner prove recall
citrant) or Of subduing the twitching or
the commissions that might, In spite of
theory and experiment, pervade the
frame flooded by the electric current.
Above the head Of the chair hung
rubber cup containinga sponge. The
wire by which II was suspended passed
through a wooden figure four clamped
to the back of the chair and made sd-
Unstable to any height above 1t. At the
lower part of the back of the chair was
another cup and sponge. The wire
from these cups ran to the two poles OF
the dynamo whose wire-wound arms
were kept whirling at rapid speed
through most of the night. On their
way to the dynamo room they passed
through the voltage meter which hung
on the wall of the cell, and through the
circuit of two rows of ofincandescent cleo
tric lights that hung on the wall of the
adjoining room. These incandescent
lamps, like the voltage meter, were in
tended to test the force of the electric
current. And as the electricians swung
over the lever that threw the lamps
into circuit with the big Westinghouse
dynamo, the blaze that illuminated the
chamber gave evidence that whatever
faults the electric apparatus might pos
sess, weak current was not one OF
them.
THE EXECUTION ROOM.
In one corner of the execution room
was small sink and bath tub. This
room had been used as reception room
for convicts, and here they had been
washed before being put in prison garb.
On the wall directly opposite the win
dow were several gas and water pipes.
From the center of the ceiling were sus-
pended two ordinary gas fixtures with
double arms. The walls and ceiling
had been painted quiet grey sew
eral months ago and they were still
fresh and green. The floor was trough
boards. To the right of the box which
held the eincandescent lamps in the next
room was a lever IL inches long. 1t
closed or opened the circuit in which
the lamps were placed. To the right
of this was another lever, like the first
in construction. By its operation the
circuit connected with the electric chair
was closed while at the same time the
electric lamps were thrown out Of cir
cult. All of this apparatus had been
tested again and again. The last touch
es which told of its security and prom
ised faithful performance of its duty
were given less than "a hours before the
time fixed upon by the warden to put
it into practical operation. There was
no question in the mind of the three
electrical experts who looked over the
simple mechanism and assured the ac-
curacy of the connections here and
there about the capacity of the engine
of destruction to do all that was requir-
ed tit.
THE MURDERER's "NERvE."
In the cell only few feet away where
Kemmler had spent SO many months in
quiet, restful captivity, the condemned
man was lying on his little iron cot,
snatching a few hours rest. The "won-
derful nerven which had been the SUBJ
iect of so much comment, and which
had been used so often to illustrate the
brute character of the man, stood by
him to the last. He had assured Mrs.
Durston in his conversation with her
many month ago, that he did not fear
his fate and that he would meet it quiz
etly and bravely. He believed the as
surances she gave him, that the expert
ence would be q painless one. He knew
nothing of the science of which he was
to be made such novel experiment.
but he had faith in the word of those
about him and he relied on what they
had told him. He slept through the
first night of the week "like a baby"
as one of his attendants phrased it. He
slept soundly on Monday night.
THE LAST MOMENTS POSES
FOR THE LAST TINE AS A "CENTER
OF INTEREST"
AUBURN, N. Y, Aug. 6-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 door way. Behind him
walked spruce looking, broad-shOuld-
cred little man, full-bearded, with care
fully arranged hair clustering around
his forehead. He was dressed in suit
of new clothing, sack coat and vest of
dark gray material, trousers of a mixed
yellow pattern, q white shirt whose
front was exposed directly be-
low little bow of lawn of o
black and white check pattern.
THIS WAS WILLIAM KEMMLER,
The man who was about to undergo
the sentence of death. Behind him
walked DIR. w. E. Houghton and Chap
lain 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 locked by
an attendant on the other side, as
though he did not exactly know what
to do.
"Give me a chair, will you'll" said the
warden.
Some one quickly handed him a
wooden chair, which he placed in front
and little to the right of the execu-
tion chair, facing the little circle of men.
Kemmler sat down composedly, looked
about him and then up and down with
out any evidence of fear or of especial
interest in the event. His face was not
stolid-it was not Indifferent. He look
ed, if anything, as though he was rath-
er pleased of being the center of inter-
est. Warden Durston stood at the left
of the chair with his hand on the back
of it, and almost at the moment that
Kemmler took his seat began to speak
in short. quick periods.
"Now, gentlemen" he said, "This is
William Kammler have warned