Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-08-14
THE KEMMLER HORROR
EPEN TEE PHYSIoIAHS sIoRRpEu
ar HIS EXECUTION,
CAUSE OF THE CRUEL FAILURE
THE LIGRT LEFT BURNING WEAK.
ENED THE oURRENT.


eoution by electricity has been horror.
Fhysicians who might make Jest Of tina
dissecting room, officials who have seen
many mans neck wrenched by tbs
rope, surgeons who have lived in hospf-
tails and knelt beside She dead and DIVING
on bloody fields, held their breath with 3
gasp, and those unaccuHtomed to such
sights turned away Ia dgead.
The doctors say the victim did not suf-
Ter. Oaiy his Maker knows if thst be
true. To the eye it looked as though la
We're in convulBive agony.
The current had been passed throuph
his body for Is seconds when the cleo
trode st the head was removed, Sud-
denly the breast heaved. There was a
stralning at the straps waioh pound him,
q purplish foam covered the lips and
was spatteTed oyes the .atdor head band.
Tne man was alive. Wasdeu, Physicians.
everybody, lust their wits. There was n
startled CRY for the current to bs tqseed
on again. Signals, only half understood
were given to those in thp next room Ut
the switeh-board. When they knew VII !.
mad had happened they we're prompt 10
sct, and the sTiich-hEndle could be heard
o. II was pulled back and forth, breaking
ths deadly current into jate
-Hs -4BoS U uehtn cAilst on the instant.
AN odor of burning fean and siuged hair
n!loo tne room. Fcs a moment blue
hsme played about tha base of the vic
inns spine. One Of the witnesses nearly
fesl to the floor. Another lost control of
hla stomach. Gold, Precipitation beaded
every facs. This time the electricity
flowed four minutes.
k5mmler was dsad. Part OF his brain
had been baked haFd Soma OF .he blood
in his head had been turned into ohar-
coal, The flesh at the small of his back
wsR black with flre.
This binding of the man had tsken
more time than WR8 anticipated. In trials
made msny times since the chair was iirst
put IL position, this work had been done
"a ss short o spnos Of limo as I6 seconds.
frequently the experts and Warden
Duration had said Kemmler need not he
IN the death chamber longer than 10 min
utes. No one noticed this, for, although
INC minutes nov seemed to move with
leoden weight, locking back at IL az
though this part OF the execution took
but few seconds.
II was the awful incidents to follow
that made The timn so long. Dr.. Fell or
Buffalo stepped forgasd on q nod from
toe warden. Hers tae syringe came into
pay. i was oiled with vary STRONG
solution OF caus;ic soaS, wn:sh he IN.
Jeatsd through stcal hparture in the
spanges which form par. Of both eleo-
trodGa. This was done for twa purnoasg.
both vastly iElpor.aut-the fitst to ylnlre
q better contact for the cusrent soda
bslag an extremely gopd conductor; SEQ
oa6iy to prnYast any seoTching or bum
ing of the fl b.
All was over except the giving of the
word. The warden 1ppsd back 10
where he could reach tie door leading
into the execution room.
IAN right" he sAya. For one moment
lis eye looks over at the chair. No.
sothins has been forgotten. Good by,
William"
Rap! rapl he knocks twice on the
l0or.
Good.by," comes in a mpffled voice
rom the chair. There ia e sudden rizor.
pereeptible shiyor, treraor, a passing
= waVs over the body ia quicker time
han It cen be told. TAs hauds and iin-
er5 contract in q grasp on the oak of tha
nair arms. Quicker than the eye csn
axe III tins whole form OF tho man some
hing has happened to il. That "soms.
hing" nhonld be .nothiR2," death.
All the scientists have their watches in
heir hands. Some OF them have stop-
'atches.
DIR. Spiizka and DR.. Mcdonald. who
lust tRke the respoasjbiiity OF deciding
hen Death has come gazed intenlly az
le body. In the lines OF the flesh. from
10 nose to tho corner of the mouth.
'mes biaeish tinge. A froth of the
'mo hue is on tue lips. Almost imme l.
6iy tGe tint changes into purple. The
lrrent has been continued now is
oonds.
That will dol" cries DR.. Spitzks.
Turn OF the current He is dead"
Ihere 10 every indication of death.
nat change of color about the nose ia
re sign. DIR. Mcdonald said nothing.
1t he did not raise any objection. There
IS rush OF the Eoentists about the
air to get close view of the face when
strap weuld be removed. some one
moved the electrodes from the head.
icy fell back almo t as If shocked them
ives by the current.
The man was alive; his lips twitched.
bresthed quickly, rhythmically, and
colored fEoth on his lips was blown
ay. The body shook and shiyered.
ere were graspings by the hands. If
nsolous the man was in an agony OF
he is alivel Turn on that current
lin."
'Quick, more current ~
lies not dead" several Of the doctors
I'd cut at the same iirle. The warden
nervous, too. Tie electrcdo was
'had back on the nead, aud Durston
1eked again and again gu the door.
ide they must have lost their wits, too.
sawhlle the contorsions of Kemmler
,tinued.
uddenly there was the noise Of the
toh vio!snily turned ia the other room
IN. Again it was pushed back aud
losror the movements of the body
aed, but the room was filed with the
Of burned flesh and singed hair. AT
base OF the spi1sl column a small
lick OF flame showed for s second or
and went and came. There were
lched faces in the crowd. Ons man
led and vomitel. Others turned awav
hid their faces in their hsnds. Moth
like this hsd ever bson sesn be.
/. No one dared stop it, either, FOR
law ordered that the man shouli be
Q to death by electri>ity, AID ats
failure who should or could SOW
the killing had not hoea
ted For four minutes those who
enough control and wished to do il
sd on. DIR. Mcdonald kept III.
and then he decided to take tbs