The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-06
KEMMLBR EXECUTED.
The First Legal Killing by
Electricity.
HIS DEATH WRs INSTANTANEOUS.
Conference of Medical Experts on the Case
The Condemned Man Sleeps Fairly
Well-The Witnesses.
The Sentence Executed,

AUBURN, N Y, Aug. Bulletin. i
At 7:O6.-The sentence of the law has been
passed upon Kemmler, ana he has been ex-
ecuted.
AUBURN, n. Y, Aug. BY the exercise
of the absolute discretion which the law
permits the prison warden added two days
to the life of the condemned Kemmler,
The second day closed with clouds and
rain. When the sun rose in the morn
ing above the prison wall its
light streamed through the iron bars
of the basement cell and touched the
stone floor in the yellow blocks. Whether
the murderer was aware he would again
see the yellow, morning sunlight, is not
known. indeed, no one besides the warden
and his guests, and not all of them, at
twilight could tell whether Kemm-
ler's death would come. The invited
guests had been arriving by train at inter-
walls during the day. Among the afternoon
arrivals here DR.. George f. Shrady, of
New York, the keeper of the Poughkeepsle
insane asylum and editor of the Medical
World and Dr. Spitzka and Deputy Coroner
jenkins of New York. After supper at the
ecution of the wretched murderer KEN
mler, accompanied by Warden Durston, pro-
ceeded to the prison where the medical men
joined in discussion as to the time and
method of conducting the autopsy. 1t was
desired that no question should arise as TO
whether electricity or the scalpel killed
Kemnler. There could be no doubt after the
death rigor set in. Again, more satisfac-
| tory autopsy may be made upon body
Iyb oh hoo iran han
| it while yet warm. This point was dis
cussed, as was also the programme
/ as to what each medical man s
part shall be at the killing, and during the
autopsy. The conference lasted an hour
or more. After the conference. the wit
nesses. together with the warden, repaired
to the hotel. DIR. Southwick was among
the first to return to the hotel.
care you going to bed, doctor!" asked a
bystander. 81 am indeed,'' he replied, and
he did. The others were disposed about
| the crowded hotel, and at II o'clock almost
all had retired, save few StragglerS and
newspaper correspondents.
J The plain inference was that the eXecu-
ton will either take plsee late enough IN
the morning to make retirement an object
or that it will be postponed another day.
There was not man in the house, proc
| ably, who believed the latter would be the
4
must have arrived if they would witness
the killing in case it occurs in morning
! hours, for no train would arrive in any
direction until o'clock.
| The list of those to witness the execution
was as follows: DR. Carlos f. Macdonald
| of New York, chairman of the state lunacy
commission; DR.. George T. Shrady, of New
York; Dr. A. P. Southwick, father of the
electrical execution bill; DR.. George E.
| Tell, DR.. G. M. Daniel; DIR. Charles Fowler
of Buffalo; DR.. w. j. Jenkins, deputy
coroner, New York; DR.. Louis Balch
secretary of the state board of health
i of Albany; DR.. w. j. Nellis, of Albany
! Henry A. Argue. of Corning, N. Y; Hon
! Tracy G. Becker, of Buffalo, the referee
who took the testimony on the first appea
as to the constitutionality of the law; Franl
w. Mack, of the Associated Press; Robert
Dunlap, of New York; District Attor
ney Quimby, Of Buffalo, who had charge
of the murderer in Buffalo; G. P. Huntley
of Buffalo, an electrician; G.. G. Balm of the
United Press; Doctors j. X. Smith, ]. M
Jenkins, and H. F. Allison of Auburn
This makes twenty three of the twenty
six, the others to be made up of minister:
or guards at the prison.
No news came out of the prison after
nightfall as to Kemmler's condition and in
the hustle of anticipation, nobody stopped
to inquire save that he is alive. Under the
law, the warden named Doctors Mcdonald
and Spitzka as physicians and DR.. George
+. Shrady as head of the citizens invited a
the discretion of the warden. The warder
wishes it understood that Messrs. Macl
and Balm were invited not as writers but a!
citizens of his own choosing.
The best judgment possible to be formed
with the information at hand, is tina
Kemmler will be executed tomorrow
morning. 1t is now thought Gkelyt tina
Andrew Cooks, convict, will pull tn,
deadly lever; the announcement is no
yet made, positively.
Warden Durston has finally decided
to change the execution room ant
under the directionof Electrician DAVIS
who arrived this morning, the wire
and switches were moved. The keepers
mess room will be the new execution
room.s The condemned man has kept III
his pluck in wonderful way. A gentle
man who will be present at the execution
visited kemmler this afternoon. He foun
him perfectly calm, but suffering from tn
heat.
, Kemmler has made his will again, leay
ing his books and other little traps to Mrs
Durston and to others who have been kin
to him. This afternoon holy communio
was administered to him by Chaplain Yate
and Rev. Mr.. Houghton.
The second separate company, N. G. S
N. Y, Captain Kirby, has been ordered GU
for this evening ostensibly for parade an
street drill. This means that Gordon i
to be put about the prison gates d.
Southwark, of Buffalo, said late this after
noon that it was not at all likely that a
autopsy would take place before daylight
no matter what time the execution o.
Cured.
The Utah University