The Dickinson press., 1890-08-09
IN THE EXECUTION ROOM.
Ghnstly Details of the Electricldc---First
Shock n Failure.

Ghnstly Details of the Observation-Disclosures
Shock n Failure.
AUBURN, N. Y, Aug. G.-The wit
nesses and jury required by law to be
present at the execution, were on hand
early. 1t was 6:3S when the door of the
death chamber opened and Warden
Durston appeared, followed by Kemmler
and his spiritual advisers, DR.. w. E.
Houghton and Chaplain Yates.
Kemmlcr Was the Coolest Ian
in the party. He sat down composedly,
looked about him, and then up and
down, without any evidence of fear. or
of special interest in the event. His face
was not stolid-it was ndA Indifferent.
He looked, If anything, as though he
was rather pleased at being the centre
Of interest. "Now gentlemen" said
Warden Durston, athis is William
Kemmler. I have warned him that he
has got to die, and if he has anything to
say lie will say it," AS the warden fin
ished Kemmler looked up and said in a
high-keyed voice, without any hesita-
ton, and as though he had prepared
himself with the speech, "Well, 1 wish
every one good luck in this world, and I
think 1 am
Going to n Good Place,
and the papers has been saying a lot Of
stuff that isn't so. That's all | have to
say" With the conclusion of the speech
he turned his back on the jury, took off
his coat and handed it to the warden.
This disclosed the fact that a hole had
been cut from the band of the trousers
down, so as to expose the base of the
spine. Kclnmler then sat down in the
electric chair, as quietly as though he
was sitting down to dinner. Warden
Durston quickly bound the prisoner to
the frame Of the chair,
The Harness Was Put in Place,
DR.. Spitzka, who was standing near the
chair, said softly: "God bless you
KemInler," and the condemned mar
Thank you," softly. The
prison dynamo was running at good
speed and the volt metre on the wall
registered a little more than 1000 volts.
Warden Durston turned to the as
sembled doctors-those Immediately
around the execution chair and said:
"Do the doctors say it is all right?"
DR.. Spitzka answered the warden's
question with a sharp "All right"
which was echoed by others about him.
"Already," said Durston again, and
and then, "Good-bye." He stepped to
the door and through the opening said to
some one in the next room, but to whom
it will never be known, Everything is
ready" In almost immediate response
The Electric Current Was Turned On.
There was a sudden convulsion of the
frame in the chair. A spasm went over
it from head to foot, but being confined
by the straps and springs, it was held 80
firmly that no limb or other parts of the
body stirred more than a small fraction
of an inch from its resting place. The
twitching that the muscles of the face
underwent gave to it for a moment an
expression of pain, but no cry es.
capped from the lips which were free
to move at will. The body remained in
in this rigid position for seventeen sec.
onds. Then the signal was given and
the current turned off. After an exam.
nation the doctors pronounced the vic.
tim dead, and commenced to undo the
straps, when blood vas seen dropping
from a little rupture in the hand. "Tu.f
the current on instantly.
Man Is Not Dead"
cried DR.. Spitzka. Faces grew white
and forms fell back from the chair
Warden Durston sprang to the doorwa,
and cried: Turn on the current" Blu
the current could not be turned on
When the signal to stop had come tn
operator had pressed the little buttol
which gave the sign to the engineer t
stop the dynamo. The signal to star
again was quickly given, but, quick a
it was. it was not quick enough to antic
ipate the signs of what may or may NO
have been reviving consciousness. A
the group of ho-ror-stricken witnesse
stood helplessly by, all eyes fixed on th
chair, Reminders lips began to dri
spittle, and in q moment more his chez
noved and from his mouth came
AHeavy, stentorious Sound,
%quickening and increasing with yer
respirat!on-if respiration it was. Thel
was no voice but that of the wardel
crying to the operator to turn on IL
current, and the wheeling sound, ha
groan, which forced itself through IL
tightly closed lips, sounded through IL
still chamber with CHASTITY d%istinctnes
Some of the witnesses turned awe
from the sight. One of them lay dow,
FAINT n SICK. 1t takes a long time
tell the story. It seemed o long time
reaching the climax. In reality the
were but seventy-three seconds in Il
interval which elapsed between the m
ment when the first sound issued fro
KemInler's lips until the response
the signal came from the dynamo ROOF
= 1t came with the same suddenness tn
had marked the first shock which h;
passed through Reminders body. IT
sound which had Mortified the listene
about the chair was cut off sharply
the body once more became rigid. The
was to be
No Mistake This Time
about the killing. The dynamo W
run up to its highest speed, and aga
and again the full current of 2, 900 vol
was sent through the body in the cha:
j, As the anxious group stood silent
watching the body, suddenly the
arose from it a white yapor, bearil
. with II n Dr1noonk or1 e;,Gxo.-- II.