Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-07

s'Dr. Mcdonald, see that rupture" In mo-
me; LIS. Spitzka and Mcdonald had bent over
and were looking where Batch was pointing al
a little red spot on the hand that rested on the
right arm OF the chair. The index finger of the
hand had curved backward as the muscles con-
tracted, and Scraped a small hole in the skin al
the base of the thumb on the back of the hand
There was nothing strange in this alone, but the
little rupture was dropping blood
Turn the current on instantly, the man is moi
dead" cried Spitzka.
THE CURRENT AGAIN TURNED on.
The Warden sprang to the doorway and cried
"Turn on the current p But the current could
not be turned on. When the signal to stop had
come, the operator had pressed a little button
which gave the signal to the engineer to stor
the Dynamo The dynamo was almost at q
standstill and the volt-meter registered an al
most imperceptible current. The operator
sprang to the button and gave sharp, quick
signal
There was a rapid response, but it was not
quick enough to anticipate the signs of reviving
consciousness. AS the group of terror stricken
witnesses stood helplessly by, all eyes were
fixed on the chair Kemmler's lips began to
drip spittle, and in a moment more the chest
heaved, and from the mouth came a heavy
stentorious sound, quickening and increasing
with every respiration. There were no sounds
but that of the Warden crying to the operator
to turn on the current, and wheeling noise. A
halt-groan, which forced Itself past the tightly
closed lips, sounded through the still chamber
with ghastly distinctness. Some of the wit
nesses turned away from the sight. and one
tainted. It seemed long time reaching the
climax. In reality there were but seventy-three
seconds in the interval which elapsed between
the moment when the first sound issued from
Kemmler's lips until the response to the signal
came from the dynamo-room. 1t came with the
which passed through Kemmler's body. The
sound which had Mortified the listeners about
the chair was cut off sharply, as the body once
more became rigid. Shiny ooze still dripped
I..ar,
and on to his gray vest. There were twitchings
of the body as the electricians in the next room
threw the current on and off. There was to be
no mistake this time about the killing.
LENGTH OF THE SHOCK.
The dynamo was run up to its highest speed
and again the full current Of 1000 volts. sent
through the body. How long it was kept in &C
tion no one knows. To the excited group abou,
the chair it seemed an interminable time. DR..
Daniels, who looked at his watch excitedly,
and who thought he had an approximate idea
of the time at least, said it was four and a hall
minutes in all. The Warden's assistant. who
stood over the dynamo, said on the second sig
nal the machinery ran only three and hait
minutes altogether.
There was no doubt this time that the cur
rent had done its work, if not well, at least
completely. DR.. Fell, who s.ood at the side OF
the special correspondent of the Associated
Press, turned and said well, there is no doubt
of one thiDg-the man never suffered au iota OF
pain" In after consultations other physicians
ex pressed the same belief. 1t was some miti-
CATION OF the horrors OF the situation to believe
it, but The mitigation was extremely slight
when il was developed on another point.
THE AUTOPSY.
The autopsy began at clock. 1t was found
when the body was spread out on the table that
very severe rigor mortis had set in There was
little re axation and it was with difficulty the
corpse was Strengthened out. On examination
it was found the second electrode burned
through the skin and into the flesh at the base
of the spine, making a scar nearly five inches
in diameter. The heart lungs and other organs
were taken out ard found in good, healthy con-
ditiou. They will be preserved for Iurther ex-
animation. The brain was also taken out.
II, too, will be carefully examined.
The doctors who performed the autopsy N sde
preliminary statement of the re. ults of the
execution They agree that unconsclousness
was instantly produced. Death was apparently
pain ess, Notwithstanding some slight defect in
the electrical apparatus, which required sec
ond contact of the current to insure death. The
extensive charring of the body at the points OF
contact of the electrodes, also minute hemor-
rhages, were found in the serous membranes
and in the ventricles of the brain. The blood
was fluid and dark. In the longitudinal sinus,
corresponding with the region of contact, the
blood was carhonized, and there was decided
change in the consistency and color of the
brain corresponding with the point of contact.
Destructive changes of the blood corpuscleS
were noted
ELECTRICITY.
AS to the causes of the failure to kill Kemm.
Ter instantly, there is said by all physicians to
be no doubt that consciousness was stricken in
stantly from his brain. The fact that he was
not instantly killed is the result of improper
contact or of insufficient voltage or pressure
The contact was certainly not perfect at the
head, for two-thirds of the contact was upon
the mans thick. smoothly brushed hair, clipped
short, being one-thIrd of the size of the e!ec-
trOdes of the diameter.
Warden Durston says that LOO volts or press
ure of the current was first applied to Kemmler
When questioned tonight by an Associated
Press correspondent If twenty incandescent
lamps on circuit. indicating the presence of
the current were burning when the bolt was
discharged into the murderer, he stated that
they We're They should not have heen. no.
ment before switching the urrentinto kemmler,
the test lamps should have been cut off. Each
lamp consumes fifty VOLT. hence fifty to l 900
volts were at once cut of the current sent to
Kemmler. that left 100 to cause death.
The best authorities state that Is per cent of
current is stopped at the points of contact
and that s5 per cent. is thus expended in the
body. tighty-fye per cent. of 70 volts not con-
sumed in the body by the test lamps is 595 volts
of pressure. This is not enough to surely kill a
man instantly with q good contact, and that
of to-day was not perfect.
The Warden says all was working right this
morning, though last night at midnight his ap-
pliaDces were IN such order that he was not
certain whether the execution would take
plsce TO day, even though he had summoned d
his guests TO the prison at an early hour this
morning.
Warden Durston has been through terrific
ordeal, and the knavery of men has been
pressed upon him so much where least expected
that. as he says. he scarcely knows whether to
trust hims(l. We will approach electricizing
of fish now here with more light.
The concensus of opinion among the witnesses
here to-day Is that not the slightest doubt ex-
lists but that human being may be instantly
killed by 100 vols, applied through perfect
contact and continued twenty seconds.
The body of Kemmier will doubtless be dis
posed of tomorrow in the prison burying
ground, with quicklime to hasten dissolution.
The Death Instrument.