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

EXECUTION OF KEMMLER.
His Crime EXpiatsd by EeanS Of Elec-
triCity.
WONDERFUL NERVE DISPLAYED.
Three Shocks Necessary to Cause
Death Opinions Expressed
by the Witnesses.
WONDERFUL NERVE DISPLAYED.
SPECIAL prspArcHEs TO THE arooRD-usros.

AUBURN On. ". August 6th.-A bolt OF cleo
tricity was discharged into the vitals of William
Kemmler at the prison here this morning. He
died, so tar as any superficial evidences indi-
Gated, upon The instant that the switch lever
was pushed in place to establish the current
through his body. The eyes were rested, partly
open. the involuntary optic nerve, it is be-
leved, being instantly paralyzed or disinle-
beat and no tetanic convulsion marked the in
stant of dissolution.
The trial of a new means of taking human
life, while prompted by humane motives, has
resulted in a sickening spectacle presented by
pinioned wretch, at whose vital center was
kept pounding for some moments an alternat-
ing current of electricity which, though it ulti
mately destroyed his life, subjected the Grim
iflal to a torture of which no living being has
knowledge and which none can describe. The
imperfect registry of the current pressure or
the faulty contact Of the electrodes prevented
instantaneous death.
Tie layman may gain some conception of the
process OF this killing when the statement is
made that a person whose body should be
shaken into fragments could not have suffered
such pain as did keinmler, whose nerve cells
and tissues were disintegrated not In a flash, as
was designed but by the relatively slow strokes
of the electric hammers upon them. Whether
the blood yet retains its normal consistency. or
whether is partially or wholly fuidized by
divorce of the oxygen from toe blood corpus
ces can only be determined by the autopsy,
which is about to be commenced. Only a de-
liberate pen can adequately describe the
scenes.
KEMMLER NEVER FALTERED.
Kemmlers nerve was something wonderful:
he never faltered. He directed the adjustment
of himself in the chair and counseled the War
den to moderation to secure perfect safety. The
shock was given of 6:43% and was continued
about eighteen Sc onds, and two minutes after
the current was cut off there was evidence OF
respiration. AS soon as possible the current
was returned and then cut off. Again respira-
ton was evident. After few moments, saliva
came from the mouth, the chest heaved, there
was wheeling in the throat The shock was
again put to the prisoner. who, the doctors re-
marked. was unconscious from the moment of
the first shock.
After short time smoke appeared at the base
The flesh was burning The spectacle was most
trying. The man, the doctors say, suffered no
pain, however The Warden says the voltage
at the first shock was at ], 800 volts which ran
down to a point not named.
After the third contact of four minutes, the
man was declared dead. The Warden's certi6-
cate of death was signed by all present and the
party broke up at 7:30 to meet at S:l5 when the
body would be ready for the autopsy.
When the mask was taken off Kemmler's face
his eyes were found half open and mis- expression,
while not normal or placid, was not horrifying
tn