Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-15
EXTREMELY HORRIBLE.
SUCH THE OPINION OF A CHI
CAGO PHYSICIAN

CAGO PHYSICIAN
Concerning the Execution of Murderer
Kemmler-He Must Have Suffered tho
Tortures of the Damned-The Affair q
Most BarbarOus One.
Horrible, HORRIBLE" was the exclama-
ton of City Electrician Barrett, of Chi
cago, when he had finished reading the ac-
count of Reminders execution.
DO you think the man was uncon-
scious?" was asked.
mo, 1 do not"
"He must have suffered, them
Suffered? Why, that man must have
suffered the tortures of the damned, It
was the most barbarious thing ever
heard Of"
What reason have you for thinking he
was conscious?"
The best reason in the world. I know
| how it is from experience. If all the med
ical experts in the world we're to tell nae
that that man did not suffer, would not
believe it. had occasion at one time to
close line that was opened by lightning.
! In attempting to do so received severe
shock. In an instant all power of motion
was taken away from me. was as help
less as a corpse, and remained so for an
hour till help came. Now, while was un-
| able 10 move muscle, was as conscious
as am right now."
! DO you think it possible to make exc
cution by electricity success"
Certainly, SO far as the killing goes.
While think it an outrage to use it for
that purpose, one of the greatest elements
for human good God has given US, still it
is possible to make it successful. In this
case those who bad it in charge made
horrible botch of the whole business.
What they ought to have done is this:
Measured his resistance, SO they could
have told just how much it would take to
kill him."
rs it possible to do that with any degree
Of accuracy"
1T is. and had they understood their
business that is what would have been
done"
The report says that the volt meter
varied between 800 and 1900 volts"
Don't you believe it. That would have
been sufficient to have killed 700 men and
to have burned him to crisp. There
must have been some disarrangement of
the wire"
What effect do you think it will have
on the adoption or rejection of this mode
of execution2"
Il think the law will ultimately DO re-
) pealed. There is not an electrician in the
country who is not opposed to it. Then
, there are too mary ways of taking life to
t run the chances of causing such horrible
1 and barbarous spectacle OF butchery."
8 Dr. Southwick's Opinion.
DR.. Southwick, father of the electrical
/, execution law, said in an interview: I feel
just as have always felt in this matter.
8 There is nothing against this system, and
d the fact is there has been a great deal of
r senseless sensational talk about the execu-
e ton. In fact party of ladies could sit in
Q the room where an execution Of this kind
a was going on and not see anything repul.
It sive whatever. If the mistake of ordering
x. off the current so quickly had not bee,
ee made, there would have been none o
B. this talk 1 think Reminders nerve af
ID fected those there about as much as any
= thing. 1t looked to me, though, as an evi.
% dence of mental incapacity. He seemed te
It be without fear and helped to adjust the
d straps in a way that was simply astonish.
d ing. No, sir, I dc not consider that this
70 will be the last execution by electricity
: There will be lots Of them. 1t has proven
q that the idea is correct, and I think the
d law is good one. The execution was
% success. Kemmler never knew what hap.
n pened to him and died absolutely without
!. pain"
1t Statement From Warden DurstOn.
Warden Durston stated this afternoon
d that the remains of Kemmler will lie in tht
&. room in the prison where the autopsy wal
d held yesterday. He has not decided where
l. the remains will be finally buried. Th'
h subject which continues to excite
ID the greatest interest in Connection
J with the execution is the RECORD
d voltage of the shock which killed
9, him. 1t is generally supposed that tn
r. first shock was 1900 volts and the secont
70 between 1900 and 1000. Electrician
!, Barnes, who was in the dynamo room, salt
ID to one of the physicians in attendance yes
Is terday that at no time was the voltage NOR
y than LOO, and that it frequently dropped