Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-08-08
A CHASTITY Spectacle.
The Electrocution Of the Sur.
derer Kemmler Accomplished
Wednesday Morning After
Two Abortive Attempts.
Ire Failure to Kill Instantly
Renders itProbable that the
Law Will be Repealed.
KEMMLER EXECUTED.


The Horrors Of Death by Electricity.
AUBURN, n. Y, Aug. 8 7:S0 q. m.-
The sentence OF the Law has been
passed upon Kemmler and ne has been
executed.
AUBURN, Aug. 6.-The trial of a
new means of taking human life,
while devised by humane motives, has
resolved into the sirksBing spectacle
presented hy pinioned w'etch at
whose vital center was kept pouring
for several moments an slternsting
current Of electricity, which, IN nigh
II ultimately destroyed his life, sub
jpc'ed the criminal to n torture of
which no living being has knowledge
and none can describe. imperfect
registry of the currents pressure or
faulty contact of the electrodes pre-
vented instantaneous death. That
laympn may gain some conception of
the process If this killing. the state
ment Ia made that q person whose
bloody shoes and bodv should he
shaken into fragments could not have
suffered such pain a. did KemInlsr,
whose nerve cells and Tissues were
disintigrated, not in q fash, % de-
signed, hut by the relatively slow
strokes Of the electric hammers upon
them. Whether the bIOod rptains its
normal condition or whether II IL par
tially or wholly fiu,dized by divorce
Of oxygen from the blood corpnsd-s,
can only be determined by I he autopsy
which IL about to be commenced.
Only deliberate pen can adequately
describe the scenes. Kemmler's nerve
was something wonderful and he
never faltered. He directed the al
iusfment of himself In the chair and
counseletl the warden 10 moderation
to secure perfect safety. The shock
was given ct 6:5Sl and was continued
about eightrsn seconds. Two minutes
after The current WAS cut of there was
respiration. As soon as poss,ble the
current was retu med, then cut off,
and sgain respiration was evident.
After few moments saliva came from
the mouth, the ches; h aved, there
was wheeling Ia the throat, and the
shock WAS again put to the prisoner,
who, the doctor remarked, was uncon
scious from the moment of the first
shock. In q short time smoke ap-
peared In the face and the flesh was
burned. The spectacle was most try
icg. The man, the doctors. .aid, suf.
fered ro pain, however. The warden
says the voltage at the first shock was
at 1900 volts. which run down to a
point not named After the third con.
tact OF four minutes he was declared
dead. The wsrden's certificate of
des'h was signed by all presebt, and
the party troke up at 7:I0 to meet at
s:l5. when the body would be ready
for an sutorsy. When the mask was
taken of Kemmler's face his eve.
were found half open, and his express
sion, while not normal nor placid,
wss not horrible 70 see.
AUBURN, n. Y, Aug. 6-At 8:3s
the door at the right Of the execution
room opened. and Warden Dur-t,n'-
figure stood in the doorway. Behind
him walked spruce looking, broad
shouidered little man, full bearded,
with carefully arranged hair cIu-t.r
ing around his forehead. He w--
dressed In h new suit, lack coat and
vest of dark grey material. trnu.er- II
n mixed yellow pattern, vi i'r = 1T
whose polished front " s.xp'~.d d.
rectly below n little bow # lawn,
white and cheek pattern. THIS wa.
VIM. Ksmmler, the man sb'u 10 M
dergO sentence IT death. Behind him
walked DR.. w. +. II ught N and
Captain Yates. K.mml.r was Nv fs'
the coolest man IL tn. parry n. did
not look shout the rWm with amy
special d'gree Of intsr-t H. h-.i.
tatpd as the door clo-.d b.hind hin,
aud which wa- csp full, locked by m
alter dabt on the .ther ~. ~ " hs
didn't know exactly VIA i""".
"Give me n rhsir. vii you" SAID
the warden. Some one quickly hand
ed him a chair, witch h. placed H.
front and little q TIA ripht ~ IN.
execution chs,r, fr,ng f, l,i,l- ",rrl,
Of men. Kemm er sd d'wu COM
po.edIy, looked s'oui, then ~ an,
down without any evidence Of fear o
specisl interest H. the event. His fac'
was not stolid or Indifferent, H,