Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-15
watches in the hands of some of

watches in the hands of some of
the witnesses registered 6:43a the elecri-
current was turned on. There was sudc
den CONFUSION of the frame in the chair.
spasm went over it from head to foot,
confined BY straps and spring that held it
firmly so that no limb or other parts of the
body stirred more than the small fraction
of all inch from its resting place. The
twitching that the muscles Of the face un-
derwent gave it for q moment the express
sion of pain, but
No Cry Escaped From His Lips and no
Sound Came Forth
to suggest that consciousness lasted more
than an infinitely small fraction of Sec
ond. The body remained in this rigid
position for seventeen seconds. The jury
and witnesses, who remained seated up
to this moment, came hurriedly forward
and surrounded the chair. There was no
movement in the body beyond that
of the first convulsion. AS
the tenth second expired, DR..
spitzka cried out stop!" The warden
stepped to the door and called out {" Stop!"
to the man at the lever. AS the electric
current was shut off there was slight re-
taxation of the form in the chair, and the
quiet little group surrounding it became
business-like. Doctors Spitzka aud Nc
Donald declared him dead, and the rest of
the witnesses nodded their acquiescence.
There was no question in the minds of any
but that the upright object before them
was dead. The body was just about to be
taken out of the chair when DIR. Batch,
who was examining it, exclaimed: DIR.
Mcdonald, see that rupture" In mo-
ment Spitzka and Mcdonald had bent
over, and looking where DR.. Batch was
pointing to q little red spot on the hand
index finger of the hand had curved back
ward as the tlex or muscles had contracted
and had scraped small hole in the skin
of the base of the thumb. There was
nothing strange in this alone, but what
was strange was that the little rupture was
bleeding.
.sTurn the Current on Instantly; This Man
Is Not Dead"
cried DR.. SpitZka. Faces grew white, and
as the form fell back in the chair Warden
Durston spraug to the doorway and cried,
Turn on the current" But the current
could not he turned on. When tho signal
to stop had come the operator pressed the
little button which gave the sign to the
l engineer to stop the dynamo.
A Most sickening Sight.
, The dynamo was almost at standstill
The operator sprang to the button and
gave quick signal. There was rapif
response, but quick as it was it was no
quick enough to stop the signs Of wha
may not have been revlvipg consciousness
9 AS the group of horror stricken witnesse
d stood helplessly by, all eyes fixed o,
!. the chair, Reminders lips began t.
e drip spittle, and in momen
n more his chest began to heave an
9 from his mouth came a heavy, stentoriou
d sound, quckening with every respiration
o There was no voice, but that OF the warden
= crying to the operator to turn on the cur
IS rent. The Wheeling sound and half groan
II which were forced past the tightly close
# lips, sounded through the still chambe
v, with CHASTITY distinctness. Some of til
n witnesses turned away from the sight. Or
>. of them lay down, faint and sick. 1t takes
if long, long time, to tell the story.
I'd seemed a long time in reaching the china
be In reality there were but seventy-thr
", seconds in the interval which passed b
I tween the moment when the first sour
>, issued from Reminders lips until the II
" Spouse to the signal came from tt
II dynamo. 1t came with suddenness tn,
9. had marked the first shock which passe
,e through Kemmler's body. The SCUM
which had Mortified the listeners about IL
chair Was cut OF sharply as the body b'
is came more rigid. Shiny ooze still drippe
ID from the mouth and ran down the beal
ot and onto his gray vest. Twice there wel
10 twitchings of the body as the electricians
Ii the next room threw the current off and OF
Is There was no mistake this time abo,
is killing.
ut The autopsy was begun at 8 o'clock III
as was in charge of DR.. jenkins, of New Yor
er On examination of the body it was four
as that very severe rigor mortis had set il
to There was little relaxation, and it was wit
ut difficulty that the corpse was straightene
t. out. It was found that the second ele
10 trode had burned through the skin ar
l. into the flesh at the base of the spin
to making scar five inches in diamete
lie The heat, lungs and other organs we
is taken out and we're found to be in goo
ne healthy condition. They will be preserve
Is for future examination. The brain WI
Of also taken out and it, too, will be full
1g examined.
he A Mean From Mellen.