Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-06
TORTURED TO DEATH.
THE DEADLY CURRENT TURNED
ON AT Gas O'CLOCK.

Electrocution - The Most Reliable
says the Current Was Turned On
Three Times.
AUBURN, August 9, Special.
The electrical contrivance that sent
Kemmler into eternity was constructed
under the supervision of Harold p.
Brown, an electrical engineer of New
York. The machines used were West
inghouse Dynamos and the current was
the alternating current, which comes in
in pulsating waves, and previous ex-
periments demonstrated to be the
most deadly of all currents.
The death chair" was constructed
on the model of an inval-
ids reclining chair, and is made of
hard wood. 1t has foot rest like that
of BARRIERS chair. This chair, with
the necessary apparatus, was stationed
in the cell only few feet from Kemm-
ler's. He was conducted to the death
chamber only a few minutes before the
execution.
A few minutes before leaving the cell
the guards fastened his hands in front
and put strong leather strap with
buckles under the Armpit. The con-
demned man was then conducted to
the death chamber and at once seated
in the fatal chair. The buckles on the
arm straps were then connected with
the rings on the arms of the chair, and
a sponge with wire connection placed
at the base of the spine. Then the cap,
It peculiar affair constructed of black
rubber, was adjusted. Inside the cap
was spiral of copper wire, Ave inches
in diameter, which fit we'll over the
crown of the head, and which, before
being finally adjusted, was covered
with q sponge, wet with salt water.
From the ceiling of the room and
Immediately over the chair hung two
flexible wires, while ON the cell wall
was an electrical dial to indicate the
intensity of the current and which was
operated by small double switch,
similar to those used in telegraph offices
for turning on and off the current. One
of these wires was adjusted to the
connection in the top of the helmet-like
cap and the other to the sponge at the
base of the spine.
All was now ready for the execution.
But before the final touch was given to
the switch that sent the victim into
eternity, connection was made with
an instrument in an adjoining cell and
Kemmler felt a slight electric thrill, by
no means painful or unpleasant. This
was done to apply what is known as
the "Wheatstone Test" for the purpose
of ascertainipg Kemmler's electrical
resistance, and occupied only u moment.
Inc black cloth was then pulled over
REMINDERS face: the officers stood back
while the last prayer was said by the
prison chaplain the signal was given;
the executtoner gave the switch little
push to one side and / 900 volts of the
alternating current passed through the
murderer in the chair. There was o
muscular spssm, faint quivering of
the limbs and ''all was over"
Harold P. Brown did not have charge
of the execution, and in fact was not
present at all, but Brown advised with
the warden about the execution, AID
was in Geographic communication with
him until Ethe affair was over.
The man who had charge, so far as the
electrical part was concerned, was Mr.. Q.
L. Barnes, of Rochester. He was a man
of the WaFden's own selection, and
proved himself fitted to send Kemmler
off in proper shape. Mr.. Barnes was
in the city of Auburn several times
during the past two weeks. All the
preparations for the execution were
under his management, and frequent
tests of the apparatus were made. The
death chair was sent recently to the
State prison at Dannemora, and was
to be used there at the execution of
Chepleau. The chair was sent back
here after Chapleau's sentence was
committed. Warden Durston himself
killed kemmler. The warden told his
friends that the dnty of killing Kemm-
Ter devolved upon him personally, and
he felt that he could not relegate the
responsibility to any one else.