Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-08-09

wA /%%I derod to report at
the prison at six o'clock. An hour be-
fore their coming Rev. DIR. Houghton
and Chaplain Yates appeared at the
gate OF the prison and were admitted.
After brief consultation with the war
den they were taken to Kemmler's cell,
where the condemned man was already
awake and talking with his keeper.
Kemmler brcakfasted lightly Re-
ligious services were held in his cell.
He made his own toilet
About six o'clock the witnesses began
to arrive at the prison, and by G:SO all
were present and seated in little circle
around tho execution chamber waiting
for the appearance OF the warden and
his charge
At 6:Ss the door at the right OF the
execution chamber opened and Warden
Durston's figure appeared in the door
way. Behind him walked spruce-look-
ing, broad-shouldered little man, wear
ing q full beard with carefully arranged
hair clustering about his forehead. He
was dressed in new suit OF clothing.
This was William Kemmler, who was
about to undergo the sentence OF death.
Behind him walked Dr. W. E. Hough-
ton and Chaplain Yates.
Kemmler was by far the coolest man
in the party. He did not look about the
room with any special degree Of inter-
est He hesitated as the door Vas
closed behind him and carefully locked
by an attendant on the other side, as II
he did not know exactly what to do.
''Give me chair, will you?" said the
warden.
Some one quickly handed him a
wooden chair which he placed in front
and little to the right OF the execution
chair, facing the little circle of men.
Warden Durston stood at the lefti OF
the chair, with his hand on the back of
ii, and, almost at the moment that
Kemmler took his seat, he began to
speak in short, quick periods.
"Now, gentlemen" he said, this is
William Kemmler. have warned him
that he has got to die, and If he has any
thing to say he will say it
AS the warden finished, Kemmler
looked up and said in a hgh-keyed
voice, without any hesitation and as II
he had prepared himself with the speech:
well, wish every one good luck in
this world, and think / am going to
good place, and the papers has been
saying lot OF stuff that amt so. That
is all have to tell"
With the conclusion of the speech he
turned his back on the jury and took of
his coat and handed it to the warden.
After every thing had been gotten in
readiness and Kemmler bound to the
fatal chair the warden asked: "Do the
doctors say all is right?" Receiving an
affirmative answer the warden gave the
signal.
In almost immediate response, and
as the stop watches in the hands of
some of the witnesses registered 6:4S}4,
the electric current was turned on.
There was sudden convulsion of the
frame in the chair. A spasm went over
it from head to foot confined by the
straps and springs that held it firmly so
that no limb or other part Of the body
stirred more than small fraction OF an
inch from its resting place.
The twitching that the muscles Of the
face underwent gave lit, for moment
an expression of pain. But no cry es-
capped from the lips, which were free to
move ut will; no sound came forth to
suggest that consciousness lasted more
than an infinite fraction OF a second
beyond the calculation of the human
mind
The body remained in this rigid posi-
ton for seventeen seconds. The jury
and the witnesses, who had remained
seated up to this moment, came hurried
" forward and surrounded the chair.
There was no movement OF the body be-
yond the first convulsion.
The attending experts pronounced the
man dead, but q closer examination
showed signs Of life and DR.. Spitzka
cried out: Turn the current on in
stantly. This man is not dead"
Warden Durston sprang TO the door
way and cried: Turn on the current"
As the group of horror-stricken wit
nesses stood helplessly by, all eyes fixed
on the chair. Kemmler's lips began to
drip spittle and in moment more his
chest moved and from his mouth came
3 heavy sound, quickening and increas-
ing with every respiration-if respira-
ton it was
The current was applied until there
was no possible chance that Kemmler
still lived. 1t was turned of thirteen
minutes after the first snock was APP
Piled.
Kemmler was dead.