Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1890-05-07
Kemnler.

March 20, 1889, William Kemmler
murdered Tillie Ziegler in Buffalo by
chopping her body into twenty-five
pieces with a rusty hatchet. He was
tried for the crime and was the first
murderer to be sentenced under the law
providing for the execution of criminals
by electricity. On the ground that the
law was opposed to the state constitu-
ton because it inflicted ''cruel and un-
usual punishment" the case was battled
over in the state courts for months. At
last the court of appeals, the highest au-
thority in New York state, decided that
the law was constitutional and that
Kemmler must die.
It is said that the Westinghouse Elec-
tric company were interested in fighting
for the life of Kemmler most desperate
", because he was to be executed by
shock from one of their dynamos, and
they feared it would give their machines
a bad name. Kemmler was sentenced to
die April 80, 1890. He spent his last
days writing his autographs for curios-
ity hunters who have peculiar tastes
and attending to his religious duties,
which he had confessedly neglected
hitherto. He was to be shocked to death
at sunrise The fateful chair was in its
place. He had seen it. His coffin was
made. He was baptized and professed
his allegiance to the faith that was to
take him to heaven.
A train load of reporters went to Au-
burn April 30, to be ready to describe
the scene. With them was quiet look
ing New York lawyer, Roger NJ. Sher-
man. He said nothing Of his business,
but, leaving the train, went straight to
the prison authorities and sprung on
them the following document:
The president of the United States to Charles
F. Durston warden and agent of Auburn prison,
greeting: The people of the United States whom
God defend, do command you that you have the
body of William Kemmler, by you imprisoned and
detained as it is said, together with the time and
cause of such imprisonment and detention, by
whatsoever name the said William Kemmler Is
called or charged before the circuit court Of the
United States for the northern district of New
York, to be held at Canandaigua on the third
Monday of June, at 10 o'clock in the morning.
Witness the Honorable Melville W. Fuller chief
Justice of the United States. Fail not at your
peril, and have you then there this writ.
Thus the ancient Anglo-Saxon writ of
habeas corpus once more proved its tre-
mendous power, It snatched from under
the very wings of death condemned
murderer, who had only few hours to
live.
The writ was granted by Judge Wal
lace, of the United States circuit court.
Kemmler's case will, therefore, be tried
again, and for the third time. 1t is now
carried into the United States courts, to
be tried first before the United States
circuit court for the northern district of
New York. If it afirms the state courts
decision, then this celebrated case will
probably be carried to the supreme court
of the country.
The ground on which the stay of SEN
tence was granted was that killing by
electricity was violation OF the eighth
and fourteenth amendments to the
United States constitution. The su-
preme court is years behind its business
already, and this case must wait its
turn. "When the final decision is
reached Kemmler may be gray headed"
exclaimed a juror.
A peculiar feature of the case is that
until the constitutionality of the law is
finally settled there can be no more exc
cutions of murderers in New York state.
Matters are peculiarly complicated from
the fact that Sing Sing prison holds three
men under sentence of death now.
A new process of purifying water has
been invented. Roughly stated, it con-
sists in churning together rapidly water
and iron filings, cast iron borings or
plate punchings. The process has been
adopted at Antwerp, and the bad water
of that city thoroughly purified, it is
said. The water flows through the hol-
low trunions Of revolving cylinder,
into which steady stream of the iron is
showered. It is c1ai1ned that the pro-
cess is not expensive. Through constant
! friction upon one another the iron parti-
] cles remain bright and smooth.