The daily critic., 1890-11-28
THE CHAJR OF DEATH.
TEST OF THE MACHINE THAT WILL
EXECUTE MURDERER WOOD.
\ Horse Eiurd by shock or 1900
volts, PainiessIy and Tnstauttne-
ousIy-The Nan Resigned
TO HIS rate


ousIy-The Wan Resigned
70 his rate.
New York Nov. % The Sun to-
day says A horse has been killed at
Sing Sing presumably by electricity
generated by the same dynamo that will
be set in melton some day next week
for the purpose Of depriviue Murderer
Wood of bis life. The killing took
place late Wednesday afternoon. The
horse was LED into the room where
Wood will sit when he receives the
fatal shock Electrodes were attached
TO the wires which had already
been prepared. and then thsy
were applied 10 TIE horse. Tie
dynamo was run until the Indicator
showed that the current had reached q
strength of 800 volts. and at that
point il was turned into the wires. Ac
Cording TO ali accounts the horse closed
its eyes and fell over dead On the
result of this experiment the prison Off
cials base the assertion that Murderer
Wood is going TO die instantly and pain
lessly
Dr Alphonso D. Rockwell of this
city thus describes The killing of the
horse:
The animal was brought into the
death chamber shortly after 3 O'Clock.
lie was big, healthy and strong Some
little time was consumed ia arranging
the electrodes, and the horse got rather
restless aud acted as if he knew his
time had come. One Of the electrodes
was fastened 10 one Of the horses hind
legs just below the gambrel Joint; the
other was capped upon the forehead.
When all was In readiness the current Of
800 volts was turned on, and the animal
instantly dropped. a series Of convul.
sions shook the horses body, and noises
issued from its mouth which sounded
like grOans. The horse died instantly
and paiulessly, in my opinion. The
electrodes left no marks upon the ami
NAL, not so much as hair being
scOrched ] see no reason why Wool
will not die Just as easily. Although
II has not been officially settled, Il Is
probable that the electrodes will be at
taCbCd to Wopd's lcg and head, and
that the same number Of volts used
upon the horse will be turned upon
him. The result will prove as salts
ANNAblNt 4 lhllNf ANll NNNlu Will w III
slantaneOus.
The prison officials will not admit
that the horse experiment was made,
but II unquestiouably was. There will
be no further experiments made with
the machinery, II is said.
II is not certain that electricity Is gO-
ing 90 be applied TO Wood in the same
way I'm which 90 was applied 90 kemm
Ia N'1raFrfafnf.4 gtF 4tf
experiment proved that the spinal
column Is not ilrsiclass conductor,
ond that the current should be applied
to some other part of the body than the
small Of the back The electricians
who will be- In charge Of the execution
are disposed tO attach considerable
weight 20 The argument of Wizard
Edison That 10 make death certain aud
instantaneous the current must be ap.
piled 10 the condemned mans hands
II is possible that four Instead Of two
electrodes may be used-0ne on each
hand, one on the calf oi the leg aud the
fourth on the head
Wood IS resigned 90 his fate lie
has no hope left Yesterday morning
he said as much % the deputy keeper of
the prison and at the same time he
MHhtA AhAh AAN AhNhH A AAANA hHAAAHAAAiH
the village priest who has been minis
ttrlng 10 him since he has been ln
prison, should be with him at the exc.
cuiiOn. He wanted no other minister,
he said. Ills wish will be granted,
and, as the law permits two ministers
20 be present, this Will reduce the num-
Der Of Witnesses 10 twenty six.
Wood had no visitors yesterday. He
10. n.HI NNss aaHa.f Ia
the morning If The Warden would not
Instruct the guards who form the death
watch not o. watch him while he was
AZ prayer The law was read 90 him,
and then he said he was satisfied He
had a big dinner yesterday and spent
the rest OF the day smoking cigars aud
praying lie had nothing at all to say
To his guards
Woods counsel, J. r Haire, has
prepared the application for a writ of
habeas corpus on the ground that col
oTed men were excluded from the iuries
that indicted and convicted Wood, and
he will present Il 10 a Supreme Court
Justice to-day II Is almost certain
that Il will be denied, but there Is bare
possibility that the Justice will reserve
IFS decision aud II he does feT any
length Of time II will act as a stay, and
Wood may have to be Teseutencei. In
that case the execution cannot take
place for d month The prison Officials
do not believe that this Is within the
limit Of possibility, aud they viii go
ahead with the details that are yet 20 De
attended to.
These are not many. Nearly every
thing except the death chair Is in place.
The question about the location of The
switchboard has been settled. 10 vii.
be- tn The nom where the execution
tkes place Warden Brush viii pT3b
auy begin 10 day OF % morrow o. in-
vie The persons who are 90 witness the
execution He sill not DO 70 by letter,
but viii see the men himself or send q
messenger The prison will be closed
on Saturday night and no one except
officials aud the twenty six witnesses
will be admitted until after the exeCu-
tion has taken place No passes Will
br recognized. No visitors sill be al
mittd unless armed with a permit
signed by either Governor iii. or state
Prison Superintendent LathTop EE-
uaoIdinaIy precautions are being taken
90 prevent any news about tue execution
from leaking out
"A Roaring Farce"
is the tFFr1 Us often hear aDniieI 4. the