The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-08
DOCTORS DISAGREE.

K0iMmler Stricken Unconscious But Not
sr Dead by the First Discharge.
Auburn, Aug. THE doctors in general
declared that the man, from the very first
contact, was beyond consciousness and
some thought the action which startled and
sent the warden away with white face to
order the current renewed, was only reflex
muscular action. No SO one physician who
declared that he could stake his name that
he could bring Kemmler back to conscious
life with brandy hypodermics. Meantime.
onS of tho witnesses, Mr.. e. G. Bain, of
Washington, D. c.. had tainted and lay
upon bench. where he was being famed.
When finally the electric mask was removed,
Reminders eyes were half open and with
ont the glossy stare common to eyes in
death. The lids were lifted and tests of tho
pupils with bright light were made. There
tho mask had pressed the forehead s; t there
was livid mark, the mark of the laws
righteous dissertation. The nose in
the region of its base was of
deeply livid hue. Purple spots soon
began mottling the hands, arms and neck.
The doctors said he was surely dead. ne
Of Che Buffalo doctors, seven minutes after
tAe straps were removed, cut the skin at the
temple for a microscopic specimen of the
dS&d mans blood. It was immediately ex
nmined and found slightly coagulated.
Doctors Macdonald and Shrady examined
tn head. They found there was deep
nA6de BY the sharp pressure of the cleo
thode's rim. The spot where tuft of
KNnmler's hair had been cut of just before
dhAth, was found to constitute not more
than one-third of the area of contact with
ths electrode, and close examination dis
closed that the edge of the copper within
TIE electrode had slightly burned the scalp
ia1t where the hair hal been cut. Had not
KAmmler's desire to avoid Disagreement by
tho cutting of his hair prevailed, the con-
tset wouidS have been more perfect, the
chhnces Of instantaneous death would have
hepn greater, and probably the disfgure-
mlnt which he dreaded would have been
svbided.
a to the causes of the failure to kill
Kammler instantly, there is said by all
Physicians to be no doubt that conscious
nAss was stricken instantly from his brain.
The fact that he was not instantly killed is
tho result Of improper contact or of INSULT
cient voltage or pressure. The contact Ger
tainly was not perfect at the head, for two
thirds of the contact was upon the mans
thick, smoothly brushed hair, the clipped
SPOT being one third the size of the cleo
tt0de's diameter.
Warden DurstOn says ] 100 volts, or the
pressure Of the current, was first applied to
kemmler. When questioned by an Asso-
ciated Press correspondent if twenty mean
descent lamps on the circuit to indicate the
presence of the current were burning when
the bolt was discharged into the murderer,
he stated that if they were they should moi
have been. The moment before switching
the current into Kemmler the test lamps
should have been cut out. Each lamr
consumes about fifty volts, hence the TWEEN.
" took 600 volts at once ont of the curren,
rent to Kemmler. That left 700 to cause
death. The best authorities state that /:
per cent. Of current is stopped at the points
Of contact. and that IS is thus expended il
the body. Eightv-five per cent. of the 7O
volts not consumed to-day by the tes
enough 70 surely kill man instantly with
good contact, and that of yesterday was no
perfect.