Evening journal., 1890-11-29

Tho Doomed Man Can BE Executed by
Electricity by Warden Brush at ANY
Time After Midnight ON sanday-w Wood
Passes His Time In Prayer.
SING SING, N. Y, Nov. 20 Next week
New York's second test Of the electricide
law will take place in Sing Sing prison,
and in view OF the horrible scenes that were
alleged to have occurred when William
Kemmler paid the death penalty, the sec
ond candidate for the fatal current is now
the cynosure OF all eyes The unhappy
wretch is the colored man, Joseph Wood,
whp killed Charles Rufin near shaft No
20 on the new aqueduct, New York city IN
April, 1880 Wood is only 20 years of age,
and seems appalled, at the terrible fate
which awaits him. lie passes his time ia
prison. may in bis discretion fix arg hour
after midnight Of Sunday for his execution
Past All Help.
Wood Is one Of the most interesting
criminals ever sentenced ia this commun-
ity, and the crime Tor which he suffers was
one OF the most common place imaginable,
being nothing more than the simple shoot
ing Of a negro desperate with whom he had
qnarreled.
His lawyer, r. J. Haire, Of New York
city, made a desperate fight in the courts
TO save his clients life, but one judge after
another decided against him, and now
Wood'ss case seems hopeless. The con-
demned man realizes this. When asked
today by Keeper Connanghton II anything
could be done for him, be replied, sadly;
mo, sir. am past anything that can be
done for me now
Three Other Mnrderers Heard Him.
His conduct is consistent with this lam
guage. lie spends all Of his time on his
knees at his bedside or in earnest CONVEX
sation with good Father Credan or Sisters
Angelica and Dominica, who are with him
during most Of his waking hours. His re-
ligious fervor is growing greater every
hour. Yesterday his prayers were 30 loud
that Slocum, Trezza and Mcllvaine, his
three companions in the death house,
plainly heard every word
Trezza and Slocum were visihly affected,
hut young McIlyaine, the murderer OF
Grocer Lucca, only grinned sardonically
and seemed to considered IL all a very fine
joke.
All Are Closely Guarded.
All the condemned men are guarded so
closely that they are not allowed to use
even = knife or fork when they eat, bni
simply use spoon, which they are not al
lowed to keep after their meals Woods
food consists OF beefsteak, meat stews
onions, bread, coffee and almost anything
else he takes a fancy to. His meats ar,
4 t..f. 4. N..fl
watched while eating for fear that he mo,
attempt to choke himself He is aJso al
lowed to smoke. The suit which he viii
wear when he sits In the chair Of death Il
all ready, bud has not heen presented K
him yet, It consists Of dark coat, vest
, and trousers.
Electricians Are Puzzled
There has been question raised whether
/ the thick growth OF hair peculiar TO his
race will interfere with the current when
the wires are applied 10 his head The
electricians and experts say that his hair
will be chopped very closely 10 the scalp,
| like II was on the back Of the horse that
Was instantly killed the other day The
scientists have not decided YET the manner
Of applying the electrodes. Edison's sug-
gestion was TO apply them to the hands,
where there would be nothing to interfere
with the current passing through the body.
Electrician Davis and Yardmaster Hilbert
have gone over the dynamo and wires
again and again 10 make sure that every
thing was ell right Practically every.
thing is ready for the eloctrocution except
the putting OF the death chair in the
chamber Of death, which does not require
very long There is not likely TO be any
change made In Che switchboard on ac-
count Of its having worked 80 satisfactor
lily when the horse was instantly killed
the other day.
What Day wan Wood Dieg
The invitations were sent out yesterday.
Warden Brush refuses 70 make public the
names Of the twenty-seven men who are to
be present, and says that he will use every
means in his power 10 prevent the details
OF the grim event from being made public
The newspapers, on the other hand, are
making elaborate preparations TO outwit
him, and each Of the great New York
dailies has a special correspondent here
laying plans to get full particulars IL is
probable that Warden Brush will follow
Warden Durston's example and make an
end Of Woods life carly Wednesday morn
ing. Il may be day earlier, but the in
dications now are that 1t will be Wednes.
day morning before il is known il Wood
will die an easier death in the electric
chair than did Kemmler