Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-08-08

capped from the lips, which were free to
suggest that consciousness lasted more
than the infinitesimal fraction of a sec
ond beyond the calculation of the human
mind. The body remained in this rigid
position II seconds. There was no move
ment of the body beyond the first con-
vulsion. At the expiration of the 10 sec
onds the current was switched off. There
was slight relaxation of the body in
the chair. but the straps held it so firmly
there was not quarter of an inch varia-
ton in the position of any part of the
frame. There was no question in the
minds of any present that the form be-
fore them was lifeless. Preparations for
the post mOrtem were being discussed
when DR.. Bach suddenly noticed a red
spot IN the hand resting on the right arm
of the chair, and from which blood was
dropping. He instantly gave orders to
again turn on the current. The dynamo
was almost at stahdstill and although
the engineer quickly responded to the
command, 1t was not quick enough to an
ticipate the signs of what may or may
not have been reviving consciousness on
the part of the victim. AS the group of
hOrror-stricken witnesses stood helpless
ly by, all eyes fixed on the chair, Kemm-
ler's lips began to drip saliva and in
moment more his chest moved and from
his mouth came heavy stertOrous sounds,
quckening and increasing with every
respiration. The wheeling sound, half
groan, which forced itself past tightly
closed lips, sounded through the still
chamber with ghastly distnctness. Some
of the witnesses turned away from the
sight, and one of them lay down, faint
and sick. In 73 seconds after the order
had been given for the second current
the response came. and the sound that
had Mortified the listeners about the chair
was cut off sharply as the body once
more became rigid. The dynamo was
run up to its highest speed, and again
and again a full current of 2000 volts was
sent through the body in the chair. As
the anxious group stood silently by, it
was seen that the body was burning, and
pungent sickenng odor permeated the
atmosphere. The current was again shut
off and there was relaxation of the
body. kemmler was dead.
The doctors present concurred in the
opinion that Kemmler suffered no pain,
but they do not claim to know and no
one will ever find out whether the man
was dead when his chest moved after the
first trial. One thing is certain, however,
and that is that DR.. Spitzka was right
when he said that ''the scientific uncer-
tainty Of the new execution law leads
him to believe that this method will not
be adopted in other States, and that this
will be the first and last electrical eXecu-
tion." DR.. Shrady, another of the wit
nesses. pronounced the execution brutal
The whole performance goes to show,
what the New York sun and other intel
ligent opponents of the law have all
along maintained-tha not enough is
known of the action of the electric cur
rent to warrant its employment for such
a purpose and that such use of it was at
best nothing but an experiment. Now
there can be no doubt upon that point,
and the best thing the New York legisla-
ture can do is either to abolish captaI
punishment or repeal this law.