Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-08

don't believe anybody not there can thor
oughly appreciate the horror that came over
us. I can never shake it of. Kemmler
was the coolest and most collected man in
the room. He was the admiration of us all.
He did not act like martyr, either. His
air was that of man resigned to his fate.
There was nothing particularly revolving in
these preparations, nor was the result of the
first shock revolving, while the current held
the body Of Kemmler in rigor There was
one strong convulsion at first, and that was
all. The promoters of electric execution
were elated. But the horror came later
when Kemmler showed signs OF life."
How much voltage was he given in the
first shock?"
II don't know. and I presume we will
never know. 1 do know that in the next
shock he was given the full strength of the
machine. Two convicts were made to hold
the belt on the machine. The current was
so strong and at such short distance that it
had tendency to throw the belt of. An
other horrible thing came when Kemmler's
flesh began to scorch; the odor filled the
room.
JUST A SUPERSTITION.
Suppose Kemlnler had been overpowered
with terror of what was going to happen?
Suppose he had resisted, fought. and had
finally been crushed down into the chair?
That would have added tenfold to the hor-
ror of the execution, 1 don't think such an
electric execution will ever happen again."
District Attorney Quimby, who did not
see the execution, spoke with a shudder of
horror Of the preliminaries which he wit
messed. 81 was in the death chamber be-
fore the killing" said he this morning,
but got out, and everything became dark
to me. ! suppose I tainted. 1t was horri-
BILE. familiarized myself with all the
paraphernalia of death, and had myself
strapped in the chair and all that. 1t is
my belief if this method Of punishment is
adhered to it will be necessary to change
the method of applying the current at the
spine. AsI sat in the chair 1 felt that I
could by muscular contraction draw my
body away from the electrode at the base OF
the spine. If that is so, when Kemmler's
body contracted it interfered with the per-
feet transmission of the current. Then,
again, the chair is not secured to the floor.
Every reliance is placed on the docility of
the creature to be operated on. Suppose a
big burly murderer was brought in and un-
dertook to
PHYSICALLY PROTEST
against being killed, he could play havoc
with the apparatus and in short order kick
it all to pieces. If, on the other hand, he
was overpowered by force of numbers and
still struggling, was placed in the chair
what scene would be witnessed while they
were buckling around him the complicated
harness. don't think it safe to trust too
much to the patience of the victim. In
hanging men if they seem likely to make a
scene, they strap them in their cells and
carry them to the drop. They could not
bring the electrocution chair, with all its
wires and attachments, into a condemned
mans cell. 1 think there will be other
deaths by electricity as a capital punish
ment unless the Governor intervenes.
think it likely the next Legislature will ap-
point a committee to inquire into the man
ner Of Kemmler's DEATH
Sheriff Jenkins said to-day: 'The smell
OF that mans burning flesh haunts me
still. 1t vas not nice scene to assist at. l
think the current should have been not
strong enough to kill one man but ten, so
as to make death absolutely beyond per-
adventure. When the first current was ap-
piled a shudder ran over Kemmler's body
and then he was still There was absolute
silence in the room. Then DR.. South
wick said: It's grand success the
current had been turned off and
DIR. Spitzka had pronounced Kemm-
Ter dead. Don't be sure it's such
grand success, SAID one OF the witnesses 10
Dr. SouthwIck. Look at that 1t was
apparent to all that Kemmler was reviving
and coming to life again. He gasped and
his lungs began to breathe, and everybody
waited in horrid expectancy of a cry or
some vocal manifestation. The suspense
was frightful, for while they were getting
the current going again it seemed evident to
all that Kemmler was more and more re-
viving. Then they gave him tremendous
shock that burned him, and they kept it up
ill we all were sick"