Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-08-07
Latest Details OF the Horrible Affair

When kemmler was pronounced dead,
there was no haste about taking him out OF
the chair. He sat there for a minute or
two untouched, and then the warden took
away The harness that held his head. His
head rested quietly upright, and the eyes
half open The doctors examined the dis
eoioration on the temples where the leather
band crossed them. Finally some one re
moved one shoe. When the other straps
were undOne, the body slipped forward u
little, and rested in a stiff pose, half in and
half out of the chair.
The physicians consulted for few min
ute determining that they would hold an
autopsy in an hours time. The room as
then cleared, most of the witnesses going
to hoteis to get breakfast. Before $50
o'clock most of the doctors had returned 10
prison to prepare for the autopsy. The
body of the dead man It II sat in the cleo
tric chair. the limbs Iigld and the express
sion of the face, but for the discoloration
Of the ski1, unchanged. The rigor of the
the body was a matter for comment ard
surprise smnng the physicians. The jaw
had net fallen and the pleasant expression
" tn which kemmler greeted the witnesses
as they entered the SIe eeution room, still
linscred about the fea ures.
It was determined that pr. jenkins of
New York instead of DR.. Daniel, sbould
10 the work with the surgeons knife be
csnse Of his long experience 10 performing
autopsics on persons killed by electricity.
The BODY WAS placed on table in the cen
tre of the room. = small voO1en box placed
under the head, limbs strsighteucl out az
far as possible. A convict was summoned
from prison to take of bis clothing. The re
moval revealed a scar nearly five inches in
diameter where the second electrOde pres
sed against the base of the spine. showing
where the current hal burned through into
the flesh. The body looked healthy and
well nourished. Dr. Sbraly suggested the
necessity of making the examination for
nal volunteered to act as secretary
Il was agreed upon that the first step
taken was to lind the clinical thefmome-
ter TO the nap Of h. neck and take ten
perature. The record demon .tra:ed the
man dead beyohd all questions. Tn n
Dr. jenkins took the surge Jn's knife, sn !
BE- gan operations. The heart. lungs an /
other organs taken out AMI their cDndi ] n
noted care fully Al we're put in Niue ! r.
fuid for preservation sni future exam
nation The top of the skUIl was re
moved and the brain taken out.
This was the most interesting feature Of
the examinai IN, as the theory on which
tse claims of greater humanity for this
method of execution are based, is the theo-
~ that the electric current piralyzss the
BRAN instantly. and destroys all sensation.
The physicians found evidence of the ef-
fec, Of the current on the formation of the
skull, blood, brain, and the tissue directly
beneath the roiat Of contact, which salts
fed them that paralysis of the brain was
immediate, The surgeons report il not 10
be made Immediately.
Il was said tonight that George B. Irish
of Albany, y. Y, pulled the lever which
closed the circuit through kennlers body
Irish says the voltage vas at no time be
low what the doctors said last night it
ought 10 be. 1t is understood that the vol
taae between 1000 and 1900 on the frs,
shock ran up to 2000 on the second.