The morning call., 1890-08-07
SLOW TORTURE.
Bungling Work at the Ezecu-
ton Of KemmIer.
Signs Of Life After the Electric Current
Had Been Turned Oh.
Medical Men Differ In Opinion as to the
.. Effect Of the ShOGk-ReSult Of the
Autopsy Press Comments.


slept soundly and was snoring until 5
o'clock, When he Yas awakened by one Of
his guards. Pastor HoughtOn, who at
tended Kemmler, and Prison Chaplain
Yates were with him. They read to him
from the Bible, and he prayed with them.
He dressed himself without aid in a suit of
gray mixed goods. His hair he combed and
brushed with great care. His shoes were
well polished. and while he made himself
finally tidy the Warden and a tail stranger,
who is a Deputy Marshal in Buffalo, entered
the cell.
HIS HAIR CUT.
The Warden explained to Kemmler that
he must have the top OF his head shaved.
The prisoner demurred. He had taken
great pains in dressing his hair, and, be-
sides, as he explained to the Warden, he
did not want to be disfgured.
Kemmlsr's hair is dark brown, and
wavy. with an hyperion curl that fell on
his forehead. OF this he was very proud,
and in the shadow of death his vanity as
serted itself. His hair, however. was cut,
but the curl was saved, and, as the sequel
proved, with no good result. The shayen
spot was 2Ax1A inches in size, and was not
shaven, but cropped fairly close.
A LACK OF POWER
While this was proceeding the witnesses
examined the char. The death-belt was
run by the dynamos and the incandescent
test lamps in the antechamber glowed
family, showing that the current was on.
The strange power was coursing through
the circuit The evidence was there, but
how feebly they burned. Thus exclaimed
Dr.. Mcdonald, who was the only one who
got into the anteroom while ignorant of
the Warden's desire to keep its secrets in
violate, and in response to DR.. McDon-
AIDS comment Electrician Davis remarked
that there was something wrong about the
machinery down there" referring to the
dynamo end Of the circuit
This remark took place before the electrf
cizing, and it is well to remember it, as it
was Undoubtedly true, as was shown few
minutes later when the bolt was applied to
Kemmler.
The condemned man, after having his
hair cut on the top of his head, listened to
the reading of the warrant by the Warden.
IN THE DEATH-RooM.
At $50 o'clock the door at the right of
the executiOn-chair, leading toward the
exeeution-roOm, opened, and Warden
Dugston's figure appeared in the doorway.
Behind him walked William kemmler, the
man about to undergo the sentence OF
death. Behind him came Dr.. W. E.
Houghton and Chaplain Yates. kemmler
was by far the coolest man in the party.
He did not look about the room with any
special degree OF interest: lie hesltated as
the door closed behind him, and was care
fully locked by an attendant on the other
side, as though he did not know exactly
what to do.
NO TRACE OF FEAR.
"Give me a chair, will you?" said the
Warden.
some one quickly handed him a wooden
chair, which he placed in front and little
to the right of the execution chair, facing
little circle OF men.
Kemmler sat down composedly. looked
about him, then up and down, without any
evidence of fear or especial interest in the
event. His face was not stolid. 1t was not
Indifferent. 1t looked, If anything, as
though he was rather pleased at being the
center of interest.
Warden Durston stood to the left Of the
chair with his hand on the back of it.
Almost at the moment Kemmler took his
seat he began to talk in short, quick pc
RODS. Now, gentlemen" he said, "this
is William Kemmler. l have warned him
he has got to die, and II he has anything to
say he will say it."
WISHED EVERYBODY GOOD LUCK.
As the Warden finished, Kemmler looked
up and said, in high-keyed voice, without
any hesitation as as though he had pre-
pared himself with q speech: We'll, l
wish every one good luck in this world, and
/ think am going to a good place. The
papers have been saying lot of stuff that
isn't so. That's all l have to say"
With tie conclusion OF the speech he
1 IL IL ~, st,rr IL n4fh hia0
and handed it to the Warden This dis
closed the fact that hole had been cut from
the band Of his trousers down, SO as to eX-
pose the base of the spine.
THE CONDEMNED MANS GOODNESS.
When the coat was off Kemmler turned
In the direction of the door through which
he came into the room and began to unbut-
ton his vest. At the same time the Warden
drew the interfering drapery of his shirt
through the hole in his trousers and cut 1t
off, so as TO have little surface OF the flesh
against which one Of the electrodes was to
press absolutely bare.
Warden DurstoD called attention to the
fact that 1t was not necessary to remove the
vest and KeDmler calmly buttoned It again,
and carefully arranged his tie.
/" Don't hurry about this matter,I said
the Warden. "be perfectly cool"
Kemmler was perfectly cool. He. by all
odds, was the coolest man in the room.
STRAPPED TO THE CHAIR,
When his tie was arranged he sat down
in the electric chair as quietly as though he
was sitting down to dinner. Warden Dur
stOn stood on his right and George Vieling
of Albany on his left. They began imme-
diately to adjust the straps, the con-
demned holding up his arms SO as to give
them every assistance. When the strap had
been adjusted about the body the arms we're
fastened down, and then the Warden
leaned over and parted kemmlers feet so
as to bring the legs near the legs of the
chair.
TAKE YOUR TIME.
While the straps were being arranged,
Kemmler said, Take your time: do not be
ia hurry: be sure everything is all right"
Two or three times he repeated these words
Warden DurstOn TeasSured him with the
remark that it would not hurt him, and that
he Durston) would be with him all
through.
was rather a certain pride in the exactness
of the experiment. He seemed to have
greater interest in its success than those
who had made preparation for it, and who
were watching its progress to its final fatal
conclusion. When the strap had been adj
lusted the Warden placed his hand on
Kemmer's head and held it against the
rubber cushion which ran down the back OF
the chair Kemmler's eyes were turned to-
ward the opposite side of the room. Be
fore. they had followed the Warden In his
movements.
4 FEW REMARKS.
Then the doomed mar made few re-
marks in a perfectly Clear composed tone
OF voice. "Well, | wish everybody good
luck" was one of them, and "Durston, see
that things are all right" was another
Deputy Vleling unfastened the thumb
screws which held the back OF the chair in
place and began to lower 1t, so the rubber
cap, which had saturated sponge pressed
against the top of Kemmler's head.
The Warden assisted in holding
Kommlers head. Kemmler said. ''Oh,
you'd better press that down
lurLher, guess; press til 1t down." So the
head-Diece was unclamped and pressed fur
ther down. While it was being done
Kemmier said, well, want to do the best
can. i can't do any better than that"
THANKS FOR BLESSING.
Warden DmIal on tnnL, L., Liz hand thr,