Connecticut western news., 1890-08-13


 the special correspondent of The United Press by Dr. Spitzka before the witnesses left the execution room: "There is no doubt that consciousness was abolished in- stantly at the first contact. The first cur rent did not destroy all vital phenomena, but some reflex phenomena or phenomena of vegetative life resisted, and that think you can safely say was due to the fact that the voltage was not constant or strong enough" Concerning the strength of the voltage, Dr. Spitzka said that he had writ ten to Dr. Mcdonald some time ago ex- pressing fear that it would be too weak. Dr. Spitzka said that he had noticed some curious phenomena in connection with the experiment-one of them the post-mortem signs which appeared immediately after the first shock.
 Dr. Spitzka's Inconsistencies.
 It was shortly after this that Dr. Spitzka said: II am no friend of electrocution. am sure this settles electroc0tion. And that man deserved if ever a man deserved a quick death." Later Dr. Spitzka said to the correspondents: "I believe this system of execution superior to hanging" and to this last expression of opinion Dr. Mo Donald who was standing by, gave a hearty assent.
 Dr. southwick Is Satisfied.
 Dr. Southwick, the father of the electri- eide system, was satisfied with the exc cntion as first experiment. He said to the United Press correspondent that Kemmler was dead at the moment of the first contact and that there was no respira- tion afterward; there was nothing but muscular contraction. Besides, as there was no consciousness after this first shock, it did not matter whether or not the cur rent was kept on all day. The law pro- vided that the current should be kept go- ing until death occurred. Dr. Mcdonald said that there was no doubt that uncon- sciousnes was instantaneous. "Had the voltage been higher" said Dr. Mcdonald, "the time would have been long enough"
 Other Physicians Pleased.
 Dr. Balch said: "The man was instantly unconscious. Sensation was dead in him after the first shock. But think that if he had been allowed to continue to respire he would have revived" Dr. Daniel ex- pressed the belief that Kemmler died at the first shock. He said he thought the execution was a success and that it had demonstrated the superiority of electricity over hanging.
 Dr. Shrady's Editorial.
 The following is copy of an editorial which Dr. George F. Shrady, editor of The Medical Record, of New York, telegraphed last night to that journal: Execution by Electricity"
 "The heightened agony of suspense re- garding the efficiency of electricity as means of executing criminals has been finally terminated in the legal killing of Kemmler. AS was reasonably antici- pated, death was instantaneous, and so far as can be judged the unfortunate subject of the experiment. died without pain. The spectacle presented was, however, by no means edifying to such as hope for i'm provements of the old methods.
 Legal Murder as a Fine Art.
 Although science has triumphed the question of the humanity of the act is still an open one. But shall we call it a triumph when the object obtained was the killing of a fellow being? Heretofore the proudest claim of science has been to save or at least to prolong human life and insure for it's possessor the greatest enjoyment of it's many bounties. In this instance it has been plainly diverted from its course under paradoxical plea of high humanity. And yet men of science have lent their best .ef- forts in this direction to humor the whims of few cranks and world betterers' who imagined they could make legal murder a fine art and enforce into 1t an element of sentimentality which might rob 1t of it's atrooity While we allow that electricity has been a success, as far as the killing IS concerned, we must also admit that we have gained little if anything over the or dinary method of execution by hanging. The preliminaries of electro-thanasia arc far from pleasant to contemplate. Along side of those for hanging they are preten- tiously horrible.
 The Agony of the Criminal.
 s. IL | l.l L.. the preparation of the machine, the delib- crate fixatiol of the victim, the adjust ment of the electrode and the thousand deaths in contemplating one, which more than offsets the quick though damnable taking off The horrors though hidden are nevertheless felt There is ysomething else to be thought of than the mere quick ness of death. While the latter might have been triumphantly done, the agony of the criminal during the preparations must be terrible as compared with that of hanging. It becomes a serious question if humanity is not paying too dear a price for instantaneous demolition. The awe and mystery of death are intensified thousand fold in anticipation of what this instrument of subtle power may do us com pared M ith either the moose of rope, the grip of the garroter, the smart of the knout, the bore of the bullet or the chop of the ax. And yet to harness the lightning and bolt it through human body is thought to be one of the advances of the nineteenth century.
 Lessons of the Kemmler Execution.
 1.-The experiences in the Kemmler case in spite of all theprecautions taken have shown many difficulties in the way of general adoption of the method. It is far from simple in it's application. It requires elaborate and careful preparations; it multiplies machinery, which, without ex pert manipulation, is liable to fail in it's working and bring about disastrous re- suits; it may be a source of danger to the executioners and spectators; it increases the expense of executions; but worse than all in the necessary preparation of the victim there is crowded upon him in a few seconds an amount of horror and suspense which holds no compariso with any other form of rapid demolition, save those of being thrust into the muZzle of loaded cannon or tied to a dynamite bomb. When it is assumed that the ends of justice and humanity are reached by the contriv- ance in question, and when it must be | admitted that even this method cannot be divested either of cruelty or barbarity, the way seems to be open for the discussion of the abolition of capital punishment alto gether.
 He Is Against the Death Chair. From physical humanitarian and judi cial standpoints the time is ripe for it's consideration. We venture to predict that public opinion will soon banish the death chair as it has done the rope, and that i'm prisonment for life will be the only proper punishment metedrto murderer. This is indeed the only rational method which science, justice and religion cau consist eutly feoommsnd. Tho deAth ohaix will