The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-06
IN The SHADOW.
Kemmler Awaiting His Exit
From Life'S Stage.
The EleCtrOCuti0n Expected to Take Place
at an Early Hour This Morning.
All the Invited Spectators PreSent-A Con-
YiGt Expected to Turn on the Dead
ly Current The Autopsy.
Special Dispatches to THE MORNING CALL

AUBURN, Aug. 5.-By the exercise of his
the Prison Warden has added two days to
the life of the condemned Kemmler. The
second day closed with clouds and rain.
When the sun rose in the morning above the
prison wall its light streamed through the
iron bars of the basement cell and
touched the stone floor in yellow blocks.
Whether the murderer was aware that he
would never again see the yellow morning
sunlight is not known. Indeed, no one
besides the Warden and his guests, and not
all of them at twilight, could tell when
Kemmler's death would come.
Invited guests had been arriving by train
at intervals during the day. Among the
afternoon arrivals we're. DR.. George F.
Shrady OF New York, Manager OF the
Pouehkeepsie Insane Asylum and editor
of the Medical Record, and DR.. Spitzka
and Deputy Coroner jenkins of New
York.
After supper at the hotel all the proposed
witnesses to the execution of the wretched
murderer, Kemmler, accompanied by War
den Durston, proceeded to the prison. where
the medical men joined in conference as
to the time and method Of conducting the
autopsy.
1t was desired that no question should
arise as to whether electricity or the scalpel
killed Kemmler. There could be no doubt
after the death rigor set in. Again, more
satisfactory autopsy may be made upon
body which has been some time dead than
upon one yet warm. This point was dis
cussed, rs was also the programme as to
what each medical mans part shall be at
the killing and during the autopsy. The
conference lasted an hour or more.
After the conference the witnesses. to-
gether with the Warden, repaired to the
hotel. DIR. Southwiek was among the first
to return to the hotel.
"Are you going to bed, doctor?" asked a
bystander.
81 ami, indeed" he replied, and
did. The others were disposed about
the crowded hotel, and at II o'clock
most all had retired save a few stragglers
and newspaper correspondents. The plain
inference from this is that the execution
will either take place late enough in the
| morning to make retirement an object or
that it will be postponed another day.
There was not man in the house prob
ably who believed the latter would be the
ease. An of these invited from out of
town must have arrived il they would wit
ness the killing in case it occurs in the
morning hours, for no train would arrive
from any direction until o'clock.
| The list of those to witness the execution
| is as follows: DR.. Carlos F. Mcdonald of
New York, Chairman of the State Lunacy
| Commission DR.. George F. Shrady, New
York DIR. A. P. Southwick, father
of the Electrical Execution Bill; DR..
George E. Fell ; DIR. C.. NJ. Daniels
Dr. Charles Fowler of Buffalo; DIR. w. l.
Jenkins, Deputy Coroner of New York :;
Dr. Louis Balch, Secretary of the State
Board of Health of Albany; DR.. W. j.
Nellis OF Albany; DR.. H. A. Argue of Cor
| ming, n. Y; Hon. I. c. Becker of Buffalo.
| the referee who took the testimony on the
first appeal as to the eonstitutionality Of
the law !; Frank w. Mack of the Associated
Press; K. Dunlap, of New York; District
Attorney Qaimby of Buffalo, who had charge
of the murderer in Buffalo; c. P. Huntley Of
! Buffalo, an electrician; g. G. Balm of the
| United Press; Doctors I. K. Smith, j. NJ.
| Jenkins and II. f. Allison of Auburn.
| This makes twenty-three of the twenty-six
| The others are to be made up of ministers
| or guards at the prison.
No news came out of the prison after
| nightfall as to kemmler's condition, and in
! the hustle of anticipation nobody stopped
to inquire save whether he was alive. Un-
| der the law the Warden named Drs.
| Mcdonald and SpitZka as physicians,
and DR.. George F. Shrady is at
the head of the citizens invited at the dis
cretion of the Warden. The Warden wishes
were invited, not as writers, but as citizens
| of his own choosing.