Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-14

ing animation-that the respiration (for
respiration they believed It to be) was
growing stronger, and that In time, II
the current had not been put on again
he would have revived. Others, and
among them DIR. Spitzka, stated with
equal posltiyeness, the conviction that
the first shock killed KemmIer Instant
ly. DIR. Daniel and DR.. Southwick (the
father Of the system Of electricide), be-
lieved that Kemmler was dead but
they think that the current should
have been continued longer than IL
seconds which was the official time of
the first contact. There is no way In
which positive determination of this
question can be made. 1t will always
remain mystery. 2
REMOVING THE BODY.
There was no doubt that Kemmler
was dead. The round mark on the top
of his head where the swift, strong cur
rent had scared his skin and burned
his hair, was evidence of the strength
of the shock which had brought him to
his end, But there was no haste about
taking him out Of his chair. He sat
there quietly enough for minute or
two untouched. Then the warden un-
fastened the harness that had held his
head, and took 1t away. The head did
not fall. It rested quietly upright, the
eyes half open. The doctors bent over
him and looked into those eyes. They
examined the discoloration on the tenn
Piles where the leather band had crossed
them. Finally some one bent over and
removed one of the shoes. Then the
other straps were undone and the body
slipped forward little and rested in q
stiff pose half In and half out of the
chair. A long table stood In one cor
ner of the room. Two of the physi-
clans carried it to the center of the
chamber and the warden suggested that
the body be placed upon 1t. The ply
sicians gathered about and consulted
for few minutes, determining finally
that they would hold the autopsy in an
hours time. The room was cleared,
most of the witnesses going to their ho-
tells to get breakfast, while the warden
retired to his apartments upstairs. The
body was left in its half recumbent po-
sition in the execution chair.
If there was any blunder in the ar
rangements this morning, 1t was moi
the blunder of Warden Durston. II
there Ia any criticism to be passed upon
the affair, he will not receive part OF
it. He said long before the affair took
place that he would be guided in turn.
ing the current on and off by the judge.
ment of the physicians in attendance
He appealed to DIR. Spitzka and DR.. Nc
Donald before he turned on the current
and it was their judgment that ten sec
onds should be enough to make it posi-.
tive that Kemmler was dead. He ap'
pealed to the. assembled doctors again
when the machinery had been adjusted
and on their judgment that it was in
good form, he ordered the current turn
ed on. They timed the current, anG
he kept it going until they told him tc
stop. OF course the whole experiment
was novelty and there should be ne
certainty about its results. Those whC
are mostly interested in it were positive
at the moment it was put into execu
ton that death would beinstantaneous
Perhaps it was. DIR. Spitzka says now
that he thinks it was. He says anC
moreover he believes this form of exc
cution superior to hanging. This opin
ion is the result of an after-thought. /
does not agree entirely with the viev
which he expressed before.
THE AUTOPSY.
Il The autopsy was begun at about
: o'clock. It was in charge of DR.. Jenk
! ins, of New York (whO handled tn,
} knife, DIR. Daniel, DR.. Mcdonald ant
J DR.. Spitzka. DR.. Fell prepared tn
blood drawn from the body for exami
nation under the microscope. 1t wa
found when the body was spread ou
on the table, that a very severe rigo
mortis had set in. There was little re
taxation and it was with difficulty tina
the corpse was Strengthened out Ol
examination it was found that the sec
ond electrode had burned through tn
? skin and into the flesh at the base c
the spine, making scar nearly fiv
inches in diameter. The heart, lung
and other organs were taken out an,
were found to be in good, health
condition. They will be preserved 70
. future examination. The brain ais
was taken out and it, too, will be care
/. fully examined.
The examination of the brain show
ed that the brain was hardened direct
, under the spot where the electric cul
: reni had come in contact with tn
skull and that the blood at the spot wa
! hardened, showing that the currer
:, had had direct action on the brain.
0 OPINIONS OF PHYsICIANs--THEYT THIN
! DEATH FOLLOWED THE FIRST
II SHoCK-ELECTROCUT
!, SETTLED.
!. The following special correspondent
! of the United Press by DR.. Spitzka b,
fore the witnesses left the executio
room: "There is no doubt that cor
Q Isciousness was abolished at the fir
: contact. The first current did not d,
/ stroy all vitality phenomena but som
0 reflex phenomena or phenomena {
Q vegetative life resisted and I think y0
= can safely say was due to the fact ths
| the voltage was not constant or stron
: enough"
D Concerning the strength of the vo
: tage, DIR. Spitzka said that he had wri
. ten to DR.. Mcdonald some time ago e1
: pressing fear that it would be to veal
DR.. Spltzka said he had noticed som
curious phenomena In connection wit
one experiment-one of them the POI
!. mortem signs which appeared immet
: lately after the first shock.
: 1t was shortly after this that ID
VI utCusf0Ia rosI. gIT = ~, ~ frsauI of ola,