The McCook tribune., 1890-08-15

mand for Repeal Of the Law.
Sentence OF the Law Visited Upon
Kemmier. the Murderer.
AUBURN, N. Y, August with a
short, sharp shock, painless so far as
the world will ever know, the soul Of
William Kemmler was separated from
his body at GAO yesterday morning.
The cap was adjusted to the head of
the man bound captive in the strange
looking chair; the lever was quickly
swung around the arc of the semi
circle; quick convulsion, sudden re-
viyal Of muscular action; another turn
of the lever; pause, aroom filled with
the sickening fumes of burning flesh,
and twenty-seven witnesses of the first
electricide in history knew that the
death of Tillie Ziegler had been
avenged in law and the crime of Will
liam Kemmler expiated, 30 far as
human hands could force its expiation.
While Warden Durston could have
found hundreds of willing substitutes,
for any one of the twenry-seven wit
nesses the law had compelled him to
call in, it is safe to say that no one of
the twenty-seven found any pleasure
in the spectacle.
At 6:3S the door at the right Of the
execution chair, leading towards the
execution room, opened and Warden
Durston's figure appeared in the door
way. Behind him walked spruce
looking, broad shouldered little man,
full bearded. with carefully ar
ranged hair clustering around his fore
head. He was dressed in suit of
new clothing, sack coat and vest of
dark gray material, trousers of mixed
yellow pattern, white shirt, whose
polished front was exposed directly
below the little bow of lawn, of black
and white check pattern. This was
William Kemmler the man who was
about to undergo the sentence of death,
Behind him walked DR.. w. E. Hough-
ton 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. He hesitated as the door
was closed behind him and carefully
locked by the attendant on the other
side as though he did not know exact
ly what to do. Give me chair, will
you," said the warden. Some one
quickly handed him wooden chair
which he placed in front OF and little
to the right of the execution chair,
facing the little circle of men. Kemm-
Ter sat down composedly. looked about
him and then up and down without
any evidence of fear or of special in
terest in the event. His face was not
stolid; it was Indifferent. He looked, if
anything, as though he were rather
pleased at being the center of interest.
Warden Durston stood at the left of
the chair with his hand on the back of
it and almost at the moment Kemm-
mer took his seat he began to speak
in short quick periods. Now, gen
tlemen," he said, this is William
Klemmer. have warned him that
he has got to die, and if he has any
thing to say he will say it" AS the
warden finished Kemmler looked up
and said in high key of voice with
out any hesitation and as though he
had prepared himself with speech.
''Well, l wish every one good luck in
this world and think am going to q
good place and the papers have been
saying a lot of stuff that is not so.
That's all have to say" With the
conclusion of this speech he turned his
back on the jury, took off his coat and
handed it to the warden. This dis
closed the fact that his clothes had
been cut from the band of the trousers
down so as to expose the base of the
spine.
He sat down in the electric chair as
quietly as though he were sitting down
to dinner. When the straps had been
adjusted about the body the arms were
leaned over and parted kemmler's feet
so as to bring his legs near to the legs
of the chair. While the straps were
being arranged Kemmler said to the
warden and his assistant: '.Take your
time; don't be in hurry. Be sure
that everything is all right
When the straps had been adjusted
to the body and the limbs the warden
placed his hand on Kemmler's head
and held it against the rubber cushion
which ran down the back of the chair.
Kemmler's eyes were turned toward
the opposite side of the room; before
they had followed the warden in his
movements; then the condemned man
made one or two remarks in perfectly
clear and composed tone of voice.
"Well, wish everybody good luck"
was one of them, and ''Durston, see
that these things are all right, was
another. When the cap had been ad-
justed and clamped in place Kemmler
said: "Oh, you'd better press that
down." so the head piece was un-
clamped and pressed further down.
While it was being done Kemmler
said: "Well, want to do the best l
can. / can't do any better than that. "
Warden Durston took in his hand the