Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-08-07
IN THE DEATH CHAIR.
sickeuIng scenes The Current Fails in its
Work.

sickeuIng scenes The Current Fails in Its
Work.
With the conclusion OF the speech he
turned his back on the Jury. took of his
coat and handed it 90 the Warden. This
disclosed the fact that a hole had been cut
from the band OF the trousers down. so as
t0 expose the base of the spine. When his
coat was of kemmlor turned In the direc-
tl0n of the door through wuich he had
come into the room. and began 10 uubuttOn
his vest. Al the same time the Warden
,yas drawing the interfering drapery of his
shirt through the hole i'm the trousers and
cutting 10 Of So as % leave the little
surface Of flesh against which one Of the
electrodes was 20 press. absolutely bald.
Warden DurstOu called attention 20 the
fact that 10 was not necessary 10 remove
his vest. and kemmler calmly buttOned 10
a.-aiu and carefully arranged his tie.
-Dont hurry about this matter said the
Warden. "be perfectly cool " He was
r,rf,.tlv cool He was. bv all odds. the
coolies. man IN the room.
When his tie was arranged he sat down
-r thc electric chair as though he was sit
ffrr down to dinner Warden Durstou
Stood 0r the right and George Nieling, of
AIhlrv. ODD the left They began immedi-
I ste,y-o adjust straps around Kemmler's
. n.lr the condemned man holding up his
arms SD lis to give them every assistance.
Wr,r The straps had been adjusted about
-fahrfr. thearus were fastened down, and
-har tte warden leaned over and parted
Nemu.ers feet, 50 as 70 bring his legs near
I'D. .e-s of the chair While the straps
we're being arranged kemmler said 20 the
warden and his assistant, "Take your
rme Don't be iu q hurry. Be sure that
everything is an right" Two or three
times he repeated these phrases. When
rhe straps had been adjusted 20 the body
and limos. the warden placed hls hand on
Nemm'er head aud held il against the
rubber cushion which ran down the back OF
rne chair kemmler's eyes We're turned
the opposite side OF the room. Before. they
had followed the warden in his movements
about
THE METHOD or EXECUTION.
Then the condemned man made one or
two remarks in perfectly clear, composei
tone Of voice. "Weu. i wish everybody
good luck was Que of them, and "DurS-
Ton. see that things are all right, was an
other Deputy Nieling untGstened the
thumb screws which held the figure at
blclz of chair i'm place and began To lower
it So that the rubber which held saturated
spoure pressed against the top OK hemm-
ler's head The Warden assisted IN the
nreparatiOn by holding kemmler's head
when the cup had been adjusted and
clamned in place, kemmier SAID; "Ou,
vou't better press that down further |
euess. Press that down Nmle % was
Deinr done kemmler said; We'll, want
90 DO the best / can. can't DO any better
that that" Warden Durston took IN ms
hand the leather harness which was 10 oe
adjusted t0 Kemmiers head. 10 was
d H..a N...ra u
across the forehead and chin of the man I'D
|the chair The top strap pressed down
aeain.t the nose of kcmmler until lt Hat
tened down slightly over his face. As tue
harness was put in place DR.. Sp.tzka, who
was standing near the chair, said softly
I~Got bless you. Kemmlcr,' aud the con
Idemuei man answered gently, "IhanN
YOU
/ Softly. the door leading I'm the room
where the switches were arranged, was
|partlv open. 4 man stood in the doorway.
Bev0nd him there We're two other men
which OF them that was % touch the lever
and make connection with the chair was
not known Warden DurstOu says IL never
win be known. The dynamo In the ma
chine shop was running az good speed and
I the volt metre on the wall registered lit
I Tie more than 900 volts Warden DurstOn
I turned t0 the assembled doctors, and those
l Immediately around the execution chair.
aud said
/ "Do the doctors say 70 is all right:
Hardly a minute had elapsed since the
adjustment Of the straps There was no
I time for Kemmler 20 have weakened his
marvellous courage, had it not 0een equal
\ 90 the test of further delay But there was
mo- fear that he would lose courage. He
l was as calm In the chair as he had been be-
\ fore In the room. and during the process OF
I his confinement by the straps which held
i him close Al the Warden's question DR.
/ Fell stepped forward with long syringe
I iu his hand and quickly but deity wettel
/ the two sponges which were 20 act as cleo
trodes-one on top Of the head and the
other nj the base OF the spine The water
which he put on them was imprcguated
with salt DR. Spitlka answered the War
denis question with a sharp "all right
which was echoed by those about him.
~Ready." said Durston again, and then
/ Good bye
ruE CURRENT TURNED Oh.
He stepped 20 the door and through the
|oDeuiug SAID 90 some one In the next room,
but 20 whom will probably never be known,
everything is all ready In almost inn
mediate response and as stop watches in
the hands of some OF the witnesses regis
tered 6.43if the electric current was turned
.Ou There was a sudden cOuvulsiou of the
frame iu the chair. a spasm went over il
from head to foot, confined by the straps
under and springs that held 10 firmly; so that
nolimb Or other parts OF body moved more
than a small fraction of an inch from its
resting place The twitchiug that the
muscles of the face underwent gave TO IL
for moment an expression
'0f pain, but no cry escaped
from the lips which were free 20 move at
wiiL no sound came forth 10 suggest that
/ consciousness lasted more than an infinite
small fraction Of second, beyond the cal
cuiation Of human mind The body re-
manned in this rigid position for Il seconds.
I Or. Mcdonald held a stop watch I'm his
hand. aud as seconds flew by he noted their
passage Dr. Spitzka also looked az the
stop watch, and as the tenth second eX-
pired he cried out, stop stop, cried
out other voices about. The warden turn
ed 10 the doorway and cried stop 70 the
man 40 the lever. 4 quick movement OF
the arm, and the electric current was
switched OF There was a relaxation OF the
body In the chair-a slight relaXauon-but
the straps held 10 So firmly that
there was not quarter OF an
inch variation I'm the position OF
any part OF the frame. The quiet little
group around the chair grew business like.
+ he AHlN. hAlA Ut. ollkaNsls htAAlliAl
"Oh. he's dead said DR. Mcdonald with
firm confidence. There was no question in
the mind OF anyone but that the stin up
right object before them was lifelesS. This
was the programme, this the inevitable
effect The next question was, what was
% be done with the body, when DR. Spitzka
stepped forward and called attention 70 the
appearance of the nose, which he said had
am uudoubted post mortem color. No one
disputed this. DR.. Spitzka turned around
In a business like way and pointing 10 the
harness. said: "Uuloose that. Now the
body can be taken 90 the hospital
LIFE WAS NOT GONE.
The Warden replied that ne could not let
any OF the witnesses 20 until he had their
certificates. AL of this conversation took
but minute. DR. Batch was bending over
the body looking az the exposed skin. sud
denly be cried out sharply.
"Dr. Mcdonald, see that rupture"
In a moment Drs. Spitzka and Mcdonald
had bent over, and looking where DR.. Batch
was pointing at, little red spot on the
hand that rested on the right arm Of the
chair The index finger Of the hand had
curved backward, as the heXOr muscles
contracted, and had scraped 4 small hole in
the skin at the base Of the thumb on the