The Portland daily press., 1890-08-07
KEMMLERS LIFE ENDED PAINLESSLY.
But the New System of Execution Is
Not Entirely successful.
Brutal Preparations Which offse'
the Quickness of the Death.
How the Electric Current Did Its
Work In Auburn Prison.

AUBURN, NY. August Civilian Kemm-
Ter, the man sentenced to die In the week
beginning June "a, 1889, for the brutal mur-
der Of woman with whom he had lived,
was executed by electricity in the states
prison here this morning. The legal pro-
ceedings, based on the allegation that this
mode of execution is cruel and unusual,
which have deferred the carrying out of the
sentence for over year, are familiar to all
newspaper readers. These proceedings, hay
ing failed in the state courts, were recon-
menced in the United States court and there,
too, proved unavailing. The New York
courts were upheld in the final appeal, and
Kemmler was again sentenced to be killed in
the week beginning August 4th.
Kemmler, in company with the warden,
entered the executing room at g. 3S this morn
ing. He was by far the coolest man in the
little party gathered according to the proyis-
ions of the law to witness the execution. He
was given an opportunity to speak and said
swell, wish everyone good luck in this
world, and 1 think l am going to a good
place, and the papers have been saying lot
of stuff that is not so. That's all have to
say"
At the conclusion of this speech he re-
moved his coat, calmly arranged his necktie,
and sat down in the electric chair as quietly
as II sitting down to dinner. The straps
were adjusted around his body, his arms
fastened down, and his feet placed close to
the legs of the chair.
While this was being done, Kemmler re-
peatedly cautioned the warden not to hurry,
ana TO be sure everything was all right. 1t
was not through fear that KemmIer thus
spoke, but rather through certain pride
in the exactness of the experiment.
Everything was now in readiness, and at a
signal from the warden, at 643a, the electric
current was turned on. There was a sudden
convulsion Of the form in the chair. A
spasm went over it from head to foot. The
contnlng straps and springs held it firmly,
So. that no limb or other portion of the body
stirred more than small fraction of an Inch
the muscles of the face underwent gave to it
for mement an expression of pain, but no
cry escaped from the lips, which were free
to move at will, and no sound came forth to
suggest that consciousness lasted more than
an infnitesimal fraction of a second, beyond
the calculation of the human mind.
The body remained in this rigid position
IL seconds. There was no movement of the
body beyond the first convulsion.
AT the expiration Of 10 seconds the current
tion of the body in the chair, but the straps
held 1t SO firmly that there was not quarter
of an inch variation in the position of any
part of the frame. There was no question
in the mind of any present that the form be-
fore them was lifeless.
Preparations for the post mortem were be-
ing discussed, when DR.. Bach suddenly no.
ticed red spot on the hand resting on the
right arm of the chair, and from which
blood was dropping. Instantly the order
was given to again turn on the current. The
dynamo was almost at standstill, and al
though the engineer quickly responded to
the command, it was not quick enough to an
ticipate che signs of what may or may not
have been reviving consciousness.
As the group of horror stricken witnesses
stood helplessly by, all eyes were fixed on
the chair. Kemmler's lips began to drip
saliva, and in moment more his chest NOV
ed and from his mouth came heavy ster-
torous sound, quickening and increasing
with every respiration. The wheeling
sound, half groan, which forced itself past
the tightly closed lips, sounded through 1.-THE
still chamber with ghasEly distinctness.
Some of the witnesses had to turn away
from the sight. One of them lay down,
faint and sick.
In 53 seconds after the order for the
second current, the response came and the
sound that had Mortified the listeners about
the chair was cut off shortly and the body
once more became rigid.
The dynamo was run up to its highest
speed and again the full current of 1000 volts
was sent through the body in the chair.