St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-07
EMBARRASSING THE CORPSE.
Physicians Examine the Scared
Remains Minutely.

Physicians Examine the Scared
Remains Minutely.
AUBURN, N. Y. Aug. 6.-Kemmler's
body was entirely unbound about 7:30,
and the doctors determined not to pro-
ceed at once with the autopsy.
The witnesses returned to the
hotel for breakfast, with the UNDER
standing they should return at SIS
a. m. When they did return there was
no little surprise felt when Kemmler's
body, sagged down and slouching IN
the chair where he died, was found un-
touched. Drs. Macdonald and Baleh,
however, took it in hand. The
warden was not seen. The ply
sicians had been slow to move
in the autopsy until indubltable
posG-mortem indications shonld be
observed. Upon their return therefore
they were made. The cornea of the
eve was found much sunken, and the
iris was relaxed. "There can be little
question when these indications are
present." remarked DR.. Spitzka. Rigor
mOrtiS was also we'll marked in
the upper extremities, but less
in the lower parts. DR.. Balch
pulled off the shoe from Kemmler'S
left foot, and with the edge of his hand
struck the knee sharply just below the
cap. But the foot upon repeated trials
failed to jerk forward. The petella
tendon reflex was not present.
This Indicated Death.
The electrodes were withdrawn from
contact with the body. hair adhering
to the rim of the upper disc. The doe
tors then lifted the body to the dissect-
ing table and laid it upon the back.
Drs. Mac Donald and Shrady exam
ined the head. They found that
there was a deep circular imprint on
the top of the head made by the sharp
pressure of the electrodes rim. The
SPOT wner e the tuft of Kemmler's hair
had been cut off just before death was
fou nd to constitute not more than one
third OF the area of contact with the
electrode, and close examination dis
closed that the edge of the copper with
in the electrode had slightly burned the
scalp just where the hair had been
cut. Had not Kemmler's desire to avoid
disbursement by the cutting of his hair
prevailed, the contact would have been
more perfect. The chances of instan-
taneouS death would have been greater
and possibly Disagreement, which he
dreaded. would have been avoid
ed. Soon after the arrival
of the witnesses, convict,
with bucket of water and sponges en-
tered and undressed the body. Death
buckles of the straps had sunk into
the flesh. The lividity was tending
downward and death pallor was ensu-
ing. Kemmler'S head measure was
found to be 81 3-9 inches or 54115 cente-
meters. being the horizontal circum-
ference of the skull. The temperature
at the
Back of the Neck
was found to have sunk in the interval
of two tests twenty minutes apart from
9911S to 9711S, which was declared to be
post-moItem temperature. Then at
9:57 a. M, three hours and six minutes
after the current through Kemmler was
stopped. the table was wheeled beneath
the windows, through which the sun
light was then streaming, and at the
call for inspection all gathered around
while DR.. jenkins, of New York, pre-
pared to use the Scalpel and the saw.
Examination of the electrodes on the
fatal chair disclosed that the sponge i'll
the one at the base of the spine was
dried and scerched by heat generated
owing to imperfect contact or
to insufficient wetting of the
sponge during contact. The result was
a terrible burning of the back, clear
through to the spine. The skin in con-
tact had been burned to black cinder,
and the flesh above had been cooked
/ yellow, while the inner tissues had been
baked. The sponge in the upper cleo
trode had been singed, though not so
much as the other, and the scalp only
singed instead of incinerated.