Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-06

special degree Of interest He hesitated AZ the
| door was closed behind him and carefully
locked by an attendant on the other side as
| though he did not know exactly what to do.
| Give me Q chair, will your said the warden.
Some one quickly handed him . wooden chair,
which he placed in front and Q little to the
| right Of the execution chair. facing the little
| circle Of men. Kemmler sat down composedly,
looked about him and then up and down with
out any evidence of fear or Of especial interest
in the event. His face was not stolid-it was
not Indifferent. He looked, II anything, Is
though he was rather pleased at being the CEN
| ter of interest.
| Warden Durston stood at the left Of the
| chair with his hand on the back Of IL and
almost at the moment that Kemmer took his
seat he began 70 speak IN short, quick periods.
Now, gentlemen" he said 'ftiis is William
Kemmler have warned him that he has got
say it,
As the warden finished Kemmler looked up
| and said in a high-keyed voice, without any hes
with the speech, "Well wish every one good
| luck IN this world and think am going to .
good place, and the papers have been saying
lot Of stuff that isn't so. That's all have to
say"
With the conclusion Of the speech he turned
his back on the jury. took of his coat and
handed 1t to the warden. This disclosed the
fact that hole had been out from the band OF
the trousers down, 30 as to expose the base Of
the spine.
SITTING DOWN. IN THE ILEcTRfo cHAfR.
When his coat was off Kemmler turned in the
direction Of the door through which he had
come into the room and began to unbutton his
vest At the same time the warden was draw
ing the interfering drapery of his shirt
through the hole in the trousers and cutting it
on, SO as to leave the little surface of flesh
against which one OF the electrodes was
to press absolutely bare. Warden Durston
called attention to the fact that it was
kemmler calmly buttoned it again and care
fully arranged his tie. Don't hurry about
this matter" said the warden .sBe perfectly
cool" He was perfectly cool He was by all
odds the coolest man in the room When his
tie was arranged, he sat down in the electric
chair as quietly as though he was sitting down
to dinner. Warden Durston stood on the right
and George Vieling of Albany on the left. They
began Immediately to adjust the straps around
Reminders body, the condemned man holding
up his arms so as to give them every assist
ance. When the straps had been adjusted
about the body, the arms were fastened down
and then the warden leaned over and parted
Reminders feet 30 as to bring his legs near 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"
Two or three times he repeated the phrases.
warden Durston treasured him. with the re-
mark that it would not hurt him and that he
(Durston) would be with him all through. But
IL was not fear that Kemmler felt II was
rather a certain pride In the exactness Of the
experiment. He seemed to have greater in
terest In its success than those who had made
the preparations for IL and who were watching
its progress to its final fatal conclusion.
KENMLER GOOD DEAL INTERESTED.
When the straps had been adjusted to the body
and the limbs the warden placed his hand on
Reminders head and held it against the rubber
cushion which ran down the back of the chair
kemmlers eyes were turned toward the oppo-
ute side of the room. Before they had fol-
lowed the warden in his movements about tho
chair. Then the condemned man made one or
two remarks in clear, composed tone Of
voice. We'll, wish everybody good luck"
was one of them, and ''Durston, ses that things
are all right" was another. Deputy yieling
unfastened the thumb screws which held the
figure a. at the back of the chair in place and
began to lower it so that the rubber cup which
held the saturated sponge pressed against the
top of Kemmler's head. The warden assisted
in the preparation by holding Reminders head
When the cup had been adjusted and clamped
in place Kemmler said: "Oh, you'd better
press that down further, / guess. Press that
down"
So the head piece was unchanged and
pressed further down.
While it was being done Kemmler said
"Well, / want to do the best can. can't do
any better than that"
Warden Durston took in his hand the leather
harness which was to be adjusted to Reminders
head: 1t was muzzle OF broad leather straps
which went across the forehead and the chin of
the man in the chair. The top strap pressed
down against the nose OF Kemmler until IL
fattened it down slightly over his face.
As the harness was put in place DIR. Spitzks,
who WAS standing near the chair said softly:
ss(fOd blesa Won. Kemmler
The condemned man answered: Thank you,"
softly.
The door leading into the room where the
switches were arranged was partly open.
, man stood in the doorway. Beyond him
there were two other men,
Which OF them was to touch the lever and
make the connection with the chair was not
known.
Warden Durston says II never will be known.
Inc dynamo in the machine shop ives rum
ming at good speed and the volt meter on the
wall registered little more than ] 200 volts
CRITICAL PAUSE.
Warden Durston turned to the assembled
doctors, those Immediately around the execu-
ton chair, and said do the doctors say it is
all right" Hardly minute had elapsed since
the adjustment Of the straps. There vas
no time for kemmler to have weakened
even If his marvellous courage had not
been equal to the test Of further delay
courage. He was as calm in the chair as he
had been before he entered the room and
during the press of his confinement by the
straps which held him close.
At the wardens question DR.. Fell stepped
forward with a long syringe in his hand and
quickly but deity wetted the two sponges
which were at the electrodes, on on top OF the
head and the other at the base Of the spine
The water which he put on them was impreg-
mated with salt.
DR.. Spitzka answered the warden's question
with sharp ''Ah right" which was echoed by
others about him.
Ready said Durston again, and then
He stepped to the door and through the
opening said to some one in the next room, but
to whom will probably never be known with
certainty, Everything is ready"
THE SCENE AT THE pEArx.
In almost immediate response, and az the
stop watches in the hands Of some of the Wit
nesses registered 6:4S1S, the electric current
was turned on. There was a sudden CONFUSION
Of the frame in the chair spasm went over
1t from head to foot, confined by the straps
and springs that held it firmly so
that no limbs or other parts of the
body stirred more than a small fraction
OF an inch from its resting place. The witch
ing THAI the muscles OF the face underwent gave
to it for a moment an expression Of pain. But
no cry escaped from the lips. which were free
to move at will, no sound came forth to suggest
tkaaA na<xsta< lAsxA -