St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-07
UNDER THE sCALPEL.
DIR. Jenkins Carves the Corpse of
the Murderer.

the Murderer.
AUBURN, N. Y, July 6.-There was
no doubt that Kemmler was dead. The
round mark on the top of his head
where the swift strong current had
scared his skin and burned his hair was
evidence of the strength of the shock
which had brought him to his end. But
there was no haste about taking him
out of his chair. He sat there quietly
enough for minute or two untouched.
Then the warden unfaStened the har-
ness that had held his head and took it
away. The head did not fall. 1t rested
quietly upright. the eyes half closed.
The doctors bent over him and looked
into his eyes,. They examined the
discoloratiOn on the temples where the
leather band had crossed them. Finally
some one bent over and removed one of
the shoes. Then the other straps were
undone and the body slipped forward
a little and rested in stiff pose half in
and half out of the chair. A long table
stood in one corner of the room. Two
of the physicians carried it to the center
of the chamber. and the warden sug-
gested that the body be placed upon it.
The physicians gathered about and con-
suited for few minutes, determining
finally that they would hold the autopsy
in an hours time. The room was then
cleared, most of the witnesses going to
their hotels to get breakfast, while the
warden retired to his apartments up
stairs. The body was left i'll its half-re-
cumbent position in the execution
chair. Before $50 a. m. most of
the doctors had returned to the
prison to prepare for the au-
topsy. The body of the dead man
still sat in the electrical chair, the
limbs rigid. the expression of the face
(but for the discolorations of the skln)
unchanged. The rigor of the body was
a matter for comment and surprise
among the physicians. The jaw had
not fallen, and the pleasant expression
with which Kemmler had greeted the
witnesses as he entered the execution
room s1ill fingered about the features.
1t was determined that DR.. jenkins, of
New York. instead of Dr. Daniel, should
do the work with the surgeons knife,
because of his long experience in per-
forming autOpSleS on persons killed by
electricity. Both DR.. Daniel and DR..
jenkins stripped off their coats and
vests. and the surgeons case was
opened and the glittering array of
knives and saws brought out. The body
was lifted from the chair, and
placed on the table in the cen
ter of the room. 1t still pre-
served,its rightly. A small wooden box
was placed under the head to support
it, and the limbs were Strengthened out
as far as possible. Then convict was
summoned from the prison to take off
the clothing. The removal revealed a
scar nearly five inches in diameter
where the second electrode had pressed
against the base of the spine, showing
that the current had burned through
the flesh. The body looked healthy and
we'll nourished. DR.. Shrady at this
point suggested the necessity of making
the examination as formal as though it
was to be taken for criminal investiga-
ton, and volunteered to act as secretary
and take the report in shorthand. This
was agreed upon, and the first step
taken was to bind clinical thermOme-
ter to the nape of the neck and take the
temperature. The record demonstrated
that the man was dead beyond all Ques-
ton. The table, on suggestion, was
moved over to the corner of the cell di-
rectly under the windows, where bet
ter light could be had. When it was in
position general survey of the body
was taken, and its external condi-
tion carefully noted. Then DR.. Jenkins
took his surgeons knife aud began Oper-
ations. The body was cut open. The
heart, lungs and other organs were
taken out and their condition noted
carefully. They were all put in Muel-
ler's fluid for preservation and future
examination. When the organs in the
trunk of the the body had been examined
carefully, the top of the skull was re-
moved and the brains taken OUT This
was the most interesting feature of the
examination, as the theory on which
the claims of greater humanity for this
method of execution are based is the
theory that the electric current para
lyZes the brain instantly and thus de-
stroyed all sensation. The physicians
found evidence Of the effect of the cur
rent on the formation of the SKULL on
the blood and on the brain tissue direct
ly beneath the point of contact which
satisfied the EN- that tie paralysis of the
brain was immediate. DR.. Shrady this
afternoon transcribed his notes and
prepared them for the signatures of
the examining surgeons, but some of
them left the city during the afternoon,
SO the report will not be made immedi-
ately.
MADE A BOTCH OF THE JOB.
A Chicago Electrician Comments
on the Execution.
CHICAGO Aug 6-~HOrriblei Horri-