New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-08-13
twenty seconds, which was almost Instantly
changed to ten seconds

twenty seconds, which,Was almost Instantly
changed to ten seconds
Very well, gentlemen" responded the
warden, and he moved toward the door OF
his secret room. And, at the moment DR..
Fell OF Buffalo, who made the death chair,
was dropping water from bulb syringe
through long rubber tube into the cleo
trode sponges, the warden reappeared from
the ante-room
Well, is everything ready?' said he,
Whlle he faced the death chair six feet
away. The bound man in the chair had
heard every word. His hands were clinched
and rigid.
HE WAITED THE SHOCK.
The warden turned and nodded his head to
some one who stood in the secret room at
the fatal switch. There was quick con-
VulsiVe start of the bound figure in the
chair, little squeaking sound of straining
straps, breathless watchers with every sense
bent upon the moveless wretch bound head
hand and foot, and no sound, save bird
songs in the bright sunshine outside the
windows. The bar Of heavy shade at one
window was lifted by the straying
breeze and fell back against
the bars. This noise was
slight, but to the tense and breathless
watchers in the basement death chamber it
seemed equal to, the sound ofclashing arms.
Or. Spitzka and DR.. Shrady, drawn by deep
interest almost uneonsciously from their
places, moved on tip-toe to places bv the
chair But all was still and no man spoke.
Every faculty was contributing to that of
vision. Such scene there never was on
earth before. No man ever before had died
thus by the deliberate purpose of his fellow
mans
After that convulsive start that marked
the stroke of lightning upon Kemmler
there was no movement of muscle nor
witch Of nerve. The features from the
bridge of the nose to the chin seemed to
nave been pursed up, as those of one facing
sleety storm or of one breasting a power
full dust bearing wind.
There. that's enough. Take off the cur
rent, said the warden's chosen physicians
Macdonald and Spitzka-after seventeen
seconds had passed, and the warden passed
the word within the adjoining room, where
the same one
CUT IT OFF.
Happiest of all in the room was DR..
Southwick OF Buffalo, the father of electro
cising in capital cases, and who has been
studying and working upon the subject
since 1881.
There" he exclaimed, as he strobe away
from the chair to knot of witnesses at the
other end of the room, there is the culmi-
nation of ten years work and study. We
live IN higher civilization from this day."
But even while he spoke, a quick, sharp
cry went up from those yet closely watch
ing about the silent figure in the chair.
There had been movement in the breast
of the man whom all believed had died one
minute and forty seconds before. Soon
there was another movement, accompanied
by sudden gasp, and then the breast be-
gan to heave with long, deep, stertorous
respirations.
Start the current, start the current
again, shouted DIR. Spitzka. All crowded
q hon hoo I,nir loI Ill
wretch, whose breast, despite the broad,
tight bands about him, was rising and fall
ing with strong force. Slightly foamy
saliva was exuded from the mouth the en-
tire body racked in the efforts of the organs
to- resume their functions, and deep lear
fell upon some lest consciousness should
return. The doctors declared, however.
that the man was beyond consciousness,
and some thought the action which startled
all and sent the warden away with a
white face to order the current returned
was only reflex muscular action.
THIS SPECTACLE
was continued from 6:i5 until 6:47 o'clock
There came again to the figure in the chair
another shock, under which the straps were
strained again. The lungs, hoWeyer, filled
again and again while the current was pour
Ing through the unconscious body
At 6:5l another groan of dismav was
heard near the chair and smoke was OBJ
served curling up from Reminders back.
Hes burning" shouted one.
Cut OFT the current" cried another
Hes dead There's no use in Keeping
up. the current longer" said some one else.
Again the warden gave the signal to open
the switch and the body in the chair, sur
charged with four distinct shocks that had
been given it, developed no further move
ment
Hes PROFESSIONALLY dead" said DR..
Macdonald
Almost Immediately attendants began to
nnbind the corpse in the great chair.
kemmler's body was entirely unbound
about 7:3O and the doctors determined
not to proceed at once with the
autopsy. The witnesses returned to the
hotel for breakfast, with the understanding
that they should return at Sis a. m. The
physicians had been slow to move the
autopsy until undutiable post-mortem indi-
cations should be observed Upon their
return therefor they were made. The doc
tors then lifted the body to the dissecting
table and laid it upon the back At
1857 a. nI., three hours and six min
utes after the current through Kemmler
was stopped, the table was wheeled beneath
the windows, through which the sunlight
then was streaming and at the call for in
spection all gathered around while DR..
jenkins of New York prepared to use the
scalpel and the saw. Dr. Shrady sat near
and IN short hand took the running de-
scription of conditions developed, himself
prompting and at times directing.
Examination of the electrodes on the
fatal chair disclose that the sponge in the
one at the base of the spine was dried and
scorched by heat generated, owing to i'm
perfect 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 contact had been
burned to black cinder, and the flesh
above had been cooked until yellow, while
the inner tissues had been baked.
The sponge in the upper electrode had
other and the scalp only singed instead of
incinerated