Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-29
KEMMLER MUST DIE
THE MURDERER BREAKING DOWN UNDER
THE AWFUL STAIN
He Viii Be Executed in the Week Beginning
August 4-Preparations at Auburn Prison
For the Final Act-Warden Ours
tons Plans.

AUBuRN. July 2S.-The week in which
William kemmler is 10 be executed Dy
electricity begins on August t. Although
the Warden has probably fixed upon the
dav for his taking off according to the new
method. he has maintained unbrOken
silence on that point
There is at this time not the shadow Of
a show of either reprieve, stay, or any
other legal jugglery, The dynamo com
pany has exhausted the entire system OF
courts in the United States in vain en-
deavor 20 prevent the use of their machine
as a public eXecutioner, and there remains
no power 10 save Kemmler except EXecu-
tive intervention. OF this there is not the
remOtest chance. SO the execution VIII be
carried out, and il is believed Warden
Durston will be anxious TO get IL over as
soon rs possible Monday morning will be
too close 10 Sunday for all the committee
men 10 get here comfortably, but by Mon
day night they can all be here, and there
would be nothing in the way OF having
everything over by o'clock on Tuesday
morning.
THE CHAIR AND SWITCHBOARD
i'm the execution room have been removed,
but two on three hours work will replace
them. The Warden will begin getting
things in readiness next Thursday, and
this will allow the time for all necessary
tests and experiments. IL is probable that
the same general plan which was decided
upon the last time will be carried out. The
committee will assemble at the prison the
night before the execution, and will stop
there The execution itself will probably
take place as early as o'clock in the morn
inc. This will make things as inconvenient
as possible for the newspapers, which is
one of the Warden's ambitions, and will
prevent the assemblagc OF great crowd
about the prison gates, which IS another
The terrible strain OF suspense under which
Kemmler has been for SO long has begun TO
tell heavily upon him. There is no doubt
that heretofore ne has been buoyed up by
certain vague hopes He has now been
told that he must Danish all this frori his
mind and face the inevitable. The little
vanities and childish interest in the new
accomplishment of writing and reading
which kept up his spirits during the former
ordeal. have now deserted him. He has
grown careless in his dress, and he broods
instead of interesting himself in books as
he once did. He sleeps badly nights, and
is restless and nervous.
RATHER A TOUCHING FEATURE
OF this partial collapse is the way he leans
more and more upon Mrs. Durston. the
WGrdens wife, for support When he is
IN his most unhappy moods ncr power 10
soothe him is really wonderful. If she
misses seeing him at the regular hour he
frcts and worries like a child II will be Il
sad blow TO him when she goes away, Us
she intends to DO some day toward the
close of next week. That parting is pretty
sure % break down the little vestge of
strength he has left Whether he will re
cover any portion of IL again, or whether
he will go all TO pieces and have to be drag
ged 10 the fatal chair, is question. II
will not be surprising if those who witness
the last scene Of all have TO behold one OF
the most pitiful spectacles ever witnessed
az an execution.
Kemmler, when he came here, was Il
wild beast His long experience Of kind
usage and good influences have not only
tanned him but enlightened him, and with
enlightenment and the gentler habit Of
mind there has gone from him not little
OF the brute stoicism with which he would
at one time have faced death.