Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-07-10

voltmetre and then into the ampermetre
and when fully satisfied with its indi-
Gated power they informed Warden
Brown. Deputy Warden Connaughton
and two keeper deputies then entered the
death cell building to bring forth the
trembling wretch who was the first to
pny the penalty of his crime. Fathers
Creeden and Lynch were engaged with
Slocum when Warden Brown and his
deputies entered. SIocum had been se-
lected US the first victim. and as soon rs
the priests finished their supplications,
he said be was ready and step. ed out OF
his cell with alaority and the walk to
death began. Following tho warden
and deputy came Slocum between the
two priests. who held uloft in ilont of
him cruoifix at which he gazed. Two
keeper deputies brought up the rear of
the fateful procession.
SLOWLY THE HEAVY DOORS
swung back, and with solemn tread the
little procession walked into the room
where the silence of death prevailed
The had but few steps to take. The
chair was directly in their 'front.' and as
the leaders parted, the chair stood out
in all its awfulness before the man about
to sit in it and die. Slocum halted at
the warden's command just on tho edge
of the rubber mat which was to protect
those who were watching his life go out
The doomed mans gaze was riveted
on the chair, then wandered to the
dangling wire and closet from which it
was suspended sBack to the chair it
came, like n needle to a magnet, and he
started ss though he had received q
shock from the wire when the warden
began reading the death warrant, while
reverend men engaged in silent prayer.
The witnesses were arranged to the
left of the chair The scientists
stood in front of the switchboard
watching the current which they read
like book as it flashed in the lamps
and through the recording instruments
the executioner was heard to rise from
his chair in the closet and place him
self ready to do his duty with an at.
tempt to SMILE Slocum seated himself
in the chair and leaned his head against
the rubber to rest, as though he was
preparing to be shaved. The forced
smile remained on his face. and as Fa-
thers Creeden and Lynch took up a
position in front of him, he again di-
rected his gaze to Gross while Oonnaugh.
ton began fastening straps. Slooum g
eyes were clear and he appeared to be
in perfect physicsl condition. He took
his eyes from Cross long enough to aid
Deputy Warden Connaughton in his
task, and then until the shield was
placed on his face his lips moved in
prayer and he looked tixedly at the
cross straps crossed, and the one that
crossed his body and his legs were
tightly bound to the footrest
Then his arms were fastened and Slo-
cum could
NO LONGER MOVE A MUSCLE.
Finally oddly arranged set straps that
bound his chair in one position and COW
cred his eyes were put in place. Now
Drs. Mcdonald and Rockwell and Pro.
fessor Landy approached to attach the
electrodes Positive electrode was
placed on Slooum' g head, the same as in
the Kemler electrocution. The negative
electrode was attached to the right leg
trousers, having been rolled up for this
purpose before Slocum was bound in the
chair. When the electrodes had been
satisfactorily adjusted and wires at.
tached the scientists glanced at
the switch board and said that the cur
rent was steady and registered 1000
volts. Drs. Mcdonald and Rockwell
stood on the other side of the chair. The
other physicians being witnesses also
drew near. The laymen stood back as
though to be sure of their
nerves. DIS. Daniels. South
wick and Ward took special
interest in these prel1minaries, and
with the watch in hand, waited the
signal of Professor Lapdy's hand, which
grasped the handle ofsthe switch which
turned the current into the wires in
the electrocutioner's closet. Warden
Brown raised his hand and Professor
Landy turned the switch, and then the
warden tapped on the closet. The un-
known on the inside gave quick pull
to his rubber covered lever. The
electric fluid was released before the
sound of the tap reached Slocum s ears
and like flash it sped through his
body. There was not tremor of the
body as the ply sicians counted the
seconds. and when Professor Landy
turned off the current Slocum sat rigid
and lifeless in the chair. When the
electrodes were remove d it was discov.
cred the skull and flesh of the leg had
been slightly burned, but there was no
smell of roasting flesh such as made the
Kemmler electrocution so horrible. The
straps were unloosed and the body was
carried back into the rear room.
DID NOT HESITATE
when told that his hour had come but
when the death chair appeared before
fim, he almost fell to the floor. His
knees knocked together and but for the
support of the spiritual advisers he
would certainly have collapsed. War
den Brown quickly read the death war
rant, and Smiles was hastily seated in
the chair. His face took on ghastly
hue and Connaughton got no assist.
ance from his victim in
arranging the straps. Smiles was
bound and electrodes applied in a
much briefer time than on Slocum and
in few seconds Smiles was also dead.
The same slight burning under the
electrodes was noticed as in Slocum q
case.
| WOOD HAD BEEN PREPARED
BY Fathers Oueden and Lynch while
Smiler was going to his death and he
was all ready. He uttered not a
word. When his time came
he walked to death supported
by the priests. Wood betrayed no emo
tion when he gazed on the chair, but
kept his eyes fixed on the crucifix. He
sat down in the chair directly and his
binding was accomplished so quickly
it was only twenty-four minutes after
Smiler until death came to him. It was
becoming easy to kill men. The wit
nesses displayed no emotion. There
was nothing to cause nausea, and death
came to its victims SO quickly that it
was all over before they realized it.
JUa1RO AT FIRST REFUSED
to leave his cell, but when ConnaugLton
said, "oome on Joe. be brave man, F"
the Jap walked out quietly. Two addi-
tional keepers marched one on each side
of the Jap, while the chaplains followed
behind the warden and his deputy The
Jap did not seem to comprehend the
purpose of the chair and seated himself
without protest. The keeper assisted
Connaughton in binding the Jap,
| md the laat act was nnicRlv aocon