The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-07-17

was beveled cushion Of rubber for the
prisoners head and neck TO rest against.
Above this extended a wooden figure
4" the long arm Of which was clamped
with two wooden setscrews TO the back
of the chair. In front Of the chair ex-
tended a foot-rest, to which the legs Of
the prisoner were to be bound. This
was the only important particular in
which the chair differed from the kemm-
Ter chair. Kemmler legs were separated
and fastened to the front legs Of the
chair in which he sat The chair was
placed on rubber mat to insulate it.
Behind the chair. built against par
tition wall which divided the building
into two apartments. was a .loset open
ing at the top. about seven feet high.
In this closet was the switch board
which was to be used in turning the
current into the condemned men Be-
fore the entrance OF the witnesses the
executioncr had entered this closet
from the other room. and sat facing
for the signal from the warden to turn
the switch. Who he was is not known.
and will not be known authoritatlvely.
II is generally supposed that the execu-
toner was a convict from the prison.
detailed for the duty. On the right Of
the witnesses. as they entered. was the
massive iron door which closed the
passage leading into the prison for the
condemned 1t was almost as massive
and impenetrable as the brick walls
about 1t. and as impervious 70 sound.
Seated in their cells with only the
walls and the iron door between them
and the engine Of death. the condemned
men heard nothing OF the busy prepa-
rations going on in the execution room.
They knew that their last ninutes
were being measured off. though. for
their spiritual advisers had been with
them for some time giving them such
consolation as they could.
shortly after 5 o'clock the attorney
for Wood. Lawyer Hare. left the
warden. after fruitless hour spent in
trying to convince him that the papers
he had filed in the federal court should
act as stay Of execution. Deputy-At-
torney-General Hogan. who had set up
with the warden. decided the disputed
legal question for him. and the con-
demncd mems last hope was cxtin-
guished when. shortly after o'clock.
the warden lay down on a couch in
his parlor TO get a little rest.
AT $50 o'clock the lights in the town
and the lights in front OF the warden's
house went out suddenly. 1t was
half hour before the usual time for cx-
tinguishing these lights. and the fact
that they had gone out indicated that
the power used in generating the
electric current for them was to be
used in operating the dynamos attached
70 the execution apparatus
few minutes later the whizz Of the
dynamo sounded through the still
morning hour. II was 4o'clock and the
warden had arisen from his couch and
sent one Of his assistants to rap softly
on the doors Of the slceoing rooms 10
stairs % awaken the witnesses some
OF them bad retired half dressed. and
they were quickly down stairs The
two priests and the prison chaplain had
been summoned more than an
hour before. and after drinking d
cup 81 prison coffee had gone down
70 the cells 81 the condemned men.
who had been awake most OF the nirht.
when The warden visited them they
wcrr Wide awake and evidently cxpcct
ing she end ~ come soon. Thcv knew
thal k"mmler had been killed 81 ihc
second morning. and they dil not b..