Morris tribune., 1891-07-08

OF the Mas@les-History of the Crimes.
SING SING, N. Y, July flames j.
Slocum, Joseph Wood, Harris A. Smiler
and Shikok Jugigo were killed by cleo
tricity in the prison in conformity with
the law of the state. Slocun Was exc
cEted at 4:43 a. M; Smiler at o:13,
Wood at 5:3S, and Jugigo at sos. The
executions went off quietly. All of the
mon were killed on the first contact.
There was no struggle when they We're
strapped down, and no resistance OF any
kind. Every precaution was exercised
to avoid the mistakes which made the
Kemmler affair at Auburn in part a
failure. The causes of the accident and
delay were known to the warden at Sing
Sing and they had been anticipated in
the arrangements for the execution of
the four men. The tested voltage in the
dyl.amos had been brought up to 5000
volts, while the estimated voltage which
was turned into Kemmlers body was
750 The weakness of the current at
the Kemmler execution was chargeable
in part to the slipping of the belts on
the dynamos and especial precautions
had been taken to avoid this.
The witnesses gathered in the
prison parlors shortly before the hour
fixed for the first electrocution to take
place. The warden led the way and
the witnesses went in no particular Or
der out of the door of the warden's
house, through short passage, then
with tum to the right through the
door in the prison wall. With another
quick turn to the left they skirted the
wall of the condemned mems cells,
turned to the right and entered the lit,
tie frame building in which the appa-
ratus of death had been placed. Oppo-
site the entrance of the chamber and
facing it was
The Death Chair.
1t was almost of exactly the same pat
tern as the chair in which Kemmler
was executed-a plain wooden chair
with perforated wood seat, the back
having slight incline Near the top OF
the chair back was rubber cushion for
the prisoners head and neck to rest on.
Above this was figure four" the long
arm of which was clamped with two
wooden set screws to the back of the
chair. In front of the chair extended
a foot rest to which the legs of the pris,
oner were to be bound. This was
the only important particular in which
the chair differed from the Kemmlel
chair. Kemmler's 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 parti
ton wall which divided the building
into two apartments, was closet open
ing at the top, about seven feet high
In this closet was the switchboard which
was to be used IN turning the current
into the condemned men, Before thi
entrance of the witnesses
The Executjoner Had Entered
this closet from the other room and sa
waiting for the signal from the warde1
to turn the switch. Who he was is no
known, and will not be known authori
tatively. It is generally supposed tha
the executioner was a convict from tht
prison detailed for the duty. On ths
right of the witnesses as they entered
was the massive iron door which CLOSED
Che passage leading into the prison fol
the condemned. It was almost as mass
i've and impenetratable as the brick
walls about it: and as imperyious tc
sound.
When the witnesses had ranged them.
selves about the room the electrician
touched this button once. The engineer
responded to the signal and started tht
dynamos. When the current had beer
turned on, the electrician threw the
switch which turned it into the row ot
lamps above his head. They burst into
glow of light that rivalled the day
light shining through the canvas GOV.
ering of the windows about the sides o1
the improvised execution room. The
prisoners
ssent 10 the Execution Chair
brave1y ana met their fate without 6
struggle. They offered no resistance
but rather assisted the keepers whe1
they were bound down in the chair
The electrodes were not applied, as il
Che Kelnmler case, to the top of TIL
Skull and the base of the spine, but were
bound to the foreheads of the con
demned men and the calves Of thei
legs. The current was turned on il
each case for twenty seconds. In eacl
case there were apparent evidences o
revival, as in the kemmler case, and il
each of the four cases the current was
Ia.ncd on 4 second Riute.
In spite Of the fact that the sponge
were kept constantly wet all Of the exc
cuted nren We're burned by the curren
and especially about the calves Of til
iegs, The medical ,nen present aere
that death came On first contact an,
that the seeming revival was merely
reflex muscular action. None of tn
witnesses were overcome by fright. or.
all of them who have spoken have mad
the statement that the electrodes wer
successful and death in all cases was in
staaaaaeoas ana painles3. At 12 o'cloe
Doctors SouthWick' and Daniels, an
Deputy Attorney Hogan left for tn
West N one of them would talk. Dl
Barber, the physician of the prison
came out shortly after and said that th
autopsy was completed and that n
Statement would be given ont for 'sey
sral hours. DR.. Mcdonald eonducte
t4e autopsy:
Their Crimes.
Harris A. Smiler, printer, shot an
Knlea Maggie Dralney, with whom b
bad i.6S been living in Nav York city, Apr
James j, Slocum killed his wife wit
an axe at No, Z Cherry street, Me-
York, Dec. II, 1889.
Joseph Wood (colored) killed an TIA
ian named Carlo Ruff in fight in tb
month of May. 1889.
Shibuya Jugigo, japanese sailol
killed Mura Commi, countryma,