The Portland daily press., 1891-07-08
IN THE DEATH CHAMBER AT SING SING
Electricity Ended the Lives of Four
Murderers Yesterday.
There Was No BIundeIing Such as
Tortured KemmIer.
IL Men Must Be Executed This Seems
the Best Way.

SING SING, N. Y, July THE four con-
demned murderers, Harris A. Smiler, Joseph
Wood, James G. Slocum and Shiki9k Jugiro,
this morning paid the death penalty by be-
ing eectrocuted. The four condemned men
went to their death without flinching. Ju.
giro, the eccentric Jap, had previously given
his keepers much trouble ana was expected
to offer some resistance when he was led to
the fatal chair, but he did not. He died as
the others did, "game." The persons in the
prison as witnesses we're DIR. Carlos F. Nc
Donald, chairman of the State Lunacy Com
mission, Professor Louis Laudy, Deputy At
torney General Hogan, DIR. Alphonso D..
Rockwell of New York, Dr.. S. V. Wood of
Albany, DIR. Southwick of Buffalo, DIR. f.
Townsend of Albany. DR.. Charles E. Dan
iels of Buffalo, DIR. Hiram Barb Prison
Physician E. E. Davis. Warden Charles K.
DON stan OF Auburn. Warden w. X. Brown
and Lynch, Rev. c. w. Edgerton, chaplain
Of Sing Sing prison, Secretary Brown of the
State Lunaey Commission, ex.Warden
Brush and r. L. Oliver.
Warden Brown had arranged to convey in
formation to the newspaper men when each
man was executed by flags. black flag
was to indicate that Wood had died in the
electric chair. red flag was to be tor Ju-
giro. white flag for SlCcum and blue flag
for Smiler.
Precisely at 445 the white flag was run up,
indie ating that Slocum had been killed. The
flag renamed no scarcely two minutes. At
5.19, the blue flag was run up the pole
indicating that Smiler was put to death. AT
543ss, the black flag conveyed the intelli-
gence that the negro, Wood, had died in the
electric chair. The red flag, showing that
the Japanese, Jugiro. had met his fate, was
run up at GOO.
The witnesses, as they came from the
chamber of death, were reticent but after
the greatest persuasion one witness consent
ed to tell about the execution. He said
when everything was in readiness that War
den Brown passed through the big iron door
leading from the death chamber to the low
building where the condemned men were
waiting in their cells. The warden was
gone about two or three minutes when he
and thel principal keeper, Mr.. Connaughton,
headed the little procession in which walked
SlOcum between Fathers Creeden and
Lynch. Guards brought up the rear When
the procession passed through the door into
the execution room the witnesses were
grouped about the chair, while the expert
and physicians stood in front, Slocum was
promptly led toward the chair, and Warden
Brush without any ceremony told the con-
demned man to be seated. SlOcum promptly
obeyed the command and was soon settled
in the chair. He was quickly strapped by
work, the electrode or cap was placed in
position on the condemned mans head and
wet sponge under the cap. The positive
current was to be sent through this cap,
and the negative current by another cleo
trode at the calf of the legs. DR.. Mcdonald
personally superintendent the adjustment of
all the straps. One was lightly drawn across
the chin and mouth to prevent the condemn
ed man from making any outcry. Another
was fastened over both eyes. The positive
wire 60VVu the Of the aahiDat and
the negative wire came up through the floor.
One doctor sponged the two electrodes with
salt water.
Dr. Daniels, DIR. Southwlck and Warden
Bunstan then examined the straps and nod
ded to DR.. McDonalds who stood behind the
chair with a tstop watch in one hand and
handkerchief in the other. AS soon as DIR.
Mcdonald got the signal that everything
was in readiness. he dropped the handker-
chief. Electrician Davis stood about three
feet away with his hand on the switch bar,
which turned on the whole strength Of the
electric current into the circuit passing
through the execution room. The execution
or was concealed in a closet, aud almost sim
ultaneously. he shifted the switch which
sent the deadly current through the body of
the condemned man. Instantly Slocum's
body stttfened against the straps, and every
muscle was firmly set. The skin not COW
cred up by the straps on the face turned a
Purplish red. After Doctor Mcdonald had
held the stop watch 30 seconds he nodded
to Electrician Davis, who at once
threw the switch bar across the board and
the electric current was turned off. The eff
feet was instantaneous. The body of Slo-
cum ceas ed 10 move in the muscular part and
the chest collapsed. Slocam was killed by a
steady current of 1900 volts running through
the body, twice the strength of the average
current used to kill Kemmler at Auburn.
Less than minute after the first shock to
Slocum there came from the lips Of the man
q noise similar to a half sigh II not a groan
DR.. Mcdonald quickly raised his hand and
in an instant the current again Stiffened the
body against the straps. After the second
current was TUNED off the body again col
lapsed. No movement of the muscles was
perceptlble and 1t was now evident
that Slocum was dead. The straps
were unlo0sened and it was found that
the chin and flesh of the leg were burned.
The body was placed on a table In the ad-
joining room. Then the little procession
marched to the cell of Smiler. who marched
quietly to the death chamber and took the
chair. When the current was turned on,
there was the same result and in five minutes
the remains of Smiler were placed besides
those Of Slocum. The third brought out
was Wood, the negro. Death was instanta-
neous. Much to the surprise of the official s,
Jugiro, on being told that he was wanted. .
stepped quietly into the corridor and quietly
followed the others to the chair. Jugiro's
death did not differ from the others. A
minute examination was made Of the bodies
Of the four men as they lay on the table.
Nowhere on either of the bodies could a
burn or mark be discovered except on Slo-
Gums. All the physicians express them
selves satisfied with the result of
the experiment and pronounce the
electric chair at Sing Sing success.
DE-. Rockwell said no pain was apparently
suffered by the victims in either case or any
thing beyond the movement of the muscles.
n lad