The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-07-11
THE ELECTRICAL CHAIR.
The Four uurderers at sing Sing Killed by
the Current. Death instantaneous
aud Painless.


The -Four Hurderers at sing Sing Killed by
the Current. Death instantaneous
aud Painless.
SING sing, n. Y, July flames j..
Slloum. II ,rrjs \. Smilcr, Joseph Wood
and St,ibaya Jugir1 were exeaasad by
electricity ~ the cider uame,I, ior the
crime Of murder III the prison at this
place this morning. The approximate
time OF the farming on of the current III
each case was: Slocum, 10 O'Clock
Smiler, >. 10; Wood, 80; Jngi.o, sos.
The prisoners h al received some in
timation beforehand that the executions
were to take place this morning and they
were prepared FOR them. They went to
the execution chair bravely, and met
their fate without a struggle. They
offered no resistance, but rather assisted
the keepers when they were down il the
chair The electrodes were not applied
as in the case OF William kommler, ex-
ecuted by electricity az Auburn prison
August 6, 1890, to the top of the skull
and the base OF the spine, but were bOund
10 The forehaads oil the condemned men
and the calves of their legs. The cur
twenty seconds. The voltage was be-
tween l, 800 and 1000. Ia each case
there were apparent eyIdeuces OF revival
as III the kemler case, and in each of
these four cases the current was turned
Oh second time, In spite of the fact
that the sponge were kept constantly
wet all of the executed meu were burned
bj the current, and especially about the
calves OF the legs. The medical men
present agree thai death cane on first
contact, and that the seeming revival
was merely 4 reflex muscular action.
Some of the witnesses were overcome by
fright, and all Of them who have spoken
have made the statement that the cleo
trUdes were successful and that death in
all cases was instantaneous and painless.
WITNESSES AND NEWSPAPER MEN.
The witnesses TO the execution gather
Cd at the prison in respOnset the war
den's invitation half an hour CT more
before the time fixed for the electrocu-
ton to take place. The warden had
Invited the full number of those whom
he law authorized, twelve, aud all were
present.
One of the witnesses OF the electrocu
tons, whose name for obvious reasons
cannot be printed, gave the following
account of the occurrences in the death
chamber:
When the witnesses had gathered in the
nervous, and all showed signs of great
strain on their sensibllities. The sliding
door which concealed the switchboard Or
tie outside Of the executioner'S closet
was raised, and the witnesses gathered
about DIS. Mcdonald and Rock well and
Professor Laudy, the scientists in charge
of The electrocution, who proceeded to
signal the electrician III the dynamo room
Five bells, the signal 10 get ready, was
soon followed by one toll, which signi-
fled turn on the current" Immediate
~ the iacandesceut lamps on the switch
b0aId gave ont their white light, and
the SCIENTISTS turned the current into the
voitmeter, then into the amperemeter,
and Ahcu fully satisfied with its indi-
Gated power they informed the warden.
Warden Brown. Deputy Warden Con-
naughton and two keeper deputies then
entered the death cell building to bring
penalty of the crime. Fathers Creeden
and Lynch we're engaged with Slocum,
W no had been selected as the first victim
when Warden Brown and his deputies
entered the cell. As soon as the good
priests had finished their supplications
he said he was ready and stepped out of
his cell with alacrity. Following tue
warden and his deputy came Slocum,
between the two priests, who held aloft
in front of him a crucltix, at which he
steadfastly gazed. The two keepers de-
puties brought up the rear of the pro
cession. They had hnt few steps to
take. Tho chair was directly in their
front. Slocum halted at the warden s
command, just On the edge of the rubber
mat which was to protect the scientists,
witnesses and officials from the fatal
current. The doomed mans gaze was
riYeted on the chair. Then it wandered
to the dangling wire and the closet from
which it was suspended as the warden
read the death warrant. The witnesses
grouped to the chair. The scientist
stood in front of the switch board watch
ing the current, which they read As it
flashed in the lamps and through the re-
cording Instruments.
IN THE FATAL CHAIR,
With an attempt to smile Slocum
SEATED himself in the chair and laaued