Morris tribune., 1891-07-08
FOUR ELECTROCUTED.
SLOCUM, WOOD, SMlLER AND JU-
GlGO SENT INTO ETERNITY.

Case Pronounced Simply T2S!iex Action
OF the Mus >Ies-Histary OF the Crimes.
SING SING, n. V, July flames j.
S!ocum, 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 vas exc
cUtej 1t 4:i2 a. M; Smiler 1t o:13,
Wood at 0:3S, and Jugigo at 500. The
executions went of quietly. All of the
men We're killed on the iirst contact.
There WAS 10 struggle when they were
strapped down, ana 10 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
dynamos had been brought up to 5000
volts, while the estimated voltage which
was turned into Konmler's body was
$50. 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. Tie warden led the way and
the witnesses went in no particular Or
der out of the door of the warden's
house. through a short passage, then
with Il turn 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 1t 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 a slight incline. Near the top of
the chair back was rubber cushion fof
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
foot rest to which the legs Of the pris-
2ner were to be bound. This was
he only important particular in which
The chair differed from the Kemmler
chair Ke1lmlers 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 ~sSainsL part1'
ton wall which divided the building
into two apartments, was a closet open
ing at the top, about seven feet high.
r In this closet was the switchboard which
3, was to be used IN turning the current
into the condemned men. Before the
entrance of the witnesses
The Executjoner Had Entered
this closet from the other room and sat
waiting for the signal from the warden
to turn the switch Who he was is not
known, and will not be known authoris
tatively. It is generally supposed that
the executioner 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 foI
! the condemned. It was almost as mass
i've and impenetratable as the brick
walls about it. and as impervious to
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 the
dynamos. When the current had been
turned on, the electrician threw the
switch which turned it into the row Of
LAMPS above his head They burst into
a glow Of light that rivalled the day
light shining through the canvas COW
ering of the windows about the sides of
the improvised execution room. The
prisoners
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 bound down in the chair.
The electrodes were not applied, as in
the kemmler case. to the top Of the
skull and the base of the spine, but were
bound to the foreheads of the con-
demned men and the calves of their
legs. The current was turned on in
each case for twenty seconds. In each
case there were apparent evidences Of
revival, Us in the kemmler case, and in
each Of the four cases the current was
Turned on Il Second Time.
In spite of the fact that the sponges
were kept constantly wet all of the exc.
cuted men were burned by the current
and especially about the calves of the
LEGS. The medical men present az rec
that death came on first contact and
that the seeming revival was merely a
rehex muscular action. None of the
witnesses were overcome by fright, and
all Of them who have spoken have made
the statement that the electrodes were
successful and death in all cases was in.
stantaneoHs and painless. At 12 o'clock
Doctors Southwick and Daniels, and
Deputy Attorney Hogan left for the
nv est. n one OF them would talk. DR.,
Barber, the physician of the prison
came cut shortly after and said that the
autcpsy was completed and that nc
statement would be given out far 60 90
e1ai hours. br
=. --oDonald conducted
the autopsy.
Their Crimes.
Harris A. Smiler, printer, shot ani
killed Maggie Drainey, with whom b,
had been living in New York city, Apri
3, 1889.
James J, Slocum killed his wife with
an axe at No. Cherry street, New
York, Dec. II, 1889.
Joseph Wood (colored) killed an .Ital
ian named Carlo Ruff in fight in tn,
month Of May. 1889.
Shibuya Jugigo, a japanese sailor
killed Mira Gnrnnli q cn11ntrunaan