The morning call., 1891-07-08
SUFFERED No PAIN.
The EleGtrOCutiOn of the Sing
Sing MurdererS.
The Action Of the Electric Current InStan-
taneOuS and Effective.
Scenes In The Chamber Of Death Conflicting
Statements Of WltneSSeS-Tha Flesh
Of the Victims Slightly Burned.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

1IlSOn mere early tnlS morning. lney were
James j. Slocum, who killed his wife De-
cember 81, 1889; Harris A. Smiler. an ex-
Salvation Army captain and bigamist, who
murdered his second wife April 8, 1889;
Joseph Wood. negro, an aqueduct laborer,
who murdered fellow-laborer. an Italian,
named Carlo Ruff. in May 1889, and Shi-
buya Jugiro. a Japanese sailor, who bru-
tally killed a fellow countryman, Mura
Canni The execution of the four men is
declared to have been perfectly successful
and without any of the horrors attending
the execution of the murderer Kemmler at
Auburn Prison. There are, however, state
ments from witnesses which do not confirm
the assertions of tie off ials There is an
interesting fact connected with tie expert
ments made yesterday in the presence of
the witnesses of to-day's electrocution
which has bearing on the seeming inef-
fciency of a single contact A horse was
brought in to be killed. The dynamo was
run up to f speed which would generate
from 1900 TO 1000 volts, the force of the cur
rent which it had been determined would
be turned into the bodies of the condemned
men to-day. The first contact, on account
of the greater resistance of the animal. was
2S seconds. Ii did not kill the animal. 1t
seemed to have stunned him, and a second
current and third were turned on before
the work was completed. The necessity of
two contacts. which is affirmed to have been
the case in each OF the electTocutlonS Of to-
day, find its excuse, if not its explanation,
IN the experience with the horse at yester-
days trial.
ESPECIAL PRECAUTION.
The mistakes of the electrical experts
which made the execution of kemmler in
part failure were carefully avoided to-
day. The causes of the accidents and de-
lays at Auburn were known to the Warden
al Sing sing, and.they had been anticipated
in the arrangements for the execution. The
tested voltage of the dynamoS had been
brought Up to 1900, while the estimated
voltage which was turned into kemmier's
body was only $50. The weakness Of the
current at the Kemmer execution was
chargeable in part to the slipping of the
belts ou the dynamos, and especial
precautions had been taken to avoid
this to-day. The dynamo used was
the Westinghouse, counterpart in style of
the one used at Auburn, but it was supple
mrnted by a smaller dynamo to augment the
current To-day the eXecutloner was IN
small closet with an open TOP, through which
he could hear anything said TO him by the
Warden or any OF his assistants, and the
electricians we're In the execution chamber.
BY an arrangement Of switches it was made
possible Tor the electrician himself to turn
the current into the execution chair or TO
turn it off in case the eXecutioner should be
come confused or fail TO respond to the War
den'S signals. The witnesses to the execu-
tion gathered at the prison in response to
tie Nardens invitation half an hour or
more before the time fixed for the execution
to take place. The Warden had invited the
full number of those whom the law author
lied twelye), ana all were present.
THE PRISONERS PREPARED.
The prisoners had received soma intima-
ton beforehand that the executions were to
take place this morning, and they were PIE
pared. They went 10 the execution chair
bravely and met their fate without
struggle. The electrodes were not applied,
as IN the hemmler case, TO the top of The
skull aud the base of the spine, but were
bound 10 the foreheads of the condemned
men and the calves of their legs. The cur
rent was turned on in each case for twenty
sc onds. The voltage was about 1900 to
1900 in each case. There was an apparent
evidence OF revival, as in the Kemmler case,
and the current was turned on a second
time for each. The medical men present
agree that death came on the first con tact,
aud that the seeming revival was merely
reflex muscular action.
sLoCUM's DEATH.
When all the preparations were complete
this morning Warden Brown, Deputy
Warden ConnaugEton aud two keepers
went to Slocum's cell. He was quickly
marched into The execution chamber When
the iron door had been closed behind the
party Slocutn stood silent and stold He
showed nu depth of interest in the cere-
mOnv in Which he was to be a participant
The Warden did not ask the prisoner if he
had anyth ng to say, and he did not volun-
teer anything. The prisoner walked Oui-
city TO the chair and sat down.
Ihe WardeH's assistants then stepped
forward and drew across his chest and un-
der his arms heavy straps, which were Sc
cnrely fastened TO the back of the chair.
Inen about his wrists and over his arms
they drew other straps, which they buckled
closely, SO no stralnlng under the influence
OF electricity could throw the body into ugly
contOrtiOns or move it from the position in
which the two ectrOdes pressed against it
and formed circuit through which the cur
rent from the dynamos would be playing His
legs were quickly strapped to the legs of
the char. The last straps to be put in
place were the ones across the face. They
were belts rather than straps; one was
drawn across the beard Of the prisoner and
partly over his mouth, but not So far as to
prevent speech. The other one was fastened
over his eyes and pressed down over his
nose.
THE CURRENT TURNED ON.
When the straps were all in place the
figure q" above his head was lOosened and
brought down so that an eectrode fastened
to the end Of it at the base of coil of
spring hung in front of his forehead.
When the sponge in the electrode was ad-
1nsted the electrode was fastened in posi-
tlOn by strap passing about his head.
Then second electrode was put in place.
The right leg of the prisoners trousers had
been split up the side so that the eleetrode
could be bound to the calf of his leg 1t
fastened m nlapa Than tba
In the electrodes were thoroughly saturated
with salt water Then the doctors again
carefully examined the straps Warden
Brown stood aside as il he were loOker-on.
As the doctors finished their quick inspection
of the straps they nodded TO DIR. Mcdonald,
who dropped a handkerchief. Electrician
Davis shifted the switch-bar, which then
threw the whole strength of the current into
the circuit passing TO the dea TIL chair. The
turning on OF this current was the signal for
the unknown executlOner (believed to be u
convlcD, within the closet. Almost simul-
taneously with the turning on of the current
he shifted the switch. In an instant the
body in the chair stffened against the
straps. Every muscle was firmly set and
the straps strained. their edges pressed
deep into the yielding flesh of the face and
grasped the clothing tightly. The express
sion OF the face was lost under the broad
bands drawn across the eyes, nose and chin,
put the skin exposed to view turned pur-
=, "NH IL 4'iCDoudlu SJOp-WdtCn
had marked twenty seconds he nodded to
Electri ian Davis, who turned off the cur
rent.
INSTANTANEOUS EFFECT
The effect on the body of Slocum was
almost instantaneous. From q position Of
great muscular activity it suddenly subsidized
into hollOw-chested collapse. Instead of
straining against the straps it hung against
them limp and unsteady. A moment of un-
certainty followed. Would the dead man
appear to revive as Kemmler had done?
Seconds passed slowly-how many of them
Is not known; but in less than minute
there came between the lips of the pallid
lace hanging in the death harness a rush of
air which whistled between the half
clinched teeth and ended in half sigh,
hall groan. Only once did the limbs seem
to contract, I'D quickly as DR.. Mcdonald