The Iola register., 1891-07-17

In spite Of the fact that the spcnges
we're kept constantly vet, all Of the
executed men were burned by the cur
rent, and especially about the calves of
the legs.
The medical men present said that
death came on the first contact and
that the seeming revival was merely a
reflex 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
stantaneous and painless.
At II o'clock Drs. Soutwhick and
Daniels and Deputy Attorney Herman
left for the west. None of them would
talk. DR.. Barber, the physician of the
prison, came out shortly after and said
the autopsy was completed and that no
statement would be given out for sever
al hours. DR.. Mcdonald conducted the
autopsy.
Two of the witnesses TO the execu-
ton, who refused to give their names,
were interviewed by the United press
correspondent before the autopsies.
They said that all of the electrocutions
were completely successful and without
flaw. None OF the men struggled or
resisted when placed in the chair. In
stead of doing 80 they assisted the dep
uty warden in arranging them as
Kemmler did at Auburn. The Jap,
Jugigo, who it was thought would be
hard to handle, was perfectly dociie.
All of the work was we'll done and the
current was applied as in the Kemmler
case-the positive to the top of the
head and the negative to the leg.
Most of the witnesses remained to. the
autopsy. The story that the Jap re-
sisted an attempt to cut his beard yes
beard was trimmed down week ago in
anticipation of the occasion.
AT ll:40 a. m. T. Hunberg and two
assistants of 265 West One Hundred
and Twenty-ffth street, New York city,
applied at the prison for the body OF
Smiler. They brought casket.
WITNESSES INTERVIEWED.
SING SING, n. Y, July 7.-Ex-Warden
Brush, under whose administration the
apparatus was affected. drove through
the grounds on his way to the depot,
Asked concerning the appliances, he
said: Everything was in perfect shape
when | left it, and l have no doubt that
the apparatus was used just as planned
it, because we had it in the best of work.
ing order. The applications were made
to the head and calves of the legs, so
that absolute connection with the spinal
cord was obtained. We killed a horse
with it. and ! think that it was possible
to successfully kill a man every two
minutes in this way. 1t took about
year to fix the buildings and construct
the apparatus Everything was done
in the most complete manner, and / do
not think the present warden had to
change thing"
The ex-wardsn added that he did not
approve of electrocution. He thought
it was barbarous.
The lawyer, r. ]. Hare OF New York,
who tried to effect a stay for Wood.
stayed in Sing Sing this morning until
the announcement was made that all OF
the men, including his client, had been
killed. Before leaving for New York
he said:
st seems TO me that Warden Brown
was unnecessarily in hurry to execute
Wood. He had all the week to do it in
according to law, and the best interest
of law and humanity would have been
served by allowing me the full time in
which to argue stay. There is a pos
sibility that | might have secured it. 1
am almost certain that new trial
would have secured his acquittal."
DIR. Alphonse d. Rockwell, the man
who devised the electrOde, and who was
one of the three commissioners ap-
pointed to supervise the electre:ution,
was the first of the experts to emerge
from the prison. DIR. Rockwell hurried
to the deDot 10 catch an early train to
New York He said:
I'VE are pledged TO secresy. but do
not think that 1 am violating that
pledge in saving that all four executions
were unqualified successes. The men
all died painlessly and without strug-
gle. Further than this cannot speak.
f A. Brown. purchasing agent of
the state prison. said there was no
doubt that the electrocutions we're alb
solutely painless. The horse killed
yesterday in the final test. he said, was
dead before ii fell. Its eyeballs were as
natural as in life after death. This was
the condition o. the men after death.
Each walked calmly to death and there
was not struggle or hitch at any stage
of the proceedings. When the current
was turned into mans body he died 50
quickly it was difficult to recognize
tnat death had occurred.
The Rev. DIR. Law. chaplain Of the
tombs, who was the assistant of the
prison chaplain and witness. said to
United press reporter at the station: Il
was fully convinced that the killing of
murderers by electricity was failure,
but am now convinced to the contrary.
Everyone OF the men went TO toe chair
calmly and died easily without pain or
Death was instantaneous
I am bound to secrecy and can say no
more"
George Edgar Otis Of Albany, wit !
ness. said: II came here because / am
a personal friend of Warden Brown. !
Can say nothing about the execution |
because | together with all the wit |
nesses pledged myself 20 secresy." Mr.. |
Otis wanted 70 ride 10 the station add |
did so in the conveyance OF the United /!
press. Asked by the reporter If the /
execution was a success he nodded as /
sent. He was asked il DR.. Laws state |
ment concerning the quiet manner of |
the victims and their instantaneous |
deaths were true. and he said that they |
we're. So far as he could judge as a
Layman the executions were success.
The crimes of the four men were as
lows:
Harris A. Suiler was at one tine a
Salvation army captain. He was
printer by trade, and had developed a
ARE faculty for getting married. At
he time the crime was committed
here were three women living TO whom
le had been marri d and none of them
had been divorced. The last one TO go