The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-07-07
THE PREPARATIONS


For the ElectroCution-ArranEe OF
the Reom-Keeplns tho Time Secret.
SING SING, N. Y, July 6.-The night
passed away quietly in the neighbor-
hood of the State prison. AT intervals,
hacks drive up and drove away again
bearing loads of newspaper men. The
prison officials did everything they
could tomake the time pass pleasantly.
A generous supply OF coffee, which had
been made for the guards, was put in
general circulation. Nothing was seen
OF the warden, or any of the witnesses
during the night. Everyone about the
prison professed ignorance Of the war
denis whereabouts.
The chair in which condemned men
face death is a substantial as well as
comfortable looking piece OF woodwork
ers' mechanism aud With the connec-
tions with the dynamo, was designed
by Captain Hilbert, the prison machin-
ist, under whose supervision it was
built 1t is constructed in very work
manlike manner and differs very ma
terially from the chair used in the exc
cution of Kemmler at Auburn prison.
The chair faces the east, and directly
behind it is a low cabinet for the use Of
the man who turns on the current, who
is thus out OF sight Of everybody.
Directly back of the cabinet, against
which the cabinet stands, is door
leading directly to the dynamo room.
On the side of the cabinet is sliding
door, which, on being opened, reveals
the switchboard by which the signals
are given to the operator, who stands
in the cabinet and turns on the fatal
current.
The first object which meets the eye
is a card Of printed directions" which
are framed and read as follows:
Give bells-get ready.
zone bell-turn on current.
1.-TWO bells-turn on more current.
"Three bells-less current.
"0ne bell-shut off current.
"Six bells-all through"
Underneath the directions is little
electric bell button, which is pressed to
give the signal to the operator. Next
to the placard is the test switch. This
switch turns on the current into q dozen
or more incandescent lights at the top
Of the switchboard and also into the
ammeter and voltmetre, which are in
the sido with the resistance box. All
these are arranged to test the strength
of the current before it is put in opera
ton on the condemned man.
Under the new law there will be no
story given out by the prison authori-
ties telling how the murderers spent
their last night on earth, nor will the
world ever know just what they had for
breakfast.
Captain. Hilbert, the designer of the
chair, is proud OF its completion, and
especially of the code OF signals. The
failure OF these in the Kemmler case was
one of the things that made that cleo
trocution such q horrible affair. The
captain, in speaking OF his device, as
serts that 1t Is able to kill twenty-five
men an hour. He has made an improve
ment on the arrangement OF the elec-
trades which differs materially from
that of the Kemmler case. In the lat
ter, the current was passed directly
through the body and heart. The in
ventor Of the Sing Sing chair has new
plan for applying the electricity to the
wrists, or TO one wrist and ankle.
The first arrival Of any interest this
morning was ex-Warden Brush, Mr..
Browns predecessor. Twenty minutes
later Warden Durston, OF Auburn, the
man who executed Kemmler, was seen
walking down the road. Father Cree
don also arrived. Ats o'clock the War
den appeared coming down the road to
the prison,
The first thing he did was to issue an
order to the guard to keep every one
away from the office and the walk in
front Of it.
1--WE got to keep you people away
now,n he said. 1--WE treated you as
cordially as know how and given you
every facility possible, but today l
must have my house to myself. have
biz Job ahead OF me and must have
a chance to rest and be quiet. If fIhaye
anything official-a stay or anything
like that-I will come out and give It to.
you
Tho warden declined to say where he
wns last night. To question whether
there was any chance Of the execution