Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-07
1T WAS A SUCCESS.
Views Of Those Who Witnessed the Big Ex-
ecution.

ecution.
SING SING, n. Y, July 7.-Ex-warden Brush
under whose administration the apparatus was
erected, drove through the grounds on his
way to the depot. Asked concerning the ap-
pliances he said: Everything was in perfect
order when 1 left, and have no doubt that
the apparatus was used just as had planned,
because we had it in .he best of working order
The applications were made to the head and
calves of the legs so that absolute connection
with the spinal cords was obtained We killed
a horse with il and / think it possible to
successfully kill a man every two minutes in
this way. 1t took about year to fix the build
ings and construct the apparatus. Everything
was done in the most thorough manner and
don't think the present warden had to change
a single thing"
The ex-warden added that he did not ap-
prove Of electrocution. He thought it was
barbarous and not deterrent.
Lawyer R. ]. Haire Of New York. who tried
to effect 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
on the morning train he said: ''It seems TO me
that Warden Brown was unnecessarily in .
hurry to execute Wood He had all week to do
it in accordance with the law, and the best in
terest of law and and humanity would have
been proved by allowing me the full time in
which to secure a stay. There is a possibility
that might have secured it. am almost
positive that new trial would have secured
An acquittaL"
DR. Alphonse Rockwell, who devised the
electrode, and who was one of the three com
m;ssioners appointed to supervise the electro
cution, was the first of the experts to emerge
from the prison. DIR. Rockwell hurried to the
depot to catch an early train to New York He
said: I'VE are all pledged TO secrecy; but / do
not think am violating that pledge in saying
that all four executions were unqualified sue
cesses.
1.-The men all died painIessly and without
struggle. Further than thio I cannot speak" !"
L. A. Brown. purchasing agent of the state
prison, said that there was no doubt that the
electrocutions were absolutely painless.
"The horse killed yesterday in the test of
the machinery" he said. was dead before il
fell. Its eyeballs were as natural as in life
after death, and This was the condition of the
men put to death this morning. Each walked
calmly to death. and there was not q struggle
or hitch at any stage of the proceedings
When the current was turned into a mans
body he died SO quickly that it was difficult to
realize that death had occurred"
The Rev. DIR. Law, chaplain Of the Tombs,
New York, who was the assistant of the prison
chaplain and a witness. said to q reporter at
the station this morning: Il was fully con-
vinced that the killing of murderers by cleo
tricity was q failure but am now convinced
to the chair calmly and died easily and without
pain or contortion. Death was instantaneous.
am bound to secrecy and can say no more"
George Edgar Oliver Of Albany, a witness,
said: Il came here because / am q personal
friend of Warden Brown. l can say nothing
about the execution because l, together with
all of the witnesses, signed q paper last night
at 10 O'Clock pledging myself to secrecy"
When Mr.. Oliver was asked by the reporter IL
the execution was a success he nodded assent.
He WAS asked if DR.. Laws statement concern
ing the quiet manner Of the victims and their
instantaneous death were true and he said that
they were. So far as he could Judge q Q
layman the executions were q success.
Two Of the witnesses to the executions who
refused to give their names were interviewed
before the autopsy. They said that all the
electrocutions were completely successful and
without flaw. None Of the men struggled or
resisted when placed in the chair. Instead of
doing 80 they assisted the deputy warden in
arranging the straps, as Kemmler did at
Auburn. The JAP Jugigo, who, it was thought,
would be hard 10 handle, was perfectly docile.
All of the men were killed on the first contact
The positive electrode was applied as in the
Kemmler case to the top of the head and the
negative to the leg. The story that the Jap
resisted an attempt to cut his beard yesterday
is disproved by the fact that his beard WAS
trimmed down week ago in anticipation of
the execution.