Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-07-17
Four Murd erers EIectrocuted

Slocumb. Harris A. Smiler, Joseph
Wood and Schihuya Jugiro were sent
TO their doom at the prison here yes
terday by means OF electricity. Tho
approximate time OF the turning on OF
the current in each case was: Slocumb,
$40; Smiler, $40; Wood. 5;301; Ju-
giro, 6:05.
The prisoners had received some in
timation this morning that tho execu-
lions were to take place this morning
and they were prepared for them.
They went to the execution cham Der
bravely and met their fates without a
struggle. They offered no resistance
but they rather assisted the keepers
when they were bound to the chair.
The testing apparatus showed sat-
isfactory strength OF current and the
electrician advised the warden of this
fact. The warden went to one of the
| great iron doors, at which stood one
OF the assistants whom he had ap-
pointed under warrant OF law, and it
was open to permit him to pass through.
lie was gone only couple of minutes.
In that time he had notified Head
Keeper Connaughton, who was in the
| condemned cell room. that the chair
was ready for the first of the con-
demned men. The death warrant was
not read to the condemned men in the
cell, as was done in the case of Kemm-
| Ter. The warden said he did not know
anything in the law compelling him to
| read the death warrant. AS precau-
tionary measure he would read it, but
not ut the time of the execution-some
time before if possible. 1t was his
wish to prevent the other men
from knowing that the first man had
been taken from his cell If possible and
50 the exit from the cell room was
made as quiet as possible. The war;
ien and the head keeper walked ahead.
then the condemned man between the
two priests-Father Creedon and
Father Lynch-and then the two
| guards. When the iron door had been
closed behind the party Slocum stood
silent and stolid. He showed no depth
OF interest in the ceremony in which
he was to be participant. The war
den did not ask the prisoner if he had
anything to say, and he did not volun-
teer anything. The prisoner walked
quietly TO the chair and sat down.
AS the prisoner seated himself in
the chair and leaned back the ward
ems assistants stepped forward and
drew across his chest and under his
arms heavy straps. which were securely
fastened to the chair. Then about his
| wrists and over his limbs they drew
another strap, which they buckled
closely, so that no straining under the
influence of the current of electricity
could throw the body into ugly con-
tortions or move it from the position
in which the two electropodes pressed
against it and formed the circuit
through which the current from the
dynamos would be playing His legs
were quickly strapped to the legs of
the chair. In all of these prepara-
tons the witnesses showed a great in
terest. Warden Durston, particularly.
as the first who had superintended an
electrocution, watched every move
ment OF the warden's assistants with
interest. DIR. Mcdonald superintended
the adjustment of all the straps. War
den Brown told the correspondent two
days before that he would leave all the
arrangements in the hands of the sci
| entlsts present. The last straps to be
| put in place were the new ones across
the face. They were belts rather than
straps. One was drawn across the
| beard OF the prisoner and partly over
the mouth, but not so far rs to pre-
vent speech. The other was fastened
over his eyes and pressed down over
his nose. When the straps were all
in place the figure II" above his
head was loosened ana brought down
| so that the electrode fastened to the
| end of it at the base OF coil spring
hung in front of his forehead. When
the sponge in the electrode was adj
! justed, the figure ~ was clamped in
| place and the electrode was fastened
in position by strap passing around
| the head. Then the second electrode
| was put in place. 1t was very like the
| first-a convex brass band with a
| sponge stitched to the under side. The
right leg OF the prisoners trousers had
been split up the side so that the cleo
trode could be bound to the calf OF the
| leg. 1t was fastened in place. This
| wire representing the negative pole
was attached to it at the back by "a
small thumb screw OF brass. The
wire ran down through the floor and
| into the eXecutioner's closet to the
wall OF which it was fastened The
wire from the figure 4 hung from a
covered rod extending over the top of
the closet and hanging above the pris-
| oner's head.
The prisoner made no sound during
| these preparations, but went through
them stolidly, giving the deputy war;
dens such assistance as he could bv
| placing his arms ami legs in the desired
| positions Il they were indicated. DR..
| Mcdonald, who was in full charge of
| the scientific features OF the electrocu-
| tions, stood directly behind the chair
as the preparations were completed.
| One of the attendant doctors took a
can of salt water in his hands. 1t was
| a long necked can with n handle on
| the side, such as is used by engineers
for oiling. With it he wet the sponges
| at the two electrodes. The prcpara-
| tions consumed only two or three min
| utes. When everything was in place
DIR. Daniels and Dr. Southwick looked
over the straps. While the doctors
L. -.