The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-02

ALga%Y, \. y, Oct. l.-austin La
,hrop, superintendent CT State prisons,
to-day gave to the press the report OF
the details attending the execution OF
,be four murderers at Sing Sing on the
morning Of July7.
The report was first presented to
Warden Brown, OF Sing Sing prison, by
Dr. Charles 7. Mcdonald, Of New York,
and Samuel b. Ward, OF Albany, who
were the official physicians in charge OF
the executions.
The report states that James J. slo-
cum, the first OF the four who were ex-
ecu,ed, entered the death chamber at
!.S 4. N. Two minutes and forty
.crouds were consumed By fastening
hiM The current, l,45S volts strong,
WAS applied and continued q seconds
and ticn was broken. The pulse was
still found to be beating strongly and
between one and two minutes later q
nOisv respiration was established with
considerable regularity. The current
was Immediately reapplied and con-
tipucd ior 2Gi seconds, being
finally broken at i:39. Respiration had
then ceased entirely and permanently,
and The heart beats had also stopped.
Twenty-Five minutes later rigori mortis
set in. After Slocum's body was re-
moved the doctors concluded that il
was quite possible that the long contin-
uaRce oil the current was not 50 import
ant factor in producing rapid cessa-
ton OF the heartbeat rs the sudden i'm
pact oi making and breaking the con-
isc,, and Tor that reason the next exc
cution was conducted little differ
emily.
Harris A. Smilcr entered the room at
j:Oj Two minutes later the first OF
three contacts OF 10 seconds each was
made. Even then the heart was beat
in. strongly and the currcntwas turned
on 10 seconds more, when tho hoart
stopped. One thousand four hundred
and cighty-iive volts had been used.
From these results the doctors decided
that the duration oil current was quite
as sinportant IN item as the making and
breaking OF the contact. 1t was there
lore determined to make the contact in
the next case longer, interruptions be-
ing necessary TO permit OF moistening
Tie spOnges.
Joseph Wood was next. Three con-
facts OF 20 seconds each were made, at
the end OF which time respiration had
ceased permanently and no pulse could
te ielt nor any heart beat heard. l,4S5
volts had been the pressure.
Jugiro, the Jap, was last. At G:02:l5
a. H., the circuit was closed for the
GFst time and three contacts OF Is sec
onds, each followed with two intcrmis-
siOns OF 20 seconds each. When the
current was finally broken very
slight iluttering was felt at the
wrist. In this case extreme heat was
noticed in the region OF the knee
above the point where the lower cleo
trode lad been applied and thermom-
eter held against the skin for only fiji
teen seconds ran up to lis degrees, the
highest point it registered, while the
sensation it conveyed to the hand was
such as to render it probable that the
temperature had run up to the boiling
point OF water, ii not higher. At eli
cessation OF the heart beat was con-
irmcd. The voltage was 1,4S5.
The conclusions OF the medical mon
are; Prom the experience had in
these four cases we are inclined to the
belief that, while Inconsistencies was
instantaneous and continuous from the
inst moment OF each contact in each
case, yet in order TO insure that death
sHperrenc us speedily as possible, it is
Necessary TO continue current OF the
voltage employed in these cases for
from 30 TO Gu seconds. In each case the
temperature OF tho water near and to
the edges OF tho electrodes was raised
hear, il not quite, to the boiling point
50 as to blister the skin more or less ex.
CessIvely. There was absolutely no.
where any smoking or charring."