The Dickinson press., 1891-07-11
ElectrOcutetl.

ElectrOcuted.
SING SING, N. Y, July -Four mur.
derers were put to death by electricity
in the states prison here early this
morning for the crime of murder. The
men were James J. Slocum, who killed
his wife at No. z Cherry street on Dec
81, 1889; Harris A. Smiler, ex-salvation
army captain and bigamist, who mur
dered his second wife on April 3, 1885,
at No. % Seventh avenue; Joseph Wood,
negro acqueduct laborer, who mur.
dered fellow laborer, an italian, named
Carlo Rutfii in May, 1889, and Shibuya
Jugiro. an ignorant Japanese sailor, who
brutally killed his fellow countryman,
Mura Oanni, in the James street board.
ing house. The execution of the -four
men is declared to have been perfectly
successful and without any of the hor.
rors attending the execution of Muir.
derer Kemmler at the Auburn prison.
There are, however, statements from
witnesses which do not con.
firm the assertions by the eff.
cials. The first victim to take his
seat in the electrical chair was Slocum.
He was put to death at 4:4O a. m. Next
came Smiler, who died at $40. Woods
was number three, at $50, and Jugirc
followed at sos. There was an inter.
esting fact connected with the expert.
ments made yesterday in the presence
of the witnesses of today's electrocution
which has been bearing on the seeming
insuficiency of single contact. A
horse was brought in to be killed. The
dynamo was run up to speed which
would generate force from / 500 tc
1000 volts, force of current which il
had been detern inel would be turned
into the bodies of the condemned men
today. The first contact, on account Of
the greater resistance of the animal, was
twenty eight seconds. 1t
DID NOT KILL THE ANIMAL.
It seemed to have stunned him, and Q
second current and third were turned
on bt fore the work was completed The
necessity of two contacts, which is of
frmed to have been the case in
each of the electrocutions today, finds
its excuse, if not its explanation in the
experience with the horse at yesterday s
o,na.;,,ank yE;t,aceoc of tbo &;,,,
signed an agreement lustnight that they
would not reveal what oc ;urred within
the execution chamber The warden
told them that if any OF them refused to
sign they would not be admitted to the
execution chamber. All the witnesses
signed the agreement 1t is said the
agreement was drawn up in the Office OF
the attorney general at Albany. 1t was
supposed to be ironclad. The autopsies
were performed at o'clock. The corps
of physicians left the depot short time
after that for New York and Albany.
DR.. Mcdonald, who conducted the exc
cution and autopsy. was asked for q
statement. He declined to give any in
formation, saying the results would be
given out in Albany from official
sources. Asked to deny the statement
that the men did not die instantly, he
said: II have nothing to say as to that.
Inconsistencies was immediate, and
the men suffered no pain. They made
no resistance at all"
"Doyou deny that they were burneds"
was asked.
positively decline to be interviewed
on that point" Doctor Ward said. 'Did
the first shock kill the men?" wasasked.
and he said Il do not care to answer
that. 1 think the execution Was sue
ceesful." Doctor McD .nald was asked
how many volts were used, and he de.
clined to answer All the witnesses have
gone and the prison has returned to it's
natural state. Warden Brown says in
formation will be given out at the office
of the Superintendent of Prisons in AL
bany. The bodies of Jugiro. Wood and
Slocum will be buried late tonight in
the Potter's Field in quick lime. Smi
ler's body will be removed by his wife
in the morning
THE KILLING IN DETAIL
One of the witnesses of the electro-
cutions, whose name for obvious rea.
sons cannot be printed, gives the fol-
lowing account of the occurrences in
the death chamber: When the wit.
nesses had gathered in the chamber,
some of them appeared very nervous.
and all showed signs of great strain
on their sensibillties. The sliding
door which concealed tie switchboard
on the outside of the executioners'
closet was raised. and the witnesses
gathered about Drs. Mcdonald and
Rockwell and Professor Landy. the
scientists in charge of the electro
cution, who proceeded to signal
electrician in the dynamo. room five
bells, the sigpal to get ready, which was
soon followed by one toll. which signi.
ded turn on the current" Immedi.