The record-union., 1891-07-08

leg and almost Immediately afterward
the skin OF the forehead began to smoke.
Dr. Mcdonald again signaiIed the cleo
trlclan to turn the switch. The current
was withdrawn, and instantly the body
collapsed again. This time there was no
response from the muscles. Slocum
hung silent and motionless in the straps.
There was no doubt that Slocum was
dead when the straps were unbuckled.
Unlike Kemmler, Slocum's remains
were SO limp that they would have
slipped from the chair as the last strap
was unfastened had not the attendants
held them in place.
The second of the condemned men
chosen was Smiler, the Salvation Army
bigamist, who murdered one of his
wives. lie came with Il firm step, sup
ported by Rev. Mr.. Edgerton on one
side and Rev. Mr.. Lane on the other.
Like Siocum, he stepped forward with
out summons and seated himself, placing
his hands on the arms of the chair and
waiting for the attendants to bind him.
The attendants busted themselves with
the straps again. Smiler sat calmly.
looking ahead, until the bandage was
drawn across his eyes. Again the straps
and buckles We're inspected, again the
white handkerchief fell, the electrician
threw the switch and in moment the
straps tlghtencd under the strain of the
through the body.
The contact in this case, as IN the other,
was twenty seconds. The current meas
ured some 1,500 volts. At the end of
twenty seconds the current was turned
OIL, but only for a minute. The chest of
the man in the chair began to heave and
the current was turned on once more,
until, as in the case of Slocum, it burned
the flesh. Then it was shut off again
and after n delay, which showed that
there was no chance of revival, the body
was unstrapped and taken from the chair
to the autopsy.
Wood was the third to be executed.
lie came willingly, accompanied by two
priests, and went through the ordeal
brayely with substantially the same re-
suits.
In Kemmler's case the burning of the
body was ascribed in part to the fact that
the spOngeS in the electrodes were not all
well Wetted. In all four cases to-day the
spOngeS were wetted constantly, and still
the flesh burned. The fourth man TO
meet death was the Japanese, Jugiro. 1t
had been expected that if any Of the
prisoners made resistance TO being placed
in the chair it would be he But the long
term Of confinement had bowed JugirO
into tame submission. When the Warden
and keepers came to his cell he sprang up
and followed quietly. His was perhaps
the most repulsive face that had stared at
the witnesses from the chair. 1t was dis
tinctly brutal. He took his place in the
chair quietly, suffered the attendants to
bind him without protest, and stoIidly
awaited the shock. 1t came to him as to
the other three, and with like results.
The first contact did not destroy all ap-
pearance Of life, and the second burned
the flesh.
THE AUTOPSY.
The autopsy on the bodies was com
menced early in the morning and lasted
until well along in the afternoon. Those
who conducted the operations were Drs
Mcdonald Rockwell, Southwick, Dan
iels and Professor Laudy. The body of
Jugiro was the first to be placed under
the dissGcting knife. AS to the result of
these examinations there appears TO be a
difference Of opinion among those who
took part in the autopsy. Some physi-
clans report that no burns or marks were
discovered, while others tell exactly an
opposite story.
DETAILS OF THE EXECUTIONS.
NEW YORK, July THE execution Of
the four prisoners at Sing Sing this
morning was success in every partic-
ular.
The delays at Auburn were known to
the Warden at Sing Sing, and they had
been anticipated in the arrangements for
INC cACCullOil Ol I1lC iOur men VINO were
to be put TO death during this week
The tested voltage of the dynomos had
been brought up to 1900, while the esti-
mated voltage which was turned into
hemmler'S body was only 750 The
weakness of the current at kemmler's eX-
ecution is chargeable in part to the slip
ping of the belts on the dynamos, and
special precautions had been taken to
avoid this to-day. The dynamo used
NpEtInDhn1Sp q rt Of I ha
style used at Auburn. 1t was supple
mented by smaller dynamo intended to
augment the current.
At to-day's execution the executioner
was in a small closet with an open top.
through which he could hear anything
said to him by the Warden or any OF MS
assistants, ana the electrician was in the
execution chamber itself.
Besides, by arrangement of switches it
was made possible for the electrician
himself TO turn the current into the eX-
ecution chair or to turn it off i'll case the
eXecutioner should become confused or
fail to respond to the Warden's signals.
In the execution the electrodes were
not applied, as in the kemmler case, to
the top of the skull and base of the spine,
but were bound TO the torehcads Of the
condemned men and TO the calves of their
legs. The current was turned on in each
case for twenty seconds. The voltage was
about ! 800 to l 800 i'll each case. The cur
rent was turned on a second time for
each.
The witnesses to the execution gathered
at the prison in response to the Warden's
invitation n half-hour or more before the
time fixed for the electrOcution to take
place.
The Warden had invited a full number
of those whom the law authorized to be
present, and at II all were there. The
crowd outside the prison was composed
almost entirely Of Representatives of
and of the two Press Associ-
ationS.
Warden Brown declined to permit the
of the Press Associations
TO have access to the execution chamber.
either as assistants or as witnesses. and it
was known several days before the exc
cution took place that the accounts which
might be published must be obtained
from the twelve citizens who were in
vited to be present, if they could be per-
suadcd to talk about it.
Extensive preparations had been made
10 handle what news could be obtained rs
rapidly as possible. Near the place
where the temporary execution room
was built was small frame building of
two rooms. Special wires had been
strung to it and operators sat with their
fingers on the keys from the midnight of
Sunday waiting for the signal to send the
news Of the executions when they had
taken place.
DEATH SIGNALS
a small white flag was sent up when
Slocum. the baseball-player, paid the
penalty of his crime, and il was first OBJ
served by n group Of newspaper men who
were lounging on the stone steps of the
prison and the stone steps opposite. 1t
was run up five minutes after death, and
then pulled down again. Before it had
been hauled down, however, the news of
the execution WAS speeding over dozen
waiting wires.
When the white flag went UP there was
some hustle, but as soon as it came down