The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-09


Evening World, in it's sporting edition,
says: The body of murderer Harry a.
Smiler was brought to this city this af-
ternoon by Undertaken IIulberg on the
train that left Sing Sing at 1886 o'clock
The body had been claimed by Smiler's
widow, the woman he married and de-
serted for the woman whom he after
wards murdered.
The body was taken from tho train
to the undertaker's establishment, at
No. 265 West Ono hundred and Twenty
fifth street. Three or four hundred
people were gathered to witness the
arrival of Tho body. BY previous ar
rangemcnt with tho undcrtakcr, an
Evening World reporter was in waiting
at the rooms to see the body of the exc
cutcd murderer. The coffin was taken
to the basement by the undertakcr's as
sistants, and the lid was quickly taken
off, exposing the dead mans face.
The reporter stood close by. and was
Mortified at the sight that met his eyes
Smiler's face had been burned and
scanned by the electrical fluid until it
presented the appearance Of having
been broiled. The hair OH the front OF
tho head, OF the moustachc and eye
brows had been singed and burned Off.
Tho face was furrowed and SCARED as
as though with hot iron.
These marks were not those of dis
secting knife or scalpcl. They were
palpable burns. Pressing Closer to SEQ
the dead mans face palmer the reporter
attracted the attention of tho under
takers assistants.
They seized him by the shoulder and
compelled him to leave the place before
any other portion of the body was eX-
posed. To the repeated request to be al
lowed to see the body, the reporter was
informed that no one but the undertaken
and his assistants would be permitted
to see it until it had been fully pro-
pared tor burial.
1t was learned through one OF the I'M
dertaker's assistants that Smiler's left
leg was burned to the bone through the
calf. The eyes were badly burned
though the eye-ball was not destroyed.
THE ELECTRoCUTIoN A SUCCESS.
ALBANY, n. ", July S.-lSpeciall-
DR.. c. Il. Mcdonald. who conducted the
autopsies, when asked if he had read
the report sent out by the United Pre- SIS,
he said: 6 have, and it is good ono.
have no criticism whatever to make
upon it"
How about the story that the men
were burned by the second contact ?'
was asked.
. refuse to be interviewed upon tho
question. Even witnesses may differ
on such points. | believe the affair
was n success and that we have found
the proper means Of capital punishment.
should like to tell you more, but my al
legiance TO the warden forbids. | can say
that believe death was instantaneous. ~
DR.. Samuel b. Ward, who also wit
messed the execution, declined to be In
tcrviewed at all, but admitted that tho
United Press was correct.
NEwBURGH, n. v, July.-TS Special l.
Horato b. hickman, president of the
Edison Electric Light Company, of this
city, was present at the electrocution at
Sing Sing yesterday as an expert. He
was seen by United Press represent
tive at his office today. lie said that
while all pledged to secrecy still enough
had been given out piecemeal by the
There was nothing else to tell and the
United Press account published in the
papers last evening was essentially
correct.
His opinion as an electrical expert be-
ing asked for, Mr.. Beckman SAID: SIT
was a great success. Everything
worked smoothly. There was no hitch
or botch at any point. A lady could
have witnessed the entire electrocu ton.
by that l mean there were no revolving
scenes or struggles. 1t was simply one
moment living and another moment a
lifeless corpse without murmur or q
struggle.
'As to The improvements that suge est
themselves to an expert, prefer to have
nothing to say of the subject at the pres
ent time. There were three elec trical
experts present. OF course there are
always improvements to be made in
everything of new character, and cleo
tricity and electrical appliances are yet
in their infancy and time will work great
changes. You may say, though, that
while the appliances may be greatly
improved upon, there will probably
never be more successful electrocution
than that of yesterday, viewed from a
scientific standpoint, at least"
THE UNCLAIMED BODIES BURIED.
SISG SING, July S.-[Special The
unclaimed bodies of the three electro
cuted murderers-Slocum, Wood and
Jugiro-were buried in the prison GEM
etery at o'clock this afternoon. Nine
convicts lowered the collins ono after
another into the graves, which were
quickly filed up. There were no GER
emonies. religious or otherwise, at the
graves.
Warden Brown was seen at the prison
this evening and asked as to the re-
ported burning of Smiler's body.
He said that he still adhered to his
determination to mako no statement
whatever, and that he would neither
deny nor confirm the report. The Rev.
Father Creeder, who was present at the