The record-union., 1891-07-08
Special to the REcoRp-UN1oN.


SING SING, July -Four murderers
were put to death by electricity in the
States Prison here early this morning.
The men were James Slocum, who killed
his wife on December 81, 1889; Harris A.
Smiler, an ex-Salvation Army Captain
and bigamist, who murdered his second
wife on April 3, 1889; Joseph Wood, a
negro aqueduct laborer, who murdered a
fellow-laborer, an Italian named Carlo
Ruff, in May, 1889, and Shibuya Jugiro,
a Japanese sailor, who brutally killed a
1ellow-countryman, Mura Cannie.
The execution of the four men is de-
clared to have been perfectly successful,
and without any of the horrors attending
the execution of the murderer Kemmler,
at Auburn Prison. There are, however,
statements from witnesses which do not
confirm the assertions Of the officials.
There is an interesting fact connected
with the experiments made yesterday in
the presence of witnesses. \ horse was
brought in to be killed. The dynamo was
run up 10 speed which would generate
from !, 800 TO l,S00 volts, the force of the
current which it had been determined
would be turned into the bodies of the
condemned men to-day. The first con-
tact, on account of the greater resistance
OF the animal, was 2S seconds. 1t did not
XIII the animal. 1t seemed to have
stunned him, and another. current and a
third We're turned on before the work was
completed. The necessity of two con-
facts, which is affirmed to have been the
case III each Of the executions to-day,
nnds It's excuse, if not its explanation, in
the experience with the horse at yester-
days experiment. The witnesses Of the
execution signed an agreement last night
that they would not reveal what occurred
within the execution chamber.
The autOpsieS were performed by 4
O'Clock this afternoon. and the corps of
physicians left the depot a short time
after for New York and Albany. Dr.
Mcdonald, who conducted the execution
and autopsy, was asked for a statement
lie declined to give any information, say
ing the results would be given out in
Albany from official sources.
When asked TO deny the statement that
the men did not die instantly, he said: II
nave nothing to say as to that. Uncon-
sciousness was immediate, and the men
suffered no pain. They made no resist
ance al ALL"
do you deny that they were burned ?"
- decline to be interviewed on that
point.''
DIR. Ward was asked, Ibid the first.
shock kill the men ?'' and he said, ST do
not care TO answer that, think the exc
cutionS successful
The bodies of Jugiro, Wood and Slo-
cum Will be buried late tonight in the
potter s-tield in quicklime. Smiler's
body will be removed by his wife in the
morning.
When all preparations were COM
pleted this morning Warden Brown,
Deputy Warden ConnaughtOn and two
keepers went to SlOcum'S cell. He was
quickly marched into the executive
chamber. 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
10 be participant. The Warden did not
ask the prisoner if he had anything to
say, and he did not volunteer anything.
The prisoner walked quietly to the chair
and sat down. The Warden's assistants
stepped forward and drew across his
chest and under his arms heavy straps,
which were securely fastened to the back
of the chair. Then about his wrists and
over his arms they drew other straps,
which they buckled closely, so no strain
ing under the influence Of the current of
electricity could throw the body into
ugly contortions or move it from the po-
sition into which it was His legs were
quickly strapped to the legs of the chair.
The last straps to be put in place were
the ones across his face. They We're belts
rather than straps. One was drawn
across the beard of the prisoner and partly
over his mouth but not so far as 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 fig
ure ''f' above his head was looSened and
brought down SO the electrode could be
fastened to the end of it at the base of the
coil when the sponge III the electrode
was adjusted. The electrode was fastened
IN position by strap passing about the
head.
Then the second electrode was put in
place. The right leg of the prisoners
trousers had been split up the side so the
electrode could be bound TO the calf of
the leg. 1t was fastened in place, and
then the sponges in electrodes were
thoroughly saturated with salt water, and
Ss1en the doctors again examined the
Straps--Warden Brown stood aside as
mere locker on. As the doctors finished
sheir quick inspection of the straps, they
nodded TO DR.. Mcdonald, who dropped a
handkerchief. Electrician Davis shifted
the switch bar, which threw the whole
strength of the current into the circuit
passing to the death chair.
The turning on of this current was the
slgnai for the unknown eXecutioncr-be-
Aeved TO be a convict-within the closet
Almost simultaneously with the turn
ing on of the current he shifted the
switch. IN an instant the body in the
chalr suilened against the straps. Every
muscle was firmly set, and the straps
strained, their edges pressed deep into
me yielding flesh of the face, and graSpcd
The clothing tightly. The expression of
the lace was lost under the broad bands
drawn across the eyes, nose and chin, but
Lhe SKIN exposed 10 view turned purple
red.
When DR.. McDonaId's stop-watch had
marked the twenty seconds, he nodded
TO Electrician Davis, who turned Oft the
current. The effect on the body OF Slo-
cum was almost instantaneous. From a
position OF great muscular activity it
suddenly subsidized into a hollow -chcsted
collapse. Instead OF straining against
the straps, it hung against them limp.
A moment of uncertainty followed
Would the dead man appear 10 revive as
kemmler had done? The second passed
slowly-how many is not known but in
less than minutes space there came be-
tween the lips of the pallid face hanging
in the death harness a rush Of air which
whistled between the half-clinched teeth
and ended III a half sigh, half groan.
Only once did the limbs seem to contract.
AS quickly rs DR.. Mcdonald could raise
his hand TO give the signal to the electri-
clan to throw the switch, the electric cur
rent rushed through the death circuit,
and the body in the chair stiitened again
against the straps. The time of the con-
tract was not made public. DR.. Mcdonald
has n record of it. The stop watch did
not regulate the length Of contract this
time.
The same unhappy event that brought