The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-07-08
ELECTRICAL DEATH.
The Quadruple EleOtrocution at
Sing Sing Prison
DESCRIBED BY AN EYE WITNESS.
The Four Murderers Pay the Pen.
atty Within Two Hours-The Exc
cutions Entirely Successful, Both
from a Scientific and Huma ne
6tandpoint-Death Instantaneous.

6tandpoint-Death Instantaneous.
SING SING, N. Y, July s.-All the wit
nesses of yesterdays electrocution at the
state prison gave q pledge that they
would not reveal the details Of the exc
cution before they were permitted to
enter the chamber of death. All unite
In saying, however, that the killing by
electricity was instantaneous and pain
less, and that the new method is emf.
, nently successful both from humane
and scientiii c standpoint One witness,
however, whose name is necess arily
withheld, gives the following account Of
the affair:
When the witnesses had gathered in
the chamber some of them appeared
very nervous, ard all showed signs of o
great strain on their sensibilities. The
aiding door which concealed the switch
board on the outside of the executioner'
closet was raised and the witnesses gath
cred about Drs. Macdonald and Rock
well and Professor Laudy, the scientists
IN charge of the electrocution, who pro-
ceeded to signal the electrician IN the
dynamo room.
slooum Appears.
Five bells. the signal to '.get ready"
was soon followed by one toll, which
uakuiucu L utu cfl tUt CulTTbHt. lInIle-
diately the inca ndescent lamps on the
switchboard gave ont their white light
and the scientists turned the current
into the voltmeter, then into the amper.
emeter, and when fully satisfied with its
indicated power they informed the
warden.
Warden Brown, Deputy Warden Con-
naughton and two deputy keepers then
entered the death cell building to bring
forth the trembling wretch who was
FIRST to pay the penalty of his crime.
Fathers Creeden and Lynch We're en-
gagged with Slocum when Warden
Brown and his deputies entered. Slo-
cum had been selected as the first vic
tim, and as soon as the priests had fin.
ished their supplications he said he was
ready and stepped out Of his cell with
Alacrity.
The walk to death began. Following
the warden and his deputy came Slocum,
between the two priests, who held alofi
In front OF him crucifix, at which he
steadfastly gazed. The two deputy
keepers brought up the rear of the fate
full procession.
Slocum halted at the warden's COM
nand, just on the edge of the rubber
mat which was to protect those who
were watching his life go out. The
doomed mans gaze WAS riyeted on the
chair. Then il wandered to the dang
ling wire, and the closet from which it
was suspended. Back to the chair IL
came, like needle to magnet.
In the Fatal Chair.
Now Drs. Macdonald and Rock we'll
and Professor Laudy approached to at
tach the electrodes. The nositive cleo
trode was placed on Slocum's head, the
came as in the Kemmler electrocution.
The negative electrode was attached to
the right leg, thu trousers having been
rolled up for this purpose before Slocum
was bound in the chair. When the
electrodes had been satisfactorily ad-
Susted and the wires attached the three
scientists glanced at the switchboard
and said that the current was steady y
and registered 600 volts.
Drs. Macdonald and Rockwell stood
en- either side Of the chair. When
everything was in readiness Warden
Brown tapped on the secret closet.
The unknown inside gave a quick pull
10 his rubber covered lever. The elec.
tric fluid was released before the sound
Of the tap reached Slocum's ears. and
bike the lightning's fash it sped through
his body.
There was not trenor of the body as
eAAC pn1 SiCidh COuHbtu bilb btCOLub, dLu
when Professor Laudy turned off the
current Slocum sat rigid and lifeless in
the chair. When the electrodes were
removed II was discovered that the skull
and the flesh of the leg had been slightly
burned; but there was no smell of roast
ing flesh such as made the Keinmler
slectrocution SO horrible. The straps
were unloosed and the body carried back
into the rear room.
6miier Weakens.
Smiler did not hesitate when told that
his hour had come, but when the death
chair appeared before him he almost
fell to the floor. His knees knocked to-
gether, and but for the support of his
spiritual advisers he would certainly
have collapsed. Warden Brown quickly
read the death warrant, and Smiler was
hastily seated in the chair. His face
took on a ghastly hue, and Connaugh-
ton got no assistance from this victim in
arranging the straps. Smiler was bound
and the electrodes piled in much briefer
time than Slocum, and in few seconds
emiles also was dead. The same slight
burning under the electrodes was no
ticed as in Slocum's case.
Wood had been prepared by Fathers
Creeden and Lynch while Smiler was
going to his death, and he was all
ready. He uttered no word when his
time came. He walked to death sup
ported by the priests. Wood betrayed
no emotion when he gazed on the chair,
but kept his eyes fixed on the crucifix.
he sat down in the chair diffidently,
and his binding was accomplished so
quickly that It was only twenty-four
minutes after Smiler's end until death
came to him.
It was becoming easy to kill men. The
witness displayed no emotion. There
was nothing to cause nausea, and death
came to its victims SO quickly that il
was all over before they realized it.
The Last Victim. E7N'Es
Jugiro at first refused to leave his
cell, but when Mr.. Connaughton said:
'Come on, Joe, be brave man. the
Jap walked out quietly. Two additional
keepers marched one on each side of the
Jap, while the chaplains followed behind
the warden and his deputy. The Jap did
mot seem to comprehend the purpose of
the chair and seated himself without
protest. A keeper assisted Connaughton
In binding the Jap, and the last act was