The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-07-10
ELECTRICAL DEATH.
Drs. Daniels and Southwiok Dis
ouss the Recent Executions.
DEATH ABSOLUTELY PAINLESS

Slocum's Life Shut Out Before He
Gould Utter the Word "soul"-Dr.
Southwick Denies the Story of the
Burning of Smiler's Body-EIectro.
cution Has Como to Stay.
BUFFALO, July 10.-Dr. G. M. Daniels,
who was one Of the witnesses at the
Sing Sing executions, said in an inter.
view that he was in honor bound not TO
say anything concerning what hap.
pened in the death chamber, but there
were some things he could conscien.
tiopsly tell. He said:
at was just the smoothest and quick
est Of deaths imaginable. No jarring
or struggling, no twitcbing or anything
of the kind. The men simply sat down,
and the current was turned on and
they were dead. Let me illustrate Just
how quickly these men died.
II wanted to see to convince me abso-
lutely that death was instantaneous
though really my own mind did not re-
quire such proof-a man receive the
current while he was talking. WANTED
to see where he would stop, whether In
the middle of syllable, or word, or
sentence, whether he would stop in
stantly or speak after the current
reached him.
instantaneous Death.
Zone man received the shock whilc he
was talking. was bending over and
looking him in the face. He started a
word. 1t began with the letter s. He
had just articulated the letter when the
xypa NAfl L,,k
sound of the letter s passed his lips. II
died away suddenly and without any
manifestation.
"The lips made no movement. Thers
was not the slightest change in the facial
expression. 1t was as if all the faculties
We're paralyzed into death in an instant.
One of the men died with smile on his
face. 1t remained unchanged, and he
was smiling in death when l left Sing
Sing prison, There was no perceptible
odor in the room"
"Was there any relaxation of thu
muscles of the chest, as in Kemmler's
casel"
Absolutely Painless.
In one case there was o movement
30 faint as to be hardly perceptible, but
that was probably caused by a slight
variation in the current. In no other
case was there even the tremor of a
muscle. Desth was certain on the first
contact and absolutely painless"
why were two contacts necessary"
Merely precautionary. The men
were dead, but in experimental cases it
is always well to be certain"
DR.. Daniels was shown the published
report stating that Smiler's body pre-
sented terrible sight, and that the leg
was burned and the face Scared.
DR.. Daniels stated that in this case
water from the sponges trickled over
the skin, causing the current to 90 be-
yond where the electrodes were applied,
and that this was the cause of such ap-
pearances.
Corroborated by DIR. 5outhwick.
DR.. A. P. Southwiclr, another of the
witnesses, was also interviewed. He
corroborates DIR. Daniels statements IN
every particular, and said that the
stories about Smiler's face being burned
in several places were downright lies.
There were some blisters caused by tho
heating of the salt water in the sponges,
but before this water became hot the
man was dead. Dr. Southwick said
Slocum and Wood were praying when
they died. The others said nothing.
Slocum was saying Lord have mercy
on my soul" when he received the
shock. He had just said the word my"
and started to say "soul." The sibilant
sound of the IS" was made, but the
word ''soup was never uttered. That
was satisfying test that death was in.
stantaneous. No one could ask for bet
ter evidence.
Electrocution Has Come to Stay.
"The executions were q success in
every way" said DIR. Southwick, land
there was not the slightest hitch. Elec.
trio execution has come to stay. These
executions have demonstrated that the
method is bumane."
DR.. Southwick said some chang
might be made that would better the
method of execution, but none thai
could bring quicker or more painless
death. His idea is to let the man have
his head free and be able to look around.
The doctor has a couple of electrodes
in view and is now having them tested.