The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1891-07-08

~ w o. AiOH. 1AC UGH sty GU HO
fear at the sight Of the chair, and
like his predecessor, Slocum, he
seated himself and placed his arms
in readiness for binding. He did
not offer to make any final speech.
In fact, unlike Kemler, none of the
four men made any farewell re-
marks. the straps were adjusted,
again the white handkerchief fell. |
the switch was turned and the straps
frightened under the strain of taut |
muscles as the current shot through
the body.
I The contact in this case as in
others, with perhaps almost inap-
/ preciable variation, was twenty
/ seconds. The current measured
some 1900 volts. At the end of
the twenty seconds the current was
turned off, but only for 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 a delay, which showed
that there was no chance Of revi-
val of life. the body was unstrapped
| and taken from the chair to the
! autopsy room adjoining.
Wood was the third to be exc
! cuted. He came willingly, accom-
2 panied by two priests, and went
! through the ordeal bravely with
e substantially the same results. The
. only difference in the arrangement
9 Of his case was the attaching of the
!. negative electrode to the left leg in
S stead Of to the right. The reason
! for this change was that there was
! an liberated sore on the right leg
: at the calf. The first contact in
+ Woods case, as in the others, did
y not seem to be final and it needed a
y second, which was continued until
O. the flesh was singed to satisfy the
It physicians that the man was dead
- In Kemler's case the burning
q Of the body was ascribed in part t.
:. the fact that the sponges were no
e well wetted. To-day the sponges
, were wetted constantly.
< The fourth man to meet deatl
! was the japanese, Jugiro. OWNS
'e to his brutal nature it had beer
q feared that he might make resist
ance, but his long confinement hat
le broken his spirit. When th
ls warden and keepers came to his eel
4 he was seated on the floor. He has
E never wanted bed in his cell. H
!" sprang to his feet as though he me
II the summons gladly and followe'
e the guards quietly. His fac
,, was repulsive and british
IL u The long seard had been cut off
i. i. but few days stubble made hi
~ face untidy. He was bound with
~ out resistance and stolidly awaited
,u the shock. The first contact di
- not destroy all appearance of lif
ae and the second burned the fesl
There was no doubt though Of tn
- death of the Japanese when he wa
Nv taken from the chair.
- The seconds passed slowly-ho,
- many of them is not known, but i
y less than a minutes space ther
- - came between the lips of the palli
ha face hanging in the death harnes
- rush of air which whistle
r. between the half clenched teeth an
" ended in half sigh, half groa1
80 Only once did the lungs seem
= 5, contract. Quickly as DR.. McDol
: aid could raise his hand to give th
~ ~ signal, the electrician threw tn
=. - switch, the electric current rushe
~ =. through the death circuit and tt
- - body in the chair stiffened agai
E. q against the straps. The time OF tt
" contact was not made public. u
Mcdonald has the record. III
=. 80 stop watch did not regulate tt
- length of the contact this time.
,ed The same unhappy event th'
mr. brought the Kemler execution to
,as close made sudden end Of 81
or Gums experience in the electr
200 chair. The skin and flesh of Il
mo- legs, and almost Immediately afte
so ward, the skin uf the forehead /
i'm gan to smoke. DR.. McDona