Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-08
DEAD IN A FLASH.
The Efficiency Of Electrothan.
asia indicated.
-FOUR CRIMINALS INSTANTLY SLAIN

Slocum, Smiler, Wood and Jugigo Paw
the Penalty of Transgression with Their
Lives in the Electrical Death Chair
Tho Newspaper Men Have to Draw Con-
illusions from What They Can See Out
side the Prison, and Get 1t About Right
The Witnesses, Pledged to Secrecy,
Refuse to Talk, Except to Say the Exc
cution Was a Success.
SING SING, y. Y, July s.-For the SEQ
Ond time in history the lightning has been
calledupon to rid the earth of trangressors
of the law. Between and a. m. yester-
day James J. Slocum, Harris a Smiler,
Joseph Wood, and Schihick Jugigo Japan
ese) were executed inside the prison walls
by electrothanasia, and the testimony of
the professional witnesses. as far as they
could be induced to talk, is the same as it
was in the case of Kemmler-that death
was instantaneous. Some improvements
had been made in the apparatus, and it
worked smoother than in the case of
Kemmler, and in every case the condemned
man was dead as soon as the current struck
him. As each man was announced dead
by the jury provided by law, a flag was
hoisted on the prison, 10 announce the fact
to those outside, most of whom were re-
porters
Order of the Executions.
The first flag displayed was white, at
4:4I-about five minutes after the death
of the victim-and signifed the death of
SlOcum. The next was blue and meant
that Smiler had paid the penalty; the next
was black, and Wood had received the death
shock, and the next was red, indicating the
execution of Jugigo. This was the only
indication the reporters had of the execu-
ton of the men. The last flag went up at
500. AT telegraph instrument close by
the prison walls sat an operator, and as
the flags went up he flashed the news to
the four quarters Of the world, while the
specials filed up the reports with the con-
illusions they had arrived at from watch
ing the bare walls of the prison.
The Execution a Success.
The executions have very likely settled
the future of electricity as an agent OF
death under the law, since they were sue
cessful, and from all accounts attended
by none OF the alleged horrors which char
scterized the legal killing of kemmler.
The men met death bravely. and as far rs
can be as0ertained with the limited means
at the disposal of the newspaper men moth
ing occurred to revive the dissatisfaction
expressed after kemmler's execution with
this newest means of enforcing the death
penalty. The voltage used was from 400
to 800, and in each case there was that re-
6ex action 20 which was due in great meas
ure the CHASTITY reports sent out with ref
70 -
was entirely muscular, and was not the
result of any suffering on the part of the
executed men. They died instantly, at
the moment of contact. They also died
bravely. 1t was really with them relief
from the agony of doubt in which they
had lived for months while their attorneys
were trying to save their lives.
Haire's Last Vain Effort.
When Haire left the prison Monday
night he knew that his last effort TO save
Woods life was futile. Attorney General
Hogan was with the warden and he de-
cided the legal questions involved. Haire
based his application for a stay on the
ground that when habeas corpus writ
had been applied for it acted as stay
whether granted or not. But Hogan de-
cided that in this case there was nothing
to base writ upon; that it was threshing
STRAW, anu JDibl UDG executions could
go on. After the departure of Haire the
newspaper men put in the time watching
the prison for signs The first sign was
the eXtinguishment of the electric lights
half an hour earlier than usual. This was
interpreted as sure sign that the execu-
tions would take place soon, because il
was held that the whole force of the dyna-
mos was needed TO kill the men
The Second Indication.
Next was heard the grinding of coffee in
the prison kitchen, that meant, said the re-
porters, that an early breakfast was to be
taken by witnesses, officials, and prison
ers, and was confirmation of the former
conclusion. Then the smoke stack of the
engine house began to vomit black clouds
of smoke; the engineer was firing up, and
shortly thereafter the whirr of the dyna-
mos was heard. This was conclusive, and
the next thing was TO watch for the flags.
And they appeared told above, each
bearing the story of the fate Of one of the
prisoners, which story was elaborated and
enlarged upon by the busy fingers of the
newspaper scribes and put ON the wires
as rapidly as possible.