Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-07-10
An Autopsy Held on the Bodies
by Leading Scientists in
Attendance.
Features of the Kemler Electro
cutiOn Entirely Overcome
by Experts.
The Schooner Silver Cloud Cap.
sizes in Lake Michigan
Three Drowned.


DING DING, N. L., July l.-I Jul LluA
derers were put to death by electricity
in the states prison here early this
morning for the crime Of murder. The
men were James J. Slocum, who killed
his wife at No. Z Cherry street on Dec.
81, 1880; Harris A. Smiler, ex-salvation
army captain and bigamist, who muir
dered his second wife on April 3. 1889,
at No. 2sSeventh avenue; Joseph Wood,
negro acqueduct laborer, who muir
dered fellow laborer, an italian, named
Carlo Ruff, in May, 1889. and Shibuya
Jugiro, an Ignorant Japanese sailor, who
brutally killed his fellow countryman,
Mura Canni, in the James street board
ing house. The execution of the four
men is declared to have been perfectly
successful and without any of the hor-
rors attending the execution of Muir
derer Kemmler at the Auburn prison.
There are, however, statements from
witnesses which do not con-
firm the assertions by the off
cials. The first victim to take his
seat in the electrical chair was Slocum.
He was put to death at 4:40 a. m Next
came Smiler. who died at $40. Woods
was number three, at $50, and Jugiro
followed at Cos. There was an inter-
esting fact connected with the expert
ments made yesterday in the presence
Of the witnesses of today electrocution
which has been bearing on the seeming
insufficiency of single contact. A
horse was brought in to be killed. The
dynamo was run up to speed which
would generate force from 15OO to
1000 volts, force of current which it
had been determined would be turned
into the bodies OF the condemned men
today. The first contact, on account of
the greater resistance of the animal, was
twenty eight seconds. 1t
DID NOT KILL THE ANIMAL.
It seemed to have stunned him, and a
second current and third we're turned
on bessre the work was completed The
necessity of two contacts, which is af
frmed to have been the case in
each of the electrocutions today, finds
its excuse, if not its explanation in the
experience with the horse at yesterday s
experiment. Witnesses Of the execution
signed an agreement lastnight that they
would not reveal what occurred within
the execution chamber The warden
told them that if any OF them refused to
sl,. they would not be admitted to the
execution chamber. All the witnesses
signed the agreement. 1t is said the
agreement was drawn up in the office OF
the attorney general at Albany. 1t was
supposed to be ironclad. The autopsies
were performed at O. 'clook. The corps
of physicians left the depot short time
after that for New York and Albany.
DR.. Mcdonald, who conducted the exc
oution and autopsy. was asked for o
statement. He declined to give any in
formation, saying the results would be
given out in Albany from official
sources. Asked to deny the statement
that the men did not die instantly, he
said: Il have nothing to soy as to that.
Unconsciousness was immediate, and
the men suffered no pain. They made
no resistance at all"
"Doyou deny that they were burned?"
was asked.
positively decline to be interviewed
on that point" Doctor Ward said. "Did
the first shock kill the men?" was asked
and he said II do not care to answer
that. think the execution was sue
cessful." Doctor McD- nald was asked
how many volts were used, and he de
clined to answer. All the witnesses have
gone and the prison has returned to its
natural state. Warden Brown says in.
formation will be given out at the Office
of the Superintendent of Prisons in AL,
bany. The bodies of Jugiro, Wood and
Slocum will be buried late tonight il
the Potter's Field in quick lime. Smi
Ter body will be removed by his wife
in the morning.
THE KILLING IN DETAIL.
One of the witnesses of the eleotro-
cutions, whose name for obvious rea
sons cannot be printed, gives the fol-
lowing account of the occurrences il
the death chamber: When the wit
nesses had gathered in the chamber
some of them appeared very nervous
and oil showed signs of great strait
on their seNibiities. The sliding
door which concealed tie switchboard
on the outside OF the exeoutioners
closet was raised. and the witnessel
gathered about Drs. Mcdonald ant
Rockwell and Professor Landy. tn
soientists in charge OF the electro
oution, who proceeded to sigma
electrician In the dynamo room Nv
bells, the signal To get ready, which wa
soon followed by one toll, which sign!
| 6od ulurn on the Ollrrenk.u Immodi