The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-08
IT WAS A SUCCESS
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warden or any Of his assistants, and the
electricians were in the execution chamber
Itself. Besides, by an arrangement of
switches, it was made poss BILE for the
electrician himself TO turn the current into
the execution chair or to turn il OF in case
the executioner should become confused or
fau to respond to the warden's signals.
With these precautions it was thought
that every chance Of failure was provided
against.
TIE witnesses to the execution gathered
at the prison id response 20 the warden's
invitation half an hour or more before the
time fixed for the electrocution to take
place. The warden had invited the full
number OF those whom the law authorized
-twelve-and all were present The
crowd outside the prison was composed
almost entirely of representatives of news
papers end Of the two press associations.
Warden Brown declined to permit repre-
sentatives OF the press associations to have
access to the execution chamber either as
assistants or AZ witnessed, and it was
known several days before the execution
took place any accounts which might be pub
lished must be obtained from the twelve
citizens who were invited to be present, if
they could be persuaded to talk about it.
Extensive preparations had been made to
handle what news could be obtained as
rapidly as possible. Near the place where
the temporary execution room was built
was q small frame building of two rooms.
the operators sat with their fingers on the
keys from midnight Of Sunday waiting for
the signal to send the news that the exc
cution had taken place. The Western
Union Telegraph company had put extra
operators In its Office at the railroad station
not tar down the track to handle the re-
ports OF special correspondents.
Warden Browns son drove down to the
station during the morning and brought
back . number Of packages containing ma-
terial to be used during the autopsy. 1t
was expected the autopsy would be con-
cluded by $3.50 or Q o'clock.
DIR. Alphonzo D. Rockwell left the prison
at q comparatively early hour. ard it 10
understood he took the train for New
qualified SUCCESS, and that the death OF the
men was painless. One Of the witnesses
briefly tells the story OF the executions as
follows:
about O'Clock the witnesses and juror
were let into the death chamber. The ex-
perts had previously examined everything
and they were satisfied the machinery OF
death would work perfectly.
'At o'clock Slocum walked into the death
room accompanied by Father Creedon. Ee
seemed to be making . tremendous ehort
TO keep his composure. He had received
Father Creedon's last offices and had CO
clared himself ready to die. He was then
death current applied. Death was instan-
taneous. There was Q sudden contraction
of the muscles and then al was over.
"Smiler followed next Rev. Mr.. Ed
gerton cheered him up. Before Smiler
had time to think he was strapped into the
chair and in an instant later a current OF
electricity flashed through him that sent
Next followed Wood, the negro. He
had been worked up to state Of religious
enthusiasm and il was while In this frame
of mind he was fastened into the chair and
killed by the fatal shock.
"Jugiro was stubborn to the last. There
was the usual ferocious, ugly look on his
face. He was closely guarded and snort
work was made Of him.
There was no apparent hitch in the four
executions and they were pronounced
success. The death Of the four men ap-
peared to the observer 70 be painless.
Dea.h came like fash. The doctors took
charge of the four bodies Immediately after
death and began An autopsy to discover as
far IS possible how rapid had been the
killing and the precise effects produced"
The witnesses were besieged by report
ers as soon ~ they made their appearance
from prison. All OF them refused to say
however, except that the execu-
tions had passed on without any hitch and
had been a success from the scientific
Warden Brown had laid q
strict Injunction of secrecy upon Al OF
them and had evidently made such al i'm
preston on their minds that they were
loath to talk. All looked thoroughly used
I'D and exhausted. They had been through |
a terrible ordeal and the effects were
plainly visible upon their faces.
Kew. DR.. Law. chaplain OF the Tombs, |
New York, who was assistant to the prison |
chaplain and was q witness, said: 81 was |
fully convinced the killing Of murder |
ers by electricity was Q failure, but am |
now convinced to the contrary. Everyone |
of the mel went to the chair calmly and /
died easily and without pain or contortion. |
Death was instantaneous"
The prisoners hac received some intima |
ton before hand that the executions were |
to take place this morning and they were
prepared. They went to the execution |
chair braveiy and met their fate without .
struggle. The electrodes were not applied
as in Kemmler's case to the top Of the
skull and the base of the spine, but were /
bound TO the foreheads of the condemned |
men and the calves of their legs. The cur
rent was turned on in each case for twenty |
seconds. The voltage was about fifteen |
hundred to sixteen hundred. In each |
case there was an apparent evidence Of re-
yival as in kemmler's case and the current |
YVES turned on a second time, for each Of
the medical men present agreed death came |
on at the first contact, and that the seem
ing revival was merely reflex muscular &C
ton. DR.. Barber, the prison physician,
came out shortly after IL and said the au-
topsy was completed, but that sno state
ment would be given out for several hours.
Ore ( the witnesses Of the affair gave
the following account of the occurrence in /
the death chamber. AFTER the experts
had tested the electric current and found
everything in order, Warden Brown, Dep
lty Warden Connoughton and two depu-
lies entered the death building. Slocum
was selected as the first victim, and IS soon
IS the priests had finished their supplica-
lions, he stepped out Of his cell with alsc-
-ity, and the walk to death began. Fol-
owing the warden and deputy came SlO-
cum, between two priests who held aloft in
'front.' Of him crucifix at which he gazed.
Two deputies brought up the rear of the
IatefuI procession. Slowly the heavy doors
swung back and with solemn tread the lit
lie procession walked into tho room where
but few steps to take as the tall chair was
iirectly in their front. As the leaders
parted the chair stood out in all its awful
less before the man about to sit In 1t and |
lie, Slocum halted at the warden's CON-
nand Just at the edge OF the rubber which
was to protect those who were to watch
ais life 20 out. The doomed mans gaze
vas riveted on the chair. then IL wandered
m the danQlink wire and the clOset from