Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-08
WHEELING, W. VA, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 8, 1891

the next flag would be, and the other
was as to whether or not LAWYER Hatra
nSo succeeded In his mission. he came
10 tne prison last night and showed a
paper.some said, to have been signed
oy Judge Lacomb. No one knew what
u was or how much import il carried
IL was after midnight when he got AN
audience with the warden and it was
said that heated confab followed.
THE BLACK FLAG GOES UP.
There was not much time for specu-
lation as to the result OF Haire's mis-
sion, for at 5:44 o'clock black flag
went up the pole. 1t settled all argu.
ment concerning the negro Wood. It
announced, according to previous ar
rangements, that the negro was dead.
The sun, which at its first rising gave
promise Of fair and bright day, had
kept so secluded that 1t looked as
though the gray dawn effect was to be
lasting one.
The Jap, that big muscular Shibuya
Jugiro, who. In fit of rage, stabbed to
death one OF his countrymen, was to
come next. The flag of death for him
was red. The watchers anxiously
looked up at the pole on the roof to see
the red flag announce to them the death
OF Jugiro. 1t was long in coming. That
fact savored of struggle. 1t was all
over presently. The law had been car
ried out to the letter, and the red flag
went up. The Jap died at COG o'clock.
The entire time consumed in executing
the four men was an hour, twenty three
aud one-half minutes.
The mistakes Of the electrical experts
which made the execution of Kemmler
in part failure, were carefully avoided
to-day. The causes Of the accidents
and delays at Auburn were known TO
the Warden at Sing Sing and they had
been anticipated in the arrangements
for the execution Of the four meD who
were TO be put TO death during this
week. The tested voltage Of the dyna-
mos had been brought up to 5000,
while the estimated voltage which was
turned into Kemmler's body was only
75o The weakness of the current at
the Kemmler execution was chargeable
in part to the slipping Of the belts on
the dynamoS and especial precautions
had been taken TO avoid this to-day.
The DYNAMO used was Westinghouse,
a counterpart Of the machine used at
Auburn, but it was supplemented by
smaller dynamo intended to augment
the current.
THE EXECUTIONER.
At tO-day's execution the executioner
was in a small closet with an open top
through which he could hear anything
said to him by the warden or any OF his
assistants. and the electricians were in
the execution chamber itself. Besides
by an arrangement of the switches IL
was made possible for the electrician
himself TO turn the current in the execu-
tion chair, or to turn it off in case the
executioner should become confused or
fail to respond to the Warden's sigpats-
provided against. The witnesses to tae
execution gathered at the prison in re-
Spouse 10 the Warden's invitation half
an hour or more before the time fixed
for the eiectrocution TO take
place. The Warden had invited
the full number of those whom the law
authorized (twelve), and all were pre- o
mt. Warden Brown had declined te
permit the epreSentatativeS OF the
Press Associations to have access to tn
execution chamber, either as witneSSe
or as assistants, and it was known sew
eral days before the execution took
place that the accounts of il which
might be published must be obtained
from the twelve citizens who had been
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 had been
/ built was a treStle running above series
of lime kilns. Adjoining this was a
small frame building of two rooms.
This building had been leased by the
prison people TO lime company, which
/ sub-let it for the occasion of the execu-
tiOn TO the representatives OF the press.
Special wires had been strung to it and
operators had sat with their fingers on
the kew from midnight on Sunday,
waiting for the signal to send the news
that the executions had taken place.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany had put extra operators in its
office at the railroad station not far
down the track TO handle the reports OF
the special correspondents.
ONE STORY OF THE EXECUTION.
One OF the witnesses briefly tells the
story of the execution as follows: About
four o'clock the witnesses and jurors
were let into the death chamber. The
experts had previously examined every
thing and said they were satisfied the
machinery OF death would work per-
fectlv. At four o'clock Slocum walked
into the death room, accompanied Dy
Father Creeden. He seemed TO De max
inc, = tremendous effore TO keep his COM
noSnre. He had received Father Cree
den,s last offices, and had declared him.
Sclf ready to die. He was then firmly
stronnea into the chair and the death
current applied. Death was instan-
tonaors There was sudden contrae-
tion of the nerve and then all was over.
Smller followed next. Ihe heV' M
,,Soarton cheered him up. Before
SmIler had time to think he was strap
nod into the chair and in an instant
The current of electricity was flashed
tbrongb him that sent him to eternity.
W. 70 follow was Wood, the negro.
1s had been worked up to state OF
religious enthusiasm ana II was "nme
in this state of mind that ne was iaSten-
Cd Cd into the chair and killed oy the
fatal shock. - tho ,.s+
There was the usual feroeions' ugly
look on his face. He was closely guard
"a and short work was made OF MIN.