Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-07-08

Az4NlS VI the ctL1r Aact L@r4 anu TIC
calves Of their legs The enrrent WAS
tErned on in each case for twenty Sc
onds- The voltage w2s about I,oeo
and 800 In each ease there were APP
parent evidences Of revival. - IA the
kemmler case, and ia each Of these
four eases the current was turned on q
second time. In spite Of the fact that
the sponges were kept constantly wet.
all OF the executed men were burned by
the earrent. and especially about the
calves of the legs. The medical men
present agree that death came on the
hrst contact and that the seeming
revival was merely reflex mus
eular action. None of the witnesses
were overcome BY fright and eleven OF
them who have spoken have made the
statement that the electrodes were sue
cessful and that death in all cases was
instantaneous and painless
THE APP ARArus OF DEATH.
The chair in which condemned men
suffer the death penalty is a substan-
tiAl as well as comfortable looking
piece of woodworkers' mechanism,
aud, with the connections with the
dynamo. was designed by Capt. Hill
bert, the prison machinist, under
whose supervision il was built II is
constructed in very workmanlike
manner and differs very materially
from the chair used in the execution
at Auburn prison.
The chair is located in room just
south OF that occupied by the cells OF
the condemned men, and is entered by
q door opening from the passage which
runs in front of their cells. The room
is so feet long by rs feet wide, and is
perfectly bare except for the mus
lin-eurtained windows through which
light enters ia abundance. The addi-
located is the last one built and is o
one-story frame structure. AS the
visitor enters the room of execution he
faces the chair, which is placed at the
opposite end. This article of furni-
ture, which is an object of terror,
is very solid. The seat is broad. and the
back. on which . heavy headrest is
constructed, has a slight curve. Above
the rest and fastened to the back By a
long strip is figure ~" which is in
tended TO rest on the head Of the occu-
pant 1t is through the wire in this
that the current passes Besides this
there are a number of straps used TO
secure the prisoner in position after he
has taken his seat in the char. The
condemned man is strapped To the chair.
Against the base of his spinal column
presses the cold, clammy webbing of
the lower electrode, and against the
top of his forehead is pressed the moist
ened sponge of the upper electrode.
The chair faces the east, and direct
" behind it is a low cabinet for the use
of the man who turns on the current
and who is thus out of sight of every
one. Its sides, however, do not reach
the ceiling. SO the operator can have
plenty of ventilation. Directly back
Of the cabinet and against which
the cabinet stands is door
leading directly to the dynamo room.
On the side of the cabinet is sliding
door. which on being opened reveals
the switchboard, by which signals are
given to the operator, who stands in
the cabinet and turns on the fatal cur.
rent. This apartment-of ordinary
partition height-extends into the room
about feet. Upon the south side is
the switchboard of the electrical
apparatus. Before this the scientist
stands. It's cherry surface is polished
In the upper right hand corner is the
current in amperes-that is,
its quantity. A long. upright
cherry box in the lower right
hand corner contains the resistance
coil. which equalizes the current as il
comes from the dynamo. The two
boxes at the base contain utensils. The
long upright tube. which holds gauge,
measures the volts of power of the
electricity. II is this that is necessary
to determine its fatal properties. The
square apparatus in the center regulates
the wires TO the dynamos, while the
twenty globes in two rows above the
apparatss are incandescent lights.
Their brilliancy denotes the voltage of
the current to the trained eye of the
scientist The dynamo which
generates electricity at the other
end of the prison yard is d.
rected by signals. When the scientist
is satisfied with the voltage and am
peres he pulls down the handle just I'M
Ter the globes This shuts of the
lights and throws so much more
strength into the current Then he is
ready 10 send the death-dealing current
into the control of the executioner.
1t Is the man in the closet who turns
the switch. He stands ready. At q
knock from the scientist. which Is in
iicated "a he throws down the switch
handle, giving him all the current, he
knows that his duty must then be done.
His apparatus is simple. Heavy in.
sulated wires come through from the
| switchboard The negative current
passes through the wire which extends
downward through the floor and
thence through coils at the bottom
of the chair TO the negative
electrode no through the body of the
| condemned The current To the pos
tive elecirode is carried along an
upper wire. IL passes through a curved
tubing which is suspended above the
head of the victim. Fhe executioncr
stands grssping the handle The signal
from the scientist shows that all Is
ready The handle falls. The switch
is dealing death
cpTMrs or rms MEN
James J. Siocurn lived at Cherry street ana
had been a baseball player and . common la
borer. BE had ions been wife ooatsr but
( commonly pounded bis wife with - 6sts ard
kicked her. on the night Of December ~ 1879.
he went home and took an al which had been
used BIZ bis wife 20 break up boards for fusl
ard beat the woman brains out with IL Hs
hnfnra .lr1ls