The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-09
ELECTROCUTI0N.
McIlvaiue, tie Murderer, Shocked to Death
at Sing Sing.

SING SING, \. Y. Feb S.-Charles Nell
vaine. the murderer of Groceryman Luca.
passed his last Sunday on earth without
! showing signs of fe L. He was visited by
| bis unmarried sister and Mrs. Ames New
ille, another sister and his wife. His two
! sisters showed intense grief, while the
young wife appeared less affected Nell
vaine was Indifferent. ''Ihe toughest
man in Sing Sing was the Dame McliyaIne
! had gained for himself with the keepers IN
! the prison. He used to be sullen, ugly
and detiaut, and when he first entered the
! prison was openly rebellious. lie several
! times assaulted guards and fellow conyIctS
| When Wood. who was electrocuted last
| July, passed McIlvaine's cell on the way
to the death chair, McIlvaine cried out to
! him: Goodbye, damn you; you Will be
| in hell before l am"
! But there came Il change in McliValne 5
| demeanor when the last hope vanished
! He was subdued and spent much time
| lately III reading the Bible aud talking
with Father Creedon, his spiritual advisor.
! McIlvaine was not quite 19 years old when
| he committed his terrible crime, and he
! had only Just been married to girl Stlll
younger than himseL He was typical
East Side tough, and, with two compan-
| ions of like character, started out on a
! thieving raid one night in August. 1889.
! McIlvaine entered Christian Lucas gro
Gerry in Jay street, Brooklyn. Luca sur
/ prised him. McIlvaiue whipped out u
knife, and as Luca approached plunged it
| again and again into the mans body
| When Luca dropped dead it was with
| fourteen wounds showing where the bur-
! glars knife had struck. McIlvaine was
! captured red-handed and convicted.
The warden read the death warrant to
the condemned man at midnight. The
! doomed man did not say anything, and
| listened in an Indifferent manner. When
the warden left McIlvaine he gave him to
| understand that his hours were number
I ed The murderer remained quiet, and
did not seem visibly affected by the read
/ ing of the death warrant. Rev. j. b.
! Creedon of St. Augustine's church of Sing
| Sing parish arrived at the prison at "a. m.
and proceeded at once to McIlvaine's cell.
After prayer the condemned man partook
of light breakfast, consisting of dry toast
and bowl of milk. He appeared to be in
good spirits and did not show any sigus of
weakening. He was soon engaged In
/ prayer with Father Creedon; was calm,
| and if be was not resigned to his fate it
was remarkable indifference
| At 10 o'clock Warden Brown, accOmpan-
! led by the electrician, left the warden's
/ Office to test the death machinery. The
| chair in which McIlvaine was killed was
arranged differently from anv used here
! tofore, ana changes had been made in sew
eral other appliances. The new pattern OF
| chair involves a change in the arms. They
are set back and fit closely under the arm
pits of the subject, slanting downward to
| the front. The distinctivelv new feature
was the provision of deep glass cells Sc
curely fastened. so that the hands may be
! immersed in the water which fills the
! jars. The water is a solution of chloride
! OF sodium, and warns so as net to shock
| the subject who might be nervous on the
! brink death pf
/ glass jars was made at the suggestion of
| Thomas a. Edison, who thought that bet
ter results might be obtained by passing
the current through both hands 1t also
! prevents the scaldinG and burning of the
/ skin of the subject, as has been the case
I before. The TWO glass cells were so ar
ranged that one received the current from
I beneath and the other from above. The
! other appliances were much the same as
have been used i'll previous eiectrocutions
At II O'Clock the witnesses, who were
all in the warden's Office, were summoned
to the death chamber. Mcllvalne came
| into the chamber with the priest himself
| carrying before him the crucitix aud mur-
muring prayers As the doomed man ep-
preached the chair he murmured with
suppressed emotion 'Oh, Jesus, help
me-" As he approached nearer the chair
he lost control of his nerves and almost
shouted out: "Oh. God. am sorry that |
II. : nave
mercy" - After the appliances had been
adjusted the prisoner was given short
! time for prayer. Jesus. spare me Mer-
| ciful God, help mer' muttered the pris-
oner. Then, after a brief pause, Il am
| heartily sorry, Oh God, that | have Offend
| ed thee" came once more the muffied
voice OF the condemned man. and then,
almost in a shout, Letter so - The CON
demned man had given the word for his
own taking-of.
The first contact was made at l1:l2 a. NJ
The duration OF the contact was forty five
/ seconds. In a few seconds after the cur
rent was cut off by order of DR.. MELON
AID. froth issued from the mouth. and al
| most simultaneously there was a quick
| gargling exhalation and a quick recovery.
like person straugIjng by water going
/ the wrong way The current was
At once re-spplied and continued foTty-tiye
| seconds, when the doctors examined the
/ wrists Tor pu!SatlonS. There was none.
and. after an examination by all The doc
/ tors present. the subject was declared
dead. The first contact was made through
/ the hands and head and the second
! through the head and calf Of the left le.
The doctors with one exception, believe
that life ana consciousness were DESTROYED
| at the same instant, and that, as compared
! with the hemmier killing, that of Nell
/ VaiUe was much less distressing. The one
exception WAS Dr. Robertson, who deClar-
! Ell that be thought that any method of
contact that involved a second application
OF the current was brutal"
{ ANOTHER VICTIM.
NEW YoRE. Feb. S.-CIriyle W Harris.
the medical student who was oogvicte;:
last Tuesday Of numbering his young wife
/ toy morphine poisoning, WAS sentenced 70
death by Recorder Smythe in the court OF
general sessions this morning after a mo
=. l.. I -.
order Smythe. q passing sentence. said that
no other verdict could nave been rendered
according 20 the evidence. Harris Is to
die within the week beginning March o.
His counsel gave notice of appeal
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