Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-20
A COMPLETE SUCCESS
Was the Electrocution of Murderer
McGuire at Sing Sing.
HE DIED IN TWELVE SECONDS
From the Time an Electric Current Of 1,SOO
Volts Struck liim.
he CONFESSED AND WAS PENITENT

SING SING, n. Y, Dec 49, The day OF
death for the murderer Fred Mcclure
dawned with cloudy skies The doomed
man slept well last night, and this morning
evidenced no sign of breaking down. He
ate light breakfast, conversed with Rev.
d. L. Conkling and Chaplain Edgerton, OF
the prison, and as the time approached for
the summons to take his place in the death
chair, seemed to be fully resigned to the
fate which awaited him. He has confessed
his guilt of the crime for which he was con-
vic,ed He assumed full responsibility for
the murder of Mrs. Gregory. and went to his
doom penitent man.
All the preparations were completed
early this morning, and at 10 o'clock the
witnesses had all assembled. AT 1856 they
were summoned to the wsrden's parlor. AT
IL O'clock they all entered the death
chamber. Electrician Davis and four
guards were already there.
Electrician Davis was in his shirt sleeves,
preparing the electrical apparatus for the
test He tested the current first by volt
meter, then by 90 incandescent lights on
the switchboard. He then tested a row of
g lights which rested on the electric chair
and which showed the number of volts
which should pass into the subject. The
register showed /, 800 volts
The March to the Fatal Chair.
At 1909 o'clock the warden requested
everyone present 10 keep quiet and remain
in their seats At 1l:10 the warden and
Head Keeper Connaughton went into the
a T,lN IL.
was the same cell that was occupied by
Gotta, who was executed some time ago. A
lalf minute later the warden, Connaugh-
ton and Mcclure, the latter between
Chaplain Edgerton and Rev. Mr. Conkling,
entered the death chamber. Mcclure
walked steadily between the two ministers,
holding tight onto their arms He ap-
peared calm and even stolid He stepped
quickly to the chair, sitting down as
calmly as he would have done on any ordi-
nary chair. He rested his head back on the
rubber cushion and closed his hands
tightly over the arms of the chair.
As Mcclure sat down the two ministers
began chanting the burial service. The
guards and attendants quickly bound Nc
Guire in the char. The electrodes were
placed at his head and on the calf of his
right leg One leg of his trousers was slit
IL order 10 apply the electrodes to his flesh.
Alter he hal been fastened in the chair
Dr. Abbott and Prison Surgeon Irvine ex-
amined the bindings, and stepping back DR..
Abbott gave the signal for Electrician
Davis.
Killed in at Most Twelve Seconds.
1t was then 10 minutes and 80 seconds
after II o'clock. At this moment the first
current was turned On. The first shock
lasted 80 seconds. 1t was turned on again
at IL o'clock, IL minutes and ? seconds.
This WAS the second shock and onlv lasted a
few seconds. Only two shocks were admin
iStered. Mcclure was killed by the first |
shock.
DIR. Abbott SAID that Mcclure was killed |
in y seconds The second current was only |
turned on as a precautionary measure. At
l clock, Il minutes and 30 seconds Nc
Guire was officially pronounced dead by
DE- Abbott. Mcclure was then examined
bv the doctors, and as far a could be seen
no marks of scorching could be found, or
was there any discoloration of his flesh.
When the first current was turned on
McGuire's body swelled and tugged against
the straps and deep gurgling sound was
heard iOr a second, which was caused by
expulsion of air from the lungs McGure's
execution was declared the most successful
one that was ever had in Sing Sing prison,
nor has anV other execution ever been I'm
i>hed so rapidly as this one The smell of
burned flesh that has heretofore character
lied the executions was not noticeable.
4 his has heretofore been neauseating to the
VI illnesses.
The Operation an Entire Success.
NcGuire's dead body was removed to the
dissecIing room, where Drs. Irvine and
Abbott performed the autopsy. The brain
and all the other organs were found in a
normal condition. Not a scorch or a burn
was found on McGuire's body. There was
70 discoloration of the skin. The doctors
declare the electrocution an entire success.
The body was shipped away this afternoon.
II was buried tonight.
DIR. Irvine had to pass McGuire's cell at
$50 o'clock this morning. Mcclure called
out: Good morning. doctor. How do you
fee? Have you got everything ready for
Ine?" DR. Irvine told him that everything
vas in working order. Mcclure replied:
4 hope everything will go oil without a
hiIen, and that I will die quickly. am
OF afraid to die, and for that matter 1 am
ready TO 90 now"
The crime for which Mcclure paid the
death penalty was the killing of Mrs.
Amelia Gregory, wife of Noah Gregory, a
farmer and tax collector OF Middletown,
Orange county, on October Il, 1891 The
crime was committed for robbery, and was
q most brutal affair."