The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-09
'M'ILVAINE EXECUTED.
The Youthful Murderer Dies in the
Electric Chair.
SCENES ATTENDING TIE TRAGEDY.

scenes ATTENDING THE TRAGEDY.
The First Killing Under the Amend
ca Law which Allows the News
paper Reporters 20 Witness tho
Operation NoElvainc's savage
i Crime.
| SINo SING, Feb. 81 Charles McIlvaine
was shocked to death In the prison here
yesterday in the presence Of the follow
ing witnesses. besides the deputies taken
from the prison keepers: DR.. $. B.
Ward, Of Albany; Prof L, H. Laudy, Of
Columbia college; DR.. L. A. Saxer, Of
Syracuse; DR.. T. s. Robertson. Of New
York; Dr. Herbert Il. Williams. Of
Brooklyn; DIR. J. Marill, Of Poughkeep
sic; DR.. A. r. Carroll, Of Brooklyn; DR..
J. Hasbrouck, Of Port Even, N. II; Dr..
G. r. Macdonald, Of New York. and
number Of newspaper reporters.
The Death Current.
/ The first contact with the dynamo was
made at 1f;i2 q. M. the duration Of
the contact was forty-five seconds. In
q few seconds after the current was cut
off by order of DIR. Macdonald, froth
issued from the mouth, and almost Ill
simultaneously there was aquick gurgling
exhalation and as quick recovery, like
a person strangling. The current was
at once reapplied and continued for
forty-fiye seconds. when the doctors ex-
amined the wrist and jugular vein for
i
examination by all the doctors present
the subject was declared dead. The doc
tors with one exception believe that life
and consciousness were destroyed at the
same instant.
{, A Change Or Operation.
| just before McIlvaine was brought in
DR.. Macdonald said 1T Is proposed,
gentlemen, to vary the method OF con-
tact in this case. The contact will be
made through the hands and ut the
frontal process of the head, the hands
being immersed in the cells which have
been placed at the sides Of the chair and
filed with warm solution Of chloride
Of sodium. After the execution Of
Kemmler various suggestions looking to
more perfect contact were made by
scientific men and others. Among the
suggestions made was one by Mr.. Edi-
, son, which has been adopted for use
here, viz: The contact at the hands
, which shall establish circuit between
the two water filed Jars. The two rub
Der sacks hanging from the ceiling con-
| tain warm salt water fed down auto
matically to the sponges Of the electrodes
through the rubber tubes connecting.
The electrode for the calf Of the leg as
in previous executions, Is preserved as q
precaution against disorder or failure Of
the connections at the hands.
: Assemblyman STEMS objection.
ii Assemblyman Stien said that the exc
> cution was cruel and unnatural and
I made him sick. II shall try to have the
J law repealed he said, las soon as get
back to Albany. The law should not be
i allowed to remain on the statute books
j another day. do not know whether
! death was instantaneous or not. only
: know that 1t was horrible and ] shall DO
all in my power to have the law re-
pealed. do not want to witness another
execution"
His Terrible Crime.
McIlvaine was not quite19 years old
, when he committed his terrible crime,
and he had just been married to girl
still younger than than himself. They
UCGuplcu y COupl6 OI IODklS IN an east
side New York tenement. One night IN
August, 1889, he took two companions
, to his rooms. All three typical east side
"t0ughsp lay down to sleep, with orders
to Mrs. McIIvaine that she should
awaken them shortly after midnight. TN
. the early hours OF the morning they
crossed the Brooklyn bridge, bent upon
plundering some house before their re-
turn. Passing through Jay street, an
open window in Grocer Christian Lucas
house attracted McIlyaine's attention.
1t was an easy mark" he thought. and
telling his companions to wait, he re-
moved his shoes and climbed up and
into the window. While he was search
ing forplunder Mr.. Luca surprised him.
McIlvaine whipped out knife, and as
Luca approached plunged it again and
again into the mans body.
When Luca dropped dead 1t was with
fourteen wounds, showing where the
burglars knife had struck. McIlvaine
was captured red handed. He had two
trials. the jury each time finding him
guilty Of the first degree. Three times
the week of his death has been fixed.
His case has been carried through all
the state courts and to the supreme
court Of the United States, and more
than two years have elapsed since his
awful crime appalled, the people Of
Brooklyn and New York.
II
Harris Denied New Trial.