Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-20
BY ELECTRICITY.
FRED INQUIRE SITS IN THE FATAL CHAIR
AT SING SING.
Bs Was Dead in Twelve Seconds, and His Execu-
ton Was the Most Successful Ever Car
ried Out Under the New Method.

NTcGnire. dawned with cloudy skies.
The doomed man slept well last night
and this morning evidenced no sign OF
breaking down. He ate light break
fast. conversed with Rev. ID. l.. Conk-
lin and Chaplain EdgertOn, OF the prls-
on, and as the time approached Tor the
summons TO take his place in the death
chair, seemed to be fully resigned Tor
fate which awaited him. He had con-
fessed his guilt of the crime for which
he was convicted. He assumed foil re-
sponsibility for the murder OF MRS
Gregory aud went to his doom penl-
tent man. All the preparations were
completed early this morning and at 10
o'clock the witnesses had all assembled.
The witnesses at I0:55 were summoned
10 the warden'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 cleo
trical apparatus for the test. BE tested
The current first by volt meter then by
twenty incandescent lights on the
switchboard. He then tested a row OF
lwenty-three lights which rested on the
electric chair, and which showed the
number Of volts which should pass into
the subject. The register showed l'SOO
volts.
At11:O9 the warden requested every
one present 10 keep quiet and remain
IN his seat. At 1l:10 the warden and
head-keeper Counaughton went into the
cell where Mcclure was confined. This
was the same cell that was occupied by
Gotta. who was executed some time
ago. A half minute later the warden,
Connaughton and Mcclure, the latter
between Chaplain Edgerton and Rev.
Mr.. Conklin, entered the death cham
her. Mcclure walked steadily between
the two ministers, holding tightly onto
their arms. He appeared calm and even
stolid, He stepped quickly TO the chair,
sitting down as calmly as he would
have done in any ordinary chair. He
rested his head back on the rubber
cushion and closed his hands tightly
over the arms of the chair. As Nc
CURE sat down the two ministers began
CHANTING THE BURIAL SERVICE.
The guards and attendants quickly
bound Mcclure in the chair. The cleo
trocutors were placed at his head and
on the calf of his right leg. The leg OF
his trousers was slit, in order TO apply
the instrument to his flesh. After he
had been fastened in the chair, DR.. Alb
bott and Prison Surgeon Irvine ex-
amined the binding, and stepping back,
DR.. ABBOTT gave the signal for Elec-
trician Davis. 1t was then ten minutes
and fifty seconds after eleven o'clock.
At this moment the first current
was turned on. The first shock
lasted fifty seconds. 1t was turned on
again at II o'clock II minutes and II
seconds. This was the second shock
and only lasted a few seconds, fully two
shocks were administered. McGuire
was killed by the first shock. DR.. Alb
bOtt said that Mcclure was killed In
twelve seconds. The second current
was only turned on as precautionary
measure. At IL O'clock and IA minutes
and 30 seconds Mcclure was officially
pronounced dead by DR.. Abbott.
McGuire was then examined by the
doctors and as far as could be seen no
marks of scorchinG could be found nor
was there any discolOTarion OF his
flesh. When the first current was turn
ed on McGuire'S body Swelled
and tugged against the straps and
deep gurgling sound was heard for a
second, which was caused by expulsion
of air from the lungs. McGure's ex-
ecutiOn was declared the most success
ful one that was ever had in Sing Sing
prison. Nor has any other execution
ever been finished so rapidly as this
one. The smell OF burned flesh that
has heretofore characterized the eXecu-
tiOns was not noticeable. This has
heretofore been nauseating to the wit
neSSes.
McGuire's dead body was removed to
the diSSecting room, where Drs Irvine
and Abbott performed the autopsy.
McGuire's mother will be permitted to
bury the body. Undertaken Donovan is
here from Middletown, n. Y, to take
charge Of the body. Dr. Irvine had to
pass McGuire's cell at $50. Mcclure
called out, Good morning, Doctor;
how do you feel? Have you got every
thing ready for me?"
Dr. Irvine told him that everything
was In working order. Mcclure re-
piled: 81 hope everything will 90 off
without q hitch, aud that 1 will die
quickly. l am not afraid to die, and
for that matter, am ready to go now"
MGUIRE's CRIME.
Fred Mcclure was a farm hand, en-
gagged during the summer OF 1891 by
Noah Gregory, whose farm was a mile
and half from Middletown, n. Y. On
the afternoon Of October 14th, 1891,
while Mr.. Gregory and all OF his men
except Mcclure were at work in the
celery field, Mrs. Gregory was found by
her son, Arthur, lying in pool of
blood in the sitting room OF the
house. The boy gave the alarm and
Mr.. Gregory and his men ran TO the
house where an awful sight mel their
gaze. The floor and furniture was
soaked with blood and the furniture and
walls were spattered with it. Two
bullet wounds in the woman's head and
a gaping wound in the skull told the
story Of her death. A cigar box in the
bedroom, where the money was kept,
had been broken open and the amount,
something over 500, was gone. Me-
CURE later confessed the murder.
He came vpon his victim unobserved
and shot her as she stopped to pick up
a piece of wood from the kitchen floor.
She fell but struggled to her feet, ran
into the sitting room and closed and
held the door against her assailant, who
pursued her 10 complete his work.
Finding the door resisted his efforts,
he fired through it, and as his victim
relaxed her grasp upon the knob push
ed his way into the room and discharged
three more shots at the unfortunate
woman. She fell 70 the floor but appa-
rently did not die quickly enough for