Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-09

pieces folded up tightly to the thigh, leav
ing the leg bare Patent leather slippers
covered his feet He wore a suit OF blue
and black necktie. His face was salioW.
His eyes twitched. He winked rapidly
He held small brass crucifix in his hano
and continually repeated in monotone
keeping his eyes fixed on the cruclil1:
Oh, Jesus, help me!
On, Christ, help me!
oh, Jesus, forgive me and help me, poo
and lonelyl
"oh, Jesus, help me.
Behind him were the priests, Father
Creeden and Father Smith. They each had
a prayer book and read rapidly from them
The murderer stepped quickly. He wa:
pushed down into the chair by guard ano
by State Detective Jackson. He continued
praying in the same monotone. His voice
now and then faltered. Finally he stopped
and looked around the room. His eyes
rested on Warden Brown. He bowed Sc
low to him that his face was hid. The
priests prompted him impatiently. "Oh,
nv God. 1 am truly sorry for all the sins
have committed. Forgive me, Oh, God.
Say, say it," said one.
The Murderer Loses His Nerve.
The murderer repeated the words. Hi'
nerves were giving out His voice trembled
He spoke rapidly, repeating again:
oh, Jesus. help me!
Oh, my God, help me and save me!
Oh, Christ, help me!
His legs were pinioned to the legs of the
chair. One electrode was fastened tightly
TO the barred leg near the knee. jackson
took hold of the crucifx. The murderer
held it tightly, his voice becoming
lower and more tremulous Jack
time he wrenched it from the fingers
plunged the hand that held it into
water and buckled the cuff about the wrist.
The leather harness containing the head
electrodc was clapped down over the head.
The murderer's voice again died ont. ''Oh,
merciful Jesus, help me, spare mel
prompted Father Smith. The murderer re.
peated the words twice, his voice dying
again until it was inaudible.
The witnesses were leaning forward on
their stools, watching every movement with
intense interest. Prof Landv's hand
seized one of the switches. Warden Brown
and DR. Mcdonald only were cool. The
last strap was buckled. The praying lips
had been stilled perhaps five seconds. The
silence was painful. The barred leg could
be seen to tremble. The guard was just
stepping back from the chair.
Suddenly the lips parted again. In q
voice loud and unnatural, half appealing,
half bravado, plainly containing the last
spark of energy that was left, the murderer
cried: 'Let 'er go!'
A Most Complete Breakdown.
The nervous strain had told The man
had broken down completely. The sound
of the voice. the nature of the expression
after the prayers of moment before,
startled the little company. The word 'go''
had hardly left his lips when DR.. Mcdonald
signaled to Prof Landy. The lever the
professor held was pulled down, Another
lever inside the box, and which was oper-
ated by a convict, followed it. This let
loose the current.
There was shiver, perceptible only to
the quickest eve. The body shot up an
inch. The leather barriers creaked. The
body stiffened. Then for second there
was not tremor. The lips parted slowly.
Water came from the mouth and stained
the leather. 1t looked like blood. The
mouth remained half open. The little skin
of the face that could be seen
turned darker. The lips and chin
seemed set and stiff Vapor
or smoke rose from each water box. To the
witness it seemed ten minutes that the cur
rent held the body thus. 1t was really less
than a minute "Close," said Dr.. Nc
Donald. - Prof Landy pulled an
other lever. The body sank back, limp all
but the arms. They were rigid. The lips
closed slowly, as they had opened.
t'All off" asked DR.. Ward.
';All off," answered Prot Laudy.
DR. Ward stepped quickly to the chair
and seized one wrist to find the pulse. Then
he pushed mis- hand up under the harness to
feel the artery in the neck. DR.. Mcdonald
took wrist and then ran his hand up under
DR.. Wards
Death in Half a Minute.
current was turned off, and there had not
been motion of the body. One of the
witnesses whispered: "He's dead-wonder-
fulp' He was cut short by a strange
sound coming from the mans throat, half
sigh, that sounded loud in the stiffness of
the death house. Saliva seemed to be
forced from between the lips, and then
came another half moan, half sigh.
An exclamation was on the lip of every
mans tongue. The doctors stepped quickly
back
"Repeat," exclaimed DR.. Mcdonald.
"No, hold" said DR.. Ward, seizinp a
rubber tube that hung from bag of water
over the chair, and pressing stop that let
down stream OF water into the leg and
head electrodes. 1t had been previously
arranged that should a second shock be
necessary it should be given by these
electrodes instead of those on the side boxes
through the hands.
Eight seconds only had elapsed from the
time of the first sign of life, or whatever it
was, when again the body stiffened and
shot upward. the straps creaked. the flesh
hardened, the lips remained tightly closed.
Smoke or steam arose from both electrodes.
The Doctors Announce the Death.
''The flesh is not burning" said DR.. Nc
Donald. "Stop," said he moment later
The current was turned off and the body
fell back again. DR.. Ward examined first
the pulse, then the throat. Then the cloth
ing was opened. A cloth was thrown over
the bare skin. The doctor held his ear
down close against Il.
81 cannot hear the heart beat" he said
''The man is dead"
The autopsy was made at once by DIR.
Won Giessen, assisted by two of the other
doctors. All the organs were in a normal
condition. The brain was normal. From a
scientific point of view the autopsy showed
no more than had been discovered in the
other cases where autopsies were made.