Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-09
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1sPATCH.1
NEW YORK, Feb S.-The State execu-
tioners killed Charles McElvaine, muir
derer, at Sing Sing prison this morning, in
the presence of twelve lay witnesses, eight
of whom were representatives. of newspapers
or of news associations. Warden Brown,
DR.. Carlos F. Mcdonald, Dr. Samuel B.
Ward Prot Landy, of Columbia College,
and Electrician Davis conducted theskilling,
assisted by seven other physicians.
OF the reporter witnesses four agreed
that the killing was more merciful than
hanging. The other four thought it was
brutal. but not SO bad as the killing of
Kemmler at Auburn. OF the other invited
witnesses, Warden P. J. Doyle, of Brook
lvn, said that the means of death was quick
and merciful
Assemblyman Never J. Stein said: ST
do not know whether death was instanta-
neous or not. only know it was horrible
and 1 shall do all in nv power to have the
law repealed. The sight was cruel and un-
natural, and it made me sick" Mr.. Court
nev and Mr. Adrian Nissan, of Newburg,
expressed no opinion.
Unconscious at the First Shock.
The executioners and the medical wit
nesses agreed that Inconsistencies came to
the murderer at the first shock of the cleo
tric current. They all admitted that ami
NAL life existed when the current of 1,600
volts was turned off, after having been sent
into his body continuously for so seconds,
and that his pulse could be felt, but after an
intermission of 43 seconds, and a second
continuous current of sc seconds, animal
life was extinct the heart had stopped
. beating and there was no pulse.
Two doctors, T. S. Robertson, an insanity
expert of this city, and J. Mavill, of Pough-
keepsie, did not agree that the death was
mercitul DR.. Robertson was especially
bitter He said he had witnessed nine
hangings, two executions by guillotine and
two by shooting and that this method of
killing was the most brutal of all. 1t was
brualizing to everybody connected with it.
In addition to the agreement of the doc
tors that animal life was not extinct after
the first current had been turned off, sew
eral of them, including Prot. Landy,
thought that animal life might have con-
tinued upward of three hours if the murderer
had been taken from the chair and efforts
had been made to resuscitate him, but that
be could not possibly have survived nor
would he have become conscious or suffered
any pain.
The Body Scared and Blistered.
In the process of killing the murderer's
body was blistered and SCARED where the
electrodes were applied. To the laymen's
ewes the flesh looked shriveled and roasted.
The professional men, except DR.. Robert
son, agreed that the blisters and scars were
not actual burns, but were superficial scald-
ings, due to the rapid evaporation of water
that leaked from the electrodes. DIR.
Robertson said that the flesh was burned
and that a smell of burning flesh peryaded
the room.
The unanimity of witnesses that was de-
sired by the executioners and fanatics of
this mode of killing was lacking. The one
scientific fact which the physicians said had
been demonstrated by the execution was
that the electric current is less deadly when
the electrode is applied to the hands than
when it is applied to the head Mr.. Edison
and other electricians have held the op-
posite view.
The experts went to the execution room
and spent an hour testing the machinery.
The chair was a new one, made smaller than
the old one, so that the condemned man
would be less able to move about in it.
About IL o'clock Warden Brown came to
the Office in the front of the prison, and in
vited the witnesses into the room. There
them to sit on.
Warden Browns Explicit Warning.
The doctors, except DR.. Mcdonald, were
near the switchboard, and the reporters sat
facing the chair DR.. Ward held stop
watch in hand, and another doctor stood by
him with paper and pencil. Warden
Brown stepped to the center of the room
and said:
Now, gentlemen this execution is in the
hands of two of the doctors who are here in
the interest of the State and of two cleo
tricians, who are employed by the. State.
You've got nothing to do with it. You are
simply here as witnesses, and don't a man
of you say a word or make any suggestion
If there's anything to be said these officials
will say it. The man who dares to disobey
these orders will go out of the door quickly.
You understand.
There were no comments on the Warden's
speech. The little iron door opened AGAIN
and the Warden disappeared behind it. DR.
Mcdonald took his place in the center of
the room. He said:
In the killing of McElvaine a new method
OF applying electrlclty will be tried. Con-
tact will be made through the hands which
will be immersed in these cells eontainipu q
solution of salt and water. This was sug-
rested after the first execution in Auburn.
electricians-Mr. Edison in particular-hnye
publicly expressed their opinion that
contact should be made through
viii Viii be made We know P'feHE hoW
well the application of the currents to the
other parts of the body and to the forehead
the seat of consciousness, works. Arrange,
ments have been made by switches, which
will enable US in case either application.
should fail, the other could be used. Now L
want to saw to the physicians that it is de-,
sirable to have each physician present to
make a separate examination of the BODY
and when the current is all OFF each will
step up in turn and express his opinion, if
he has one to express, before the official an
nouncement OF death is made.
Preparations for the killing.
These speeches we're made while McEl-
yaine was being prepared for death in his
cell. DR.. Mcdonald stepped back by the
door, where he could look straight across