Passaic City record., 1893-07-29
AWFUL HOUR OF AGONY.
THE SHOCKING ELECTROCU-
TTON OF A MURDERER.

The Dynamo at Auburn On. W Pr1s-
on Failed to Work-The Con-
demned Removed From the Chair,
and for Second Time Exposed
to the Current.
The execution, in Auburn On. Y.) Peniten-
tiary, of William G. Taylor, the coiored man
who murdered a fellow convict in the prison
there, was a horrible affair The first con-
tact did not cause death, and the breaking
of the machinery delayed second contact
for over an hour.
The victim of the horrible tragedy was a
muscular fellow, nearly six feet tall, and of
powerful frame. He had no fear of death. and
without word walked to the chair and placed
himself in the seat OF torture. Quickly the
straps were adjusted, and within a minute,
and while the priests were praying, the cur
rent was turned on. According TO Electrician
Davis 1920 volts went through the body, but
it was only for second. simultaneously
with the turning of the lever the chair of
death was wrecked, the power of the
dynamo gave out. and the death cur
rent had not finished its work. A groan OF
agony came from the lips of the murderer,
his legs stretched out in front, the chair fell
forward, and the man would have fallen on
his face If two stalwart keepers had not
grabbed the chair and held it up.
When the current was applied Taylor's
massive frame seemed to shoot backward and
upward with great force. AS is usual the
straps creaked and accompanying the noise.
the front support to which the victims legs
were strapped broke. The body sank In the
chair. and had it not been for the straps on the
arms it would have been thrown on the floor
It lay in a reclining position in the chair
the current apparently still on. Every one
took it for granted that the electricity had
done it's work The body was limp and
motonless. Electrician Davis turned off
the current. Suddenly 2 moan
came from the lips, saliva was
gave gasp for breath. ftHe is not dead.
was the whispered exclamation of the
spectators. Warden Stout ordered the cur
rent turned on again, and Electrician Davis
tried TO obey, 1t was then that the horror Of
the situation dawned ON all. The lover was
turned, but the electric fluid did not re-
spond. The dynamo had failed.
Not a spectator moved, but blanched faces
indicated that the horror of the situation
was felt by all. The silence was broken by the
.labored breathing ofthe murderer Electrician
Davis tried his lever again. There was no re-
sponse. Taylor was breathing stertorousy,
and none would have been surprised to hear
him give vocal expression of his suffering
No one seemed to know what was the mat
ter, and the painful stiffness was only broken
by the gasping and breathing OF the victim.
Apparently the body was rapidly reviying.
The body was released from the straps by
officers and cot was brought in from the
auteroom. Taylor was placed on the cot
and was carried into the corridor. Electri-
clan Davis, who had gone to investigate the
cause of the failure OF the current, returned
with the information that one armature had
burned out and the dynamo was powerless
t0suMply the current to finish the work.
Taylor was now groaning piteously and
his head turned from side to side. He threw
his arms wildly into the air and his legs kicked
about as though in agonizing torture. Yet the
doctors say he did not suffer With every
succeeding minute returninglife became more
and more apparent. All his limbs were in ac-
tion. Saliva flowed from his mouth, there
came horrible rattle from the throat, and
means came with every breath
The doctors pr sess that this was all un-
conscious demonstration. the effect of the
electricity on the muscles But the man s vital
ity was developing and the physicians resort
ed to a common method TO quiet him. Nor
phine was injected, but still he was active,
and to keep him on the cot a sheet was torn
into strips and he was strapped to it. II took
several injections of morphine before ne
showed any signs ofquieting down, and then
chloroform was administered The doctors
were apparently afraid that the man 8 robust
vitality would overcome the force OF the
electricity. The morphine and chloroform
QlQ the WOEk more SdllSidcsOrtiy LHstu Hau Liz
electricity, and the painful demonstrations,
or muscular contractions, ceased after time.
While the doctors were watching the laws
victim Warden Stout and Electrician Davis
were arranging to inisht the work. The burned
armature precluded the possibility of using
the prison DYNAMO. Outside aid was neces
sary Quick word was sent to the Auburn
Electric Light station that assistance was
needed. The superintendent and force OF
men went to work, and connections were
strung from the Commercial Incandescent
Light circuit, which passes in front OF the
prison, 500 feet from the death chamber. This
was tho work of half an hour. The broken
chair was hastily repaired. 1t was an hour.
however. before all the details had been ar
ranged, the machine tested, and everything
was in readiness for another trial. The work
of the morphine and chioroform was ap
parent
Limp, and with little evidence of life, was
the form of the burly murderer that the
and placed in the chair. There WAS little for
the electricity to do. The evidences
of life which had startled all when he
was removed from the chair and
after he had been taken into the
anteroom had been subdued. Forth second
time he was strapped in the chair and the
electrodes placed on the head and right call.
Then the current OF 1880 volts, which regu-
larly passes through the city incandes-
cent circuit, was sent through the limb
form by the turning Of the lever, and the
death was accomplished. The second con-
tact was of a minutes duration, and when
the current was shut off there was no sign OF
life. The usual tests were applied, and he
was pronounced dead. Over an hour had
been spent in the killing.