The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-08-03
ELECTRIC DEATH CHAIR.
BUNGJING ELECTROCUTION IN TIE
STATE PRISON AT AUBURN.
At the First Contact the Chair Gave Way and
the Victim Revived, and on Attempting
Second Contact There Was No
Current-Finslly Killed.

AUBURN, N. Y, July 27.-A CHASTITY
tragedy, the sequel of another, has
been enacted in the prison here today
Murderer VIM. g. Taylor, who killed
a convict, was placed in the electric
execution chair to expiate the crime
he had done. He received shock OF
100 volts but the contact was not long
enough prolonged and when the onr-
rent was about to be turned on again
the dynamo would not do its work.
The man slowly came back towards
consciousness, to prevent which NOR
phine was administered while prepare
tions were being made to get an elec'
trio supply from the city.
The witnesses reported at the war
denis Office at noon and among those
who responded was DR.. Nettie E. Jen-
kins, of this city, the first woman to
witness an electrocution. 1t was two
minutes to one when the warden in.
yited the witnesses to follow him to
the death chamber, whittier Taylor
was soon taken. The condemned man
was Immediately placed in the chair
and tightly pinioned'
When all was ready the signal was
given and the current turned on. Tay-
lor's powerful frame shot back and up
in the chair until the straps creaked
and simultaneously there was crash.
The strain upon the foot rest had
broken. it and the underpinning of the
chair gave way. The spectators were
startled but supposed the victim dead
when a strange noise was heard. He
was gasping for breath. Turn on the
current was the command of the
warden and Electrician Davis tried to
obey but there was no current. The
dynamo had broke down, the arma.
ture burned out.
The victim was Low gasping and
groaning aloud. lie was unbound and
carried into an adjoining room. He
endeavored several times to rise from
the cot. The physicians said he. was
unconscious, precisely in tie condition
of a man stricken with apoplexy. He
would recover and the only way to
carry out the law was to again place
him in the chair. A lineman quickly
connected the prison apparatus to the
electric light plant and IN an hour al.
was ready for the second electocution.
Taylor continued to grow stronger
and was given morphine. A small
dose of chloroform was also given. He
was then carried bodily to the chair
which had been repaired and strap
ped in sitting position. The current
was then turned on, the body straight
ened up and for half minute 1910
volts coursed through Taylor's uncon :
scious form and he was pronounced
dead. A stethoscope was applied to
his heart to make sure and Mrs. DIR.
Jenkins and others declared there was
no pulsation. The first electrocution
took place at 1915 and the second at
LOS.
Taylor and his victim were second
term men and shop mates in the prison
The murder was perpetrated on the
afternoon of Sept. 20 '92. The fact that
a murder had been committed was not
known until announced by the muir
derer himself The body of the VIC
tim was easily found by an ugly cash
in the throat from ear to ear. Taylor
said he committed the crime as he pre-
ferred death to further imprisonment.