St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-09

and Wavered for moment, more from
not knowing which way he was expect
ed to go than from weakness. Con-,
naughton pointed to the chair, and,
without even look of curiosity at the
thing which was to end his career, he
dropped in the seat. AS he did so he
began to talk in low voice. He said:
II have word to say if the warden
will permit" He paused and repeated:
II would like to say something if have
the Warden's consent"
Warden DUrston stepped over to the
chair and said: What did you wish to
say?"
His Last Words.
Harris then in weak voice. as though
each word cost him a powerful effort,
said:
IL have no further reservation to
make. desire to say that l am abso-
lutely innocent"
tering them he seemed relieved and
legs and arms had already been
strapped by Eaton and Ford. the two
guards. State Detective Jackson at
tached the electrode to Harris right
leg, which was barred to the knee, slit
in the trousers having been made In ad-
vance. Eaton placed the helmet con-
tanning the other electrode on the head.
Electrician Davis attached the wires to
the two electrodes. All of this work
was done quicker than the telling OF it,
and then the guards stepped back.
Davis, who had gone to the switch
board, said:
"All ready"
There was an inStant's pause, while
every man in the room held his breath :.
Then DR.. Daniels raised his hand. A
sharp click from the lever and the form
in the chair Strengthened up until the
straps cTeaked. 1t was just 12:40I by
the stop watch held by DR.. Merritt. a
current of 1,760 volts passed through
the body Of Carlyle Harris. In two Sec
onds Davis threw the switch back so
that only $50 volts were on. Dr. Dan
ielS still held his hand aloft, and one
finger pointed above, as though to in.
dicate that the soul of the man III the
chair had passed upward. Then his
arm fell, and in Just 55M seconds the
current was shut off. Drs. Irvine and
Habershaw Immediately stepped for
ward and
Examined the Body,
which had settled back limp in the
chair. DR.. irvine opened the coat an d
vest and tore away the shirt over the
heart. He applied the stethescope. and.
after listening for neart beats, turned
and shook his head. This was two
minutes after the first contact, and Dr..
Daniels then invited the other phySi-
clans to step forward and eX-
anime the body. Life was extinct, and
it was plain to all who we're present
that death had come at the first touch
of the current. The only sign of ami
nation after the current was turned on
was a slow movement of the little finger
of the right hand. and that was evil
IDENTIFY due to muscular contraction,
caused by the current and not by the
volition of the subject in the chair. All
the physicians present expressed them
selves at satisfied that death had been
instantaneous. When all had examined
the body DR.. Daniels turned to the wit
Desses and said:
"That's ALL"
The witnesses who had seen other
electrOcutionS agreed that this was the
most successful one yet. There was no
sign of steaming at the points OF con
tact, and aside from purpliSh tinge
appearing on the skin there was no
change in the appearance of the body.
AS the witnesses passed out OF the
building one of the newspaper men
tainted, and was carried out by friends.
He recovered in few minutes. Mrs.
Harris viewed
The Raising of the Black Flag
from the window of her room in a
boarding house. When the ominous
signal f1oated on the soft breeze, she
turned quietly away, resigned and calm,
as she has been for the past few days.
At 12:45 Allan Harris arrived at the
prison, and Principal Keeper Con-
naughton escorted him to the room in
which his brother lay. The witnesses
were escorted to the Warden'S office
when all was over, and each one signed
the official statement required by law.
Drs. Irvine and Daniels conducted the
autopsy, which was Begun ten minutes
after the electrOcutiOn was over.
At o'clock Undertaken Kipp, who
carries on his business in the village OF
Sing Sing. drove up to the prison. lie
procured the prison physicians certiii-
cate of the cause Of Harris death, and
then drove into the prison grounds
through the southeasterly gate. In
his wagon was highly polished
| oak casket. which was carried
into the death chamber, where the
body of Harris, dressed 10 a dark suit
of prison-made clothes, reposed upon a
table. The body was placed in the
casket. The undertaken refused to dis
close the plans for the disposition Of the
body. The silver plate upon the cover
of the casket contained this inscription
Carlyle W. Harris, murdered May s,
1898, aged twenty-three years seven
months fifteen days. We would not if
we had known.
1.-THE JURY"