The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-08

| after the reading of the death warrant.
| The Rev. john c. S. Wells, the prison
| chaplain, went into see him shortly after
| nine o'clock and remained for an hour.
| After he came out DIR. Irvine went IN, and
| found Harris showing some signs
nervousness, but otherwise all rig
/ Re said afierward that Harris did
| ask for morphi or any other stlfnul
| His only request vas for two orapt
| They were taken in 10 him. Harris
| shaved and had his hair cut at half-o
| ten. He then put on a new suit OF clothes
| furnished by The State.
The following witnesses were present:
! DR.. John Habirshaw, New York: DIR. ID.
| l. Kidd, Newburgh: Dr. D. p. Merritt,
Elmra; DR.. d. NJ. Daniels. Buffalo; DR..
| +. f. Sheehan, Sing Sing. DR. p II. Pyne,
| Yonkers; C. B. Cline. New YORK, and the
| following newspaper men: - Arthur
Brisbane, C. II. Winslow, J. Frank Clark,
B. C. Stuart, Arthur Greaves. F. ID.
Madeira. w. o. Inglis, Rudolph Block, j.
B. Hopkins and S. G. Austin.
NEARING TIE END.
The witnesses were all assembled in
| the WurdeD's office at eleven o'clock.
There were twenty-seven of them. Seven
were physicians and ten were newspaper
| men, The others were State officials
and friends of the Warden. 1t was 1915
when Warden Durston announced that
everything was in readiness, aud invited
| taken to one OF the Offices and counted.
| There was delay there OF
| fifteen minutes. Then the party
filed solemnly down the stairs
| through the kitchen under the Warden's
house, and out by temporary passage
| way built of pine boards to screen the
witnesses from the outside public. This
passage way led to the outer door OF the
execution chamber.
The witnesses entered and seated Their
selves on wooden stools arranged in
half circle at the west end of the roo
and facing the chair Warden Dursto
accompanied by DR.. Irvine, Head Keepe
Connaughrou. and four guards precede.s
the witnesses. Electrician Davis was al
ready at the switchboard. The spiral
wire, suspended from a neat iron, dan
gled threateningly above the chair, and
another spiral wire, coiled at the foot of
the chair, gave an inkling of the
nature of The apparatus. Rubber bags
filled with water and suspended over
head with tubes reaching Ito sponges in
theIelectrodes added TO the formidable ap-
pearance of the outfit. IL was 1880
when the witnesses entered the room.
While they seated themselves, Elec-
trician Davis attached the wires to the
battery OF lamps and turned on 1,760
volts He flashed testing the apparatus
at 1885,, and announced that all was
| ready.
WAITING.
Connaughton and the two guards
then went for Harris. He was awaiting
the final summons In his cell.
/ Harris was ready in moment
and the little procession was quickly
| formed. Screens had been placed in
| front of the other cells so that the
| men who will soon meet Harris's fate
did not see him as he went
1 a.1r air hor i6o he fnit IL
| tul chaplain followed him. He looked
| slightly pale as he entered the room. He
| paused an instant on the threshold and
| looked calmly over the assembled wit
| nesses.
| Warden Durston had stepped over to
the reporters and asked them to conceal
| their pads. saying, Harris might not
like it." The pads were put out
of sight, and Harris merely looked over
1 the people scanning their faces as his
| eyes swept around the room. He walked
| entirely alone just behind Con-
| naughten, and wavered for moment
| more from not knowing which way
he was expected to go than from weak
| ness Connaughton pointed to the chair.
| and without even q look Of curiosity at
| the thing which was to end his career, he
| dropped in the seat As he did SO ne
| began TO talk in n low voice.
LAST PROTESTS.
He said: II have word to say If the
| Warden will permit He paused and re-
peated, 81 would like to say something il
have the Warden's consent"
Warden Durston stepped over to the
chair and said:-"What do you wish to
say?"
Harris then. in weak voice, as though
each word cost him powerful effort.
sad:-"I have no further reservation to
| make. / desire to say that l am abso-
lutsly innocent"
Those were his last words. After
uttering them he seemed relieved and
settled back in the chair. to which his
legs and arms had already been strapped
guards. State Detective Jackson at
Jached the elep4rode to Harris right leg
which was ba> 10 the knee slit in the
trousers having baen made in advance.
THE SHOCK.
Eaton placed the helmet containing 3he
other elecUrode on the head. Elec-
trician Davis attached the wires to
was done qnicker than telling
of it, and theD the guards stepped back.
Davis, who had gone to the switchboard.
said, All ready" There was an in
stant's pause, while every man in the
room held his breath. Then Dr..
Daniels raised his hand. sharp click
from the lever, and the form in the chair
Strengthened up till the straps creaked.
It was Just 1910 1-2 by the stop watch held
by Dr.fMerriJt. A current of 1850 volts
passed through the body of Carlyle Har-
ris. In two seconds. Davis threw the
switch back so that only $50 volts We're
on DR.. Daniels still held his hand aloft
and one finger pointed above as though to
indicate that the soul of the man iu the
chair had passed upward. Then his arm
fell and iu just SIS 3-4 seconds the current
was shut of.
DEAD.
Drs. Irvine and Habershaw immediate
| ly stepped forward ard examined the
body which had settle back
limp IN the chair. DR.. Irvine
openeu the coat and vest and
| tore away the shirt over The heart. He
applied the stethoscope and after listen
| ing for heart beats turned and shook
| his head. This was two minutes
after the first Contact, and DIR.
| Daniels then invited the other physicians
| 20 step forward and examine the body.
| Life was extinct and 1t YVES plaii
| to all who were present lthf
death had come at 1.-THE first touc
| of the current Che only sign of anim,
| ton afte- the cnA mt Was turned on WI
| n slow movement of thea little ling
| Of the right hand and thi
was evidently due TO muscular CO.
| traction cansed by the current, an
| i 1t by the voIftfon Of the subject in tn
T : nair. All the physicians present ex
pressed themselves as satisfied that death
| had been instantaneous.
When all had examined the body Dr.
| Daniels turned to the witnesses and said !,