Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1893-08-02
HE DIED TWO DEATHS.
William G. Taylor Suffers Double Penalty
for Killing a Man.

| AUBURN, N. -, July N.-WllIlam q.
Taylor, the murderer of Solomon John
son, has passed through the awful Or
deal of electrocution and lived to
die second death in the electric chair
He received the full current of LOO
volts from the battery that was built to
carry out the penalty for the killing Of
human being, but the shock was not
sufficient to cause death, and before a
second current could be sent through
the nerve system of the condemned
man the battery had given out.
Taylor killed Johnson in order that
he might be electrocuted and thus
escape what he called the worse agony
of long term behind the bars at hard
labor. He did not call his
suicide at the cost of another's life.
Taylor and bis victim Solomon
Johnson, were second-term men and
were shOpmates in the broom in
dustry of the prison. Taylor was n
years old and was in for ten years for
burglary. The murder was perpetrated
on the afternoon of September 20, 1892.
According to the murderer's story, he
was tired of prison life and yearned for
the electric chair He accordingly
killed johnson, told the authorities of
bis crime and directed them where
to find the body of his victim.
At the trial an effort was made
to prove that Taylor had been
nursing grudge against his victim for
informing on him long before the trag-
edy. Taylor and Johnson were
shopmates in the broom industry
of the prison. Taylor was 25 years old
and was in for ten years for burglary.
The murder was perpetrated on the
afternoon Of September 20, 1892
There was no eyewitness to the deed,
and the fact that murder had been
committed was not known until it
was announced by the murderer
himself at the keepers hall. He
gave information to the hall through
the grated window in these words: "If
you fellows will 60 over and look I'M
der the broom shop you will find a
carcass there" He carried in his
hand keen-edged knife still
reeking with his victims life
blood, which he surrendered. The
keepers looked for the body of the vic
tim at the spot indicated. 1t was easily
found and proved to he that of Solomon
Johnson, who was convicted of an as
sault in Cayuga County. There
was an ugly cash in the throat
which extended from ear to ear
The man was stone dead and his head
was nearly severed from his body.
| he asked Taylor why he did it he re-
piled: ''I've got tired of this thing,
staying in prison all the time and I'd
rather take a dose of electricity and
have done with It." Taylor was tried
and convicted, and his execution was
fixed for the present week
Bhe scene prior to the application Of
the deadly current in no way differed
from that of previous electrocutions.
The condemned man was placed in the
chair and the usual connection of death
carrying wires made to the head and
legs OF the murderer. Then came a
moments silence as all realized that the
end was at hand. The sig
nal was given and the current
shot through the body of the con-
demned man. There was culver and
a spasmOdic extension of the muscles,
followed by a cracking sound. The
foot-rest to the death-chair had broken
and the condemned man was still liv-
ing. An attempt was made to follow
the first shock by a second, but the ap-
paratus would not work.
Taylor Law on the chair, bound hand
and foot, and for minute there was no
evidence of life. All who were gazing
on the horrible sight hoped that the
first current had proved fatal. But
it was not SO. He soon be-
gan breathing heavily. He Was
PLACED On a cot and conveyed
back to his corridor where he continued
breathing and grooming with the pulse
growing stronger.
Physicians say he was unconscious
after the first contact of over ZOO volts
His condition was analogous to that of a
man stricken with apoplexy. Nor
phine was administered. Witnesses
were not permitted to leave the prison.
1t was decided to secure electric
power from the city lighting plant and
again electrocute Taylor. Lineman
we're summoned and hastily connected
the prison apparatus with the electric
light plant, and in an hour all was
ready for the second electrocution
Taylor continued to grow strong
er and was given an injection
of morphine. A small dose Of chloro
form was also administered. He was
then carried bodily to the chair which
had been repaired and was strapped
into sitting posture. The current was
| then turned on, the body straight
ened up, and for half a aminute
1,24O volts coursed through Taylor's I'M
conscious form, and he was pronounced
dead. The stethoscope was applied to
| the heart to make sure and Mrs.
! DR.. Jenkins and others declared
there was no pulsation. The witnesses
had not been allowed to leave the
! prison and were invited to luncheon by
the warden, after which they signed the
death certificate and all was over. The
first electrocution took place at 1916 and
| the second at 90.