The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16

has been a Mortified witness OF some of tho ter
rible faults OF this system. In one case the con-
demned man, struggling and fighting, struck
tho edge of the floor when the trap was sprung,
tearing of ono ear and so displacing the rope
that 1t caught under his chin. The wretch
lived for 80 minutes. In another case where
the subject fought. the guards had TO hold him
on the platform. and there was danger OF their
being carried down with the trap. TIL Warden
decided that he would never. unless specifically
directed by, the law. execute a criminal by this
trap method. Under the new execution law Of
Connecticut the Warden OF the State prison and
the directors are commanded TO erect such mp;
condemned man. This leaves to them a wide
latitude, and Col. Woodbridge, on taking charge
Of Wethersfeld prison, continued with renewed
interest his studies on the subject.
About the time that Cronin was condemned
Col. Woodbridge learned OF a hydraulic gsiiows
plan OF 1t, which were forwarded. These lie
took 10 James Rabbit, n convict or whose ingc-
puity he had had many proofs. Rabbit soon
model that the perfected machine as II now
stands was evolved. This model was so built
by his weight, released n Ilug In a tank OF water
IN an adjoining room. and the water. when 1t
drop weight ~ 900 pounds attached to the gall
lows rope, and the fall OF the weight broke tho
,h ;b nSeS Ala bh'T mss were w,t Gsr GnI yP3.ndS ont :, S \ sms
--"Aitcr the man has once stepped on the plat
FORM no said 10 Rabbit, " you can't stop the
machinery II you want to. Suppose after all
was ready, and the rope on the mans neck and
seconds Of now The weight would 'faiii. that II
You eouidn't stop, the thi!nE then. We've got
to have some check On It,"
Rabbit: thought the matter over and devised
a treadle by, pressing which with his foot the
the machinery. Then, at "a further suggestion,
Rabbit nSsd another treadle whereby All the
OF tile weight instantaneous il so desired. One
thing still remained that did not suit
Goi. W2odhridge; Water, he fGund. Vas an
OF there was "A danger of leakage. which would
be fatal In case II was desirel u delay the
sand was substituted and worked very well. but
Rabbit suggested II was liable to pack in damp
weather aud become clogged,
"Small shot would hOw as readily as water"
he suggested, = and would he much more man
So IA. s shot was tried. and will be used In
the execution. The apparatus was nov con-
plete. IL was timed 10 AZ seconds after the
being the time allowance for tn adjustment OF
the nonse and the putting ON Of the black cap.
weit Without a flaw. Tests OF every Kind were
made. The apparatus WAS allowed to run out
It's full time OF 40 seconds, and II never varied
half a second. The stop treadle was tried at .
seconds, AZ 3 seconds, 10. 10, 80. and 80 sec
ondS and up tn the foTtieth second the ma
Is. Al any time. too, after the machinery start
ed, a touch of the foot To the other treadle would
send the huge doll shooting up into the air.
Everything was perfect,
The illustration Of the apparatus, which Is re-
produced from the Hartford COurdHt. shows the
machine complete, except the part which is be-
meath the flooring. The wooden shed which has
been built around tho weights and levers IL left
out OF the picture.
In one OF these dummy executions the specta-
tor sees nothing OF the workings of the GallOHs
except the finish. lie enters "A large, light,
stehm-heated room, near the centre Of which is
the little iron platform. A rope with a moose at
the end hangs from a beam, aud runs along and
Rbuye the beam TO a wooden closet in one corner
Of the room. In this closet il the machinery OF
death. The platform over which the rope hangs
Is ten feet from the doOr through which the con-
demned man is 10 come. Above this door IL the
most noticeable thing in the room. IL is a large
black dial. with the lower quarter cut on by the
top OF the door frame. AT the centre OF this Sc
cant line is a movable hand. On the black
dial. In characters Of vivid white. one sees
the figures ), 10, Is, and 50 on up 70 40.
IL Il sOmewhAt stErtling to mud Just after the
bones. This L. the clock that Is 10 mark the last
lev seconds 81 = name life. In q hiEh-back
chair At one side Of the room Tolls the dummy
man, lie Is lifted to the platform, and his
weight starts that Invisible. inAndible mA-
chinery In motion IL takes only five pounds OF
weight TO start Il. In a fe6 seconds the rope is
adjusted and the black cap put on Suddenly
the spectator becomes aware that she hand on
the dial Is steadily moving around, IL L. At
hneen now: nOH At twenty, twenty-five, thirty,
and lhsns "a stOp4 The Warden Who has been
Watching the dial has put his foot % =
treadle Ia froHt OF aul . feS feet