The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-17
AT AN ELECTROCUTION.
HOW MODERN SCIENCE PUTS 4 MAN
TO DEATH.
Scenes in Sing Sing Prison-Tbe Re-
cent Execution of DeIhnO Described
Nicely of PreparatiOn-The Number
of Volts Required.

1t takes four seconds to put a man to
death, says the Philadelphia Times, in
the electric chair which now stands
within the towering stone walls of Sing
Sing prison. The state experts in cleo
tricity and medicine have worked so
hard to reach perfection in their deadly
apparatus since the burning of William
Kemmler in Buffalo, four years ago,
that the success of the new method may
be said to be established and all grounds
for controversy among humane people
done away with.
The four-second record was made last
Monday, when a hardy young Italian
named John Delfno, who year before
had murdered a woman in Brooklyn,
sat in the chair, and for that length OF
time was the center Of 1,760 seethins
electric volts. There was no need in
his case of a second current, no burn
ing of the body, no uncomfortable scenes
at all beyond those which sensitive
imagination is bound TO call up. and
when the corpse was taken from the
chair and cut up the doctors said the
man had died without a pang, OF
paralysis of the heart.
Owing to the many Improvements in
this nineteenth-century method Of exc
cution an unusually distinguished gather
ing was present to witness Delhno's tax
ing off. Warden Durston OF Sing Sing
sent out his invitations on Saturday to
twelve newspaper men and eight ply
sicians. among the latter being DR.. Ed
ward Carroll of Brooklyn, Dr. Charles
oil Tn-
ward +. Benson of Boston and others
from different cities. DR.. Irwin, the
prison physician. was also present.
The invitations called for the presence
of the invited ones at IL o'clock in the
morning. the law requiring the execu-
ton to take place at some time during
the week, and Warden Durston fixed il
early with a view to ending the con-
demned mans misery The governor
had declined to interfere, and the abso-
lutte hopelessness of his case had brought
the prisoner TO a mental condition which
even religious enthusiasm could not re-
lievc.
When the visitors reached the prison
crowd was about it waiting the rise of
the black flag above the roof which
would tell of another murder avenged.
Head Keeper ConnaughtOn, the Oldest
employee about the place, stood at the
front entrance and Inspected the lnVl-
tations. on the inside a clerk was seat
ed at a little desk recording the names
Of the guests in legal documents, which
the law required. Warden Durston
shook hands with every one ana nerN-
ously busted himself about the room
during more than a half-hour's wait
The priests were below in the square,
dark stone cell. in murderers' row, pray
ing with DelflnO. Next to him was
Buchanan. who is soon To be electro
cuted for numbering his wife. unless the
law interVenes and only two cells re-
moved was the burly negro, Johnson
whose life is similarly threatened. The
proceedings sadly affected these two and
they paced restlessly up and down their
few feet of space while the agony
lasted.
AT 11:SO o'clock Warden Durston had
the twenty witnesses down stairs into
the Jail. across a long stone passage
way out through an open court INTO
a central building and then into the
death chamber. This place is an oblong
room about 30 by . feet, built of stone
without an oak within. The ceiling IS
vhiteUashed and the floor carpetless.
Two big windows curtained with white
muslin let i'm a bright light and pudgy
little stove near the east wall heats the
room somewhat indiferentlN.
About three Of the walls seats We're
ranged and these the visitors just filled
Against the other wall stood a high.
SQUARE oak cabinet, from the top OF
which reached an iron arm with a
dangling wire. This wire, twisting ana
curling. came down to an inch or two
above the back of the wooden eXecu-
ton chair All one side of the cabinet
was taken up with the electric switch
board. which is similar to those used in
all modern buildings. except that above
a tiny push-button in one corner was
posted this printed notice:
1 Rell-Cfet ready.
. Bells-Full force.
> Bells-Reduce,
Bells-Full again.
Bells-Slow off.
1 Bell-ClOse.
Bells-All through.
These signals We're for the Information
OF the man inside the cabinet, whose
identity as execuXtioner Is always kept
secret although he is supposed to be
another prisoner whose sentence IS
| lghtened for his grim services. The in
terror simply contains space enough TOT
! the man to stand upright in and operate
the switch. which by a finely graded
scale runs all the gantlet of volts which
! the powerful prison dynamo is able To
| throw into the dangling wire above the
| cabinet.
The chair itself is plain square oak
| frame, with a hardwood head-rest and
| rigid arms. When the visitors entered
| the death chamber ugly leather straps
| hung from the arms of the chair, and
/ there were two round metallic instru-
ments on the floor which contained the
| wet sponges and conductors which were
! to touch the head and knee of the con-
demned man. a wire which curled up
! through a hole i'm the floor was connected
with the knee clasp, but the head-piece
was loose.
State Electrician Davis. when the Wis
! itors were seated, began a series of eX-
| periments with his dynamo. He con-
! nected the chair wires with board on
| which were twenty incandescent lights,
| and with these representing for mo-
ment the body Of the condemned man,
| the whole series of voltage was gone
through with, Warden DurstOn touching
| the push-button and the unknown eXecu-
/ toner on the inside obeying him to the
| instant The full development was 1,760
| volts. and when these were turned on
the twenty lights blazed up fiercely, only
| to die away to a dim glow at the third
| signal.
Mr.. Davis, rubbing his hands comfort
| ably at the good showing of his deadly
| charge, came forward and explained the
| workings of the dynamo. He said that
one full charge Of the current would kill
! on the instant. and that for once it would
| be best not TO raise and lower il as here
| tofore. The men of medicine who were
! present and Warden Durston agreed with
| him, and the lay spectators shuddered
| at the busness-like proceedings. Only
Mr.. Davis was calm.