The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-02
HOPEFUL TO THE LAST.
He Thought Executive Glenn
ency Would Again Stay
His Execution.
STORY OF THE POISONING
Mrs. Buchanan Killed After She Had
Wllied Her Property to Her
Husband.

SING SING, N. Y, July 1.-When DR.
Robert W. Buchanan, the wife -poisoner
awoke this morning after few hours o
troubled sleep he realized for the first time
that the day of his doom had arrived
Several times in his remarkable fight fol
life he had been as near the hour set fol
his execution as he was last night, but al
ways some act OF executive clemency Of
: some new legal maneuver intervened Il
grant HIM a new respite. Last night nC
such good news reached him, but he knew
before he retired that his fate was still in
doubt. a faint hope still remained that
the latest effort Of his lawyers to save him
, from the fatal chair might, in the opinion
of the Attorney General, entitle him to
another chance to have his case reviewed
by the courts; but while the doomed man
slept the following message came to War
den Sage and made his duty plain:
SYRACUSE, n. Y, June 80, 1895.
:. To Warden o. Y. Sage, Sing Stag Prison, N T.:
I do not think the last proceedings operate as
e stay; have no further advice TO give.
T. E. HANCOCK, Attorney General.
The Warden said this brief message was
more satisfactory to him than the opinion
itself. and it left no doubt in his mind as
TO his duty TO carry out the sentence of the
Court Of Appeals. The Warden was at his
desk soon after Z o'clock, and at once is
sued the usual orders in regard to the de
tails Of the execution.
. Dr.. Buchanan did not retire until
o'clock this morning, and did not remove
d his clothes then. But he had apparently
rested somewhat better than the night be-
fore and seemed refreshed and more cheer
ful than yesterday, when he awoke at $50
= o'clock this morning. AT 7:30 he called
for q bowl of milk, which has usually con-
stituted his breakfast. He saw no one but
his guards until an hour later, when
Warden Sage entered with the condemned
1Err' Z spiritual adviser.
The Warden informed Buchanan of the
tenor OF the Attorney-General's dis
patch and notified him that in accord
ance with the opinion of the law depart
ment of the State it would be necessary TO
carry out the sentence of the court. Bu-
chanan had evidently prepared his mind
for the news and expressed no surprise.
Warden Sage told him of the efforts that
Mrs. Buchanan was making to secure a
reprieve or Communication of the sentence
opinion that the chances were slight for a
favorable result of her entreaties. Shortly
afterward the Warden received the follow
ing message from Mrs. Buchanan;
RHISEcLrF, n. Y, July /, 1895.
Warden Sage, Sing Sing, N. =: All pleadings
vain. Governor cannot possibly interfere.
ANNIE BUCHANAN.
This was not communicated to
Buchanan, the Warden deeming it a
kindness to leave him to the last with
whatever hope of executive interference he
may have entertained.
At H. 13 the witnesses were conducted to
the execution chamber. Everything being
in readiness, the signal was given, and at
IL 20 the condemned man was ushered
into the cham Der. He did not have more
cell to the chair. He walked firmly, but
had his arm linked in that of the prison
chaplain, who led him to the chair. The
condemned man had his eyes closed when
he entered the execution-room and did not
again open them.
After he had taken mis- seat in the chair
he sat motionless with closed eyes and ap-
peared almost unconscious of what was
going on about him. The straps were ad-
iusted by the guards and at IL II, exactly
one minute after Buchanan entered the
chamber, the signal was given to the un-
seen executioner to turn on the fatal cur
rent.
The body in the chair gave a sudden
convulsive movement, which strained the
straps by which it was bound, and re-
mained motionless. The only outward
indications of the effect of the current was
the heightened color of the face, due to the
rush of blood to the head, and slight
burning of the right leg. where it was in
contact with the electrode. The current
was applied at first at the full intensity Of
1740 volts, and after seven seconds was re-
duced to 400 volts, where it remained for
fifty seconds, when it was turned off.
The physicians Immediately sought for
evidence of life and after hurried exam
ination announced that Buchanan was
dead. They were able to detect a slight
uuIsation of the heart. There was a gush-
ing sound from the throat, such as has
been observed in other cases, and is at
tributed TO the sudden expulsion of air
from the lungs.
At y 80 Electrician Davis again gave
the signal and the current was turned on
at full force 1t was notreduced this time,
but was held at 1740 volts for twenty-three
seconds. At 11:22:55 the current was
again turned of, and this time the victim
was pronounced dead.
As soon as Buchanan was pronounced
dead the body was turned over to the
physicians and the post mortem examina-
ton was begun at Ii 30 clock. All of the
physicians took part in the autopsy.
The autopsy disclosed the usual changes
In the condition Of the brain and arterial
system, but in less marked degree than
In other cases OF death by electricity. The
arteries we're nearly empty, while the
brain contained free blood in considerable
quantities. As far as the general examina-
lion Of the body was concerned it showed
that all the organs were in q normal con-
iition with the exception of the left lung,
Which was badly affected. The most re-