The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-01
TEARS OF NO AVAIL.
DR.. Buchanan, Wife Murderer,
Executed by Electricity.
His Wife Supplicated Governor
Morton on Her Knees.
COLD BLOODED CRIME.
Murdered His Wife Whom He
Married for Money.
He JOked and Laughed at Her
Funeral.


SO many efforts have been made and SO
many legal questions raised, was exc
outed today in the electric chair at 11:23.
Between the death cell, which Mr.
Buchanan occupied last night, and the
execution room, there is a space of but
three feet, separated by heavy woCd
and iron door. From this door to the
| death chair is five feet more, and as Bu-
chanan sat on the edge of the iron cot in
his shirt sleeves he could hear the
guards arranging the room and Elec-
trician Davis getting the wires ready
This made him nervous and he asked
the guards whether they had heard any
thing from the attorney general AS
the night guards were still on duty they
could give him no information, and so he
paced up and down the cell until after
$50 o'clock, chewing a cigar and talking
to himself occasionally. His nervousness
increased as the minutes went by, until
at last Warden Sage entered the death
house.
1t was 11:14 when the witnesses were
called to the execution chamber All
was then ready, and Electrician Davis
was at the switch board. In closed box
was the convict, who upon a signal was
to turn the switch. When the party was
seated the electrician put a bank of in
the current through them.
There we're 1,740 volts on the bank and
when they were switched off again the
warden and Awo guards appeared at the
door with Dr. Buchanan. He walked in
without word and took his seat. In
about thirty seconds he was strapped
and in forty seconds was pronounced
dead. The voltage of 1,740 was kept on
| for four seconds and then reduced to
forty volts, which was kept on for thirty
seconds more. 1t was the quickest and
| most successful execution ever seen at
the prison.
M' 5. Buchanan, wife of the condemned
murderer, made an unsuccessful effort to
induce Gov. Morton to commute her
husbands sentence to life Imprisonment
at o'clock this morning at Poughkeep-
sic. The woman sank on her knees
before the governor and pleaded for
her husbands life, though her
grief almost prevented her from
| speaking. Gov. Morton was plainly
overcome by the woman's pleading and
tears stood in his eyes as he lifted her to
her feet aud told her that he could not
grant her request.
Mrs. Buchanan arrived here on the
| train reaching here at 10:30 and was
taken to the residence of the pastor of
! the Presbyterian church. Warden Sage
| sent her word that she could not see the
! prisoner and at the time she arrived they
we're already preparing him for the
electric chaiz.
Seldom. if ever before, in the history
of criminal procedure in this country
| has there been such determined and
untiring legal fight made to save or pro-
long the lie of condemned murderer
as that which has been made in behalf
! of DIR. Robert W. Buchanan, the con-
victed wife poisoner.
Buchanan has practically been on the
| threshhold of the death cell no less than
three times since he was sentenced. On
two of these occasions his life was pro-
longed by the clemency of Governor Nor
ton, who granted a respite of one week,
at the earnest solicitation of the prison
ers wife, and the other respite owing to
legal technicalities, among others an ap-
peal to the United States supreme court
and the British am mbassador, Sir Julian
Pauncefote.
Dr. Robert W. Buchanan was born of
Scotch parents on October II, 1862, and
began business as drug clerk in Hall
fax, N. s., shortly after he left school,
! When a little over twenty-One years
of age he graduated from the
College of Physicians and Surgeons
| in Chicago. He returned to Halifax and
soon afterwards married Miss Helen J.
Patterson, young woman of good fam
! lily. Subsequently Buchanan, accom-
panied by his wife, went to Edin burgh,
Scotland, for a course at that city's cee-
brated university. The doctor and his
family returned to this country in 1887
and settled down in New York city
Debts accumulated rapidly, and the
young physician having picked up some
undesirable companions, began to drink.
In 1890 his wife, whom he accused of
faithlessness, separated from him. Ieav-
ing their child in his charge. After this
| separation Buchanan met a woman
named Annie Sutherland, who had kept
a house of bad character in Newark, and
she became infatuated with him. He Sc
cured divorce from his first wife, and
married the Sutherland woman in 1890.
The woman, who was reputed to be
very wealthy, made and signed a will
| in the doctors favor. The instrument
was witnessed by two of Buchanan's
quondam friends. Macomber and Doris.
She was old enough to be the doctors
mother, and when they went to live at
267 West Eleventh street, New York. he
passed her off as a wealthy widow who
| insisted on being his housekeeper Bu
chanan soon began drinking heavily and
| Quarrels became frequent
On April %, 1892, his second wife took
sick suddenly. doctor was called in
and Buchanan told him his wife had kid
ney trouble. A dentists wife and pro-
fessional nurse who attended the woman
saw Buchanan administer two spoonfuls
of medicine to the sick woman that
April %, Mr5 Buchanan died while Bu-