The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-02
DR.. BUCHANAN IS EXECUTED
Electrocuted in the Sing Sing Ptnlten-
tiary Yesterday.
1T REQUIRED TWO SHOCKS TO KILL HIN
Went 20 His Fac Rssolutsly But Kept his
Eyes Closed-Revives After the First
Appif cation Of the Curreut--fhe
Effort to Save Him.

an was electrocuted this morning. Ihe
current was turned on at ll:H at L'4p
volts for four seconds, reduced 10 4oV
volts left on for thirty seconds, when II
was turned on to 1.7iO volts again, ana
gradually reduced. until turned on hi'y-
eight seconds after It was first applied.
Buchanan entered the room with his
eyes closed. and did not open them at all
He walked along beside the attendant
without assistance to the chair. His leg
was slightly scorched and smoked during
the last few seconds Of the execution. the
body was perfectly motionless after the
current was turned ON.
Mrs buchanan returned from RhinecHh
at 1890 o'clock She was met at the depot
by an officer from the prison. She wished
70 be driven to the prison. but it WAS
thought best not to allow this. SO she
was driven away, and Is supposed 10
have been taken TO Mrs Sagcs private
apartments II IS understood that i'm an
interview with the Governor she pleaded
with him on her knees. The Governor,
who was very much affected, told her
that as far as any assistance he could
render her he would gladly DO it. but
that he could not possibly prevent the
law from taking its course.
A few seconds after the current was
turned of Buchanan was examined by
the physicians. VINO discovered a slight
pulsatlon OF the heart. The victim also
gasped and the doctors declared that life
was not extinct. The current was again
turned on in the fun force Of l.740 volts,
where IL was held for twenty-three sec
Onds when 1t was again turned or. Bu-
chanan was dead AZ ll.23.
THE LAST EFFoRr
Nothing was heard from Buchanan's
counsel this morning until a few minutes
before the execution. and il was be-
neved that they had exhausted every
means Of further prolonging MS life, and
had given up the case. AT ll.i5 o'clock.
however. the following message was re-
ceived by Warden Sage, signed by Ar
thur G. Butts and George W. Gibbons.
''The opinion Of the Attorney General
is misleading and misstates the facts az
10 the appeal. Buchanans case Is In
the Supreme Court of the United States
and your authority is stayed. You must
choose between supposed duty to the
state and obedience 20 the supreme laws
Of our country"
No attention was paid 10 the message,
which was simply protest, and had no
About The same time the following
moss ago was received from Governor
Moft0u's amenuensis.
"RHINECLfFF, X y. July Ito -.
Y. Sage. warden: The Governor informs
me that Poe has 10 further comnuni'a-
ton To make 20 you He informed Mrs.
Buchanan this morning that he could
iV' -. COOK "
Before the autopsy DR.. Gibbs maze the
following statement:
Or. GIBBS Statement
Il think the cause of the apparent par
tfal failure o. the FIRST application was
The fact hat the straps were crawn 90
fieht about The neck and chin. perhaps.
preventing the immediate expulsion OF air
from the lungs, and therefore caus.nS
the slight pllsation OF the heart which
we obss rged. / believe buchanan was
uncons0iO iOus after the first shock, and was
beyond resuscitation before tnc current
was turned Of the first time. The cvi-
dencc Of life which we found. however
was sufficient 10 render h. necessary in
our opinion 10 apply the current again.
| There can be no doubt OF the fatal effect
| Of the second shock. The entire execution
| from the time ihe current was first app
| piled until II was urned OF the second
| time was Jess than TWO minutes and
| am convinced that IL was absolutely
| painless"
| ~ soon as buchanan was pronounced
| dead he body was turned over 20 the
| physicians. and the post mortem examin-
aicn was begun az 1850 O'Clock An o., th'
| physicians 10 attendance took part in lh,
| autopsy.
The persistency wnth which Buchanan
| .. r.J !. Il
| Since the death OF the wife whom 30
| murdered on April 2 isJ0 10 marry th'
wife from whom be had been previously
| divorced. his case has been marked hi
| uncertainties which have made h famous
RE a. first seemed likely 10 escape sus
! piciou. and was not arrested unt.i JUNE
9th following the woman's death.
| The most remarkable thing deyeiope,
by the post mortem was the size " th,
brain. which weighed but 81 "a ounces. cl
less than three-fourths the average. Al
the doctors agreed after the post morten
examination that the execution has beer
as successful as any that had preceded ir
| point OF painlessness. The condition o
the brain Indicated the impossibility %
| consciousness after the application OF In,
current
TIT EYrcUriOs pkINfTsE.
Dr. Irvine. who has Witnessed nearly al
the executions in the State under the new
| law, said. THE failure OF the FIRST snOcl
20 effect death ia this case was. b
my opinion. due principally 60 the char
aeter of the subject in the Arst place
| Buchanan sat so nlOfiOniess On the chat
before the current was irst applied tha
| Il was impossible 20 detect his resllra
| tons. 80 doubt the current struck hin
al a moment when his lungs were nlie,
| with air instead OF when nearly empty
as they should have been. This caus
cd the expulsion after the first application
| Of the current. and also probably con
| tributed 70 cause the slight puigatiOr
which We detected after the current Wa
| turned on. Apart from this, the fact tina
| Buchanan had nerved himself 10 resis
the shock had much 20 do wit.. hi
! tenaciiy Of life. Il Is well known tha
any one can stand a heavier electrl
shock when prepared 10 resist II thal
| when u strikes him unawares Bgchana
| was an educated man and fully under
stood the punishment which he had L
undergo.
Therefore. he undoubtedly exercised
crater resistance than an ordinary ma
would have done, and contributed b.
his 0wn Will power 10 prOlong hts execu
ton. have no doubt. however. that IN
first shock destroyed consciousness. an
that the execution was a humane an
painless one"
Mrs. Buchanan notified Warden SAGE
as soon as the execution was over thai
she intended to claim her nusband's
body and give II burial he said tina
she Was without funds. but hoped 10 Oh
| tain assistance from friends The warder