The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-27
THE ROANOKE TIMES, SATURDAY.. JuLY 81, 1896.

Alter nl the courts and every other POS
siDle avenue for escaping the test had bee,,
tried there arose another difficulty. The
warden of the jail could not purchase dy-
| NAMES to generate tho electricity. Mono OF
| the electric companies would sell thcm
Every dynamo WAS hold by the companies
Like many other electric appliances the
| title always remained in the possession of
| the companies, and tho users paid n rental
| or royalty. They would not lease or sell n
| dynamo for an electric execution. But hero
again GovcrlAr Hill was shrcwd enough
to see that tho law which he had worked
| so hard to have enacted SHOULD not be de-
| featcd In any such manner. Several cleo
| trio dynamos wcrp purchased for su.sie
South American firm and shipped down
to South America and bought by the state
OF New York and shipped buck. They were
more expensive that way, bat tho stuts
had to have thom, and Governor Hill WINS
not the man to- give up. There was some
difficulty in getting an operator who WAS
u skillful man to properly handle the eico-
tric machinery but finally ono WAS found.
Ihen began u pressure upon Governor
Hill for admission to the execution From
his past experience he was aware that the
electric companies would make every effort
to have men inside who would try to mako
such report of the affair ms might turn
public sentiment against the method of
execution. One prominent editor of New
York, who had been standing by the cleo
trio companies with great vigor and had
used oil the power of his paper to defeat
tho law and to assist tho electric eompa-
MES In preventing execution by such
| means, wrote n personal letter to Governor
Hill asking tho privilege of having rc-
porter present. Governor Hill denied this
request. The law provided that n certain
number of c1,pti11 1N,
the governor allowed man from each of
the press associations to be there 1t Is
probable that the New York senator in all
his experience with newspaper men has
met with but that ono instance of a MEM
Der of the profession disappointing him.
| Ono of the men got sick ut the execution.
and his report WAS not in favor of the new.
method of execution.
Since then there seems to DO q general
| acquicsccncc in tho new form of death
] penalty, and even the electric companies
have become rcconcilcd to the use of cleo
tricity as means Of killing murderers
They arc now found willing to supply tho
state with the best improved dynamos for
generating electricity and to put in tho
different prisons requiring them all tho
| electric machinery necessary for first
| class clectrocution.
AS some ono has previously remarked
nothing succeeds like success, even If it ii
In dealing with such n CHASTITY thing Il,
death for the greatest crime.
Ex-Spealker Reeds First Speech.
| Ex-Speaker Reed tells an interesting
| story about his first speech in congress. II
had served few months in the house."
said Mr.. Reed, land had been waiting an
| opportunity to rise to my feet and have
| something to say. Finally the William and
Mary college bill came up for considera-
ton. All the southern people were enthu-
siaStic In. its favor, and they induced DR..
| Loring of Massachusetts to make very
| patriotic and eloquent speech in its behalf
When hc had finished the southern people
| purposcly organized procession to march
| through tho aislcs and up to DR. Lorina's
seat for the purpose of presenting him
their congratulations. While all this was
going on sat waiting. There was q great
deal of confusion in the hall, and you can
Imagine how anxious became rs tho mo-
ments slipped by. The wonder to mo is
that had GOODNESS enough to wait, but 1
did, and after the congratulations had
been about all offered and the house Ind
been quictod down somewhat raised my
voice. But no ono appeared 70 SEQ me, and
l would have sold out my chance very
cheap L think it was one of tho bittcrest
moments Of my life standing there sur
rounded by my peers just bursting for a
chance to tell what 1 knew and thought,
but with no one paying the slightest ut
tention to me- and buzz going ON all
about.
L perceived that it was absolutely ncccs-
sary for me to do something to dominate
that noise ant, almost in fit of despcrn-
ton 1 filled my lungs and opened my
mouth. 1t appeared to me, as remember
1t now that II did not make so much diff
ference what said as how loudly could
say 1t. In II second or two had caught
thcattcntion of the house, probably through
the exercise OF main strength 1 then saw
l was going to have an audience if my
breath held out In a few seconds more all
noise ceased and faces began to turn to-
ward me. Then felt the inspiration of an
attentive audience, and I suppose 1 must
have made very good speech I spoke for
about ten minutes, and when I had fin
ishcd my friends came up to mo and told
me that 1 hnl killed William and Mary
dcader than q smclt and such turned out
to be the case, though they were rcsurrect-
cd some 10 ycnrs later. 1t was hot day
in Washington, and when 1 had finished
making that first speech of mine in the
bouse, Lord, how wet was!''
WALTER WELLMAE.
| The Hen.
Our real American bird Is the turkey