The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-29
FATE OF DIR. BUCHANAN,
Some Say He Will Be Killed by
the Surgeons Knife in the
Post Mortem.
USE OF THE CARDIoGRAPH.
One Little Instrument That win De-
eide How Long the Wife-Mur-
derer's Heart Beats.

NEW YORK, N. Y, June 2S.-As his
sentence now stands, DR.. Robert W. Bu-
chanan, convicted of poisoning his second
wife for her money, will be executed in
Sing Sing prison some day next week in
the electric chair. 1t is said by many ex-
perts that he will die on the dissecting
table; that the shock will not kill him. but
that the surgeons knives will while they
make what they call the post norton.
DR.. Van Giesen, the pathologist of the
charity hospital, will make the examina-
ton Of DR.. Buchanan's body after he is
taken from the electric chair. DR.. Van
Giesen made the same examination of
Hampton, the murderer, but it is stated
that he has told his students at lectures that
he is not certain that electricity, as applied
in carrying out the death sentence, kills
DR.. Van Giesen has verbally invited DR..
Il. 2. Vance of RandalPs Island, Robert
Stafford Newton of New York, and DIR.
Wendell Story of Buffalo to be present at
the examination of Buchanan's body.
Whether Drs. Vance and Story are there
or not DR.. Newton will be present at the
examination as the representative of the
Court of General Sessions, where Recorder
legal taking off.
DR.. Newton studied medicine abroad
and was on the house staff of the London
Hospital when DR.. Ernest Sampson of that
hospital invented and applied an instru-
ment called the cardiograph in the early
eighties. To understand sufficiently we'll
what the cardiograph is it is only neces-
sary to say that a mans heart is roughly
shaped like pear, and the pointed end
communicates the hearts pulsations to
the walls of the chest. The cardiograph is
applied over this point or apex of the
heart. So delicately accurate is this cardio-
ograph that it registers the faintest heart
beat. DR.. Newton will apply this cardio-
ograph over DR.. Buehanan's heart the in
slant ne is lifted from the electric chair as
soon as he is permitted to do so.
eve will go to Sing Sing to assist in the
examination of Buchanan's body" said
DR.. Newton yesterday. at has not been
promised that We can apply the cardio-
graph, but / consider it as necessary for
other instrument"
''Then what will stand in the way of the
application of the cardiograph 2" asked the
reporter.
at might show that the heart was beat
ing five or six minutes after Buchanan is
taken from the chair" answered DIR. New
ton, significantly.
What would you do if it did,"
"Set to work to revive him." said the
doctor, emphaticallv. Then he went on i:
1T is we'll known that at the execution of
John Johnson, in Auburn prison, where
he murdered two other convicts, he was
not killed by the electricity. Hewas warm
when taken from the chair. OF the sew
eral physicians present some said his heart
was beating; others thought not. If the
cardiograph had been in use there would
be no such diversity of opinion presented.
It has never been shown, as it should be,
that that death is positive and merciful.
In Johnson's case resuscitation was begun
and did so well that it was stopped by per-
emptory orders of the Warden"