Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-28


executed in order that the surgeons and
physicians might learn exactly what ef-
feet the tremendous current had upon
the tissues and organs of the body and
discover IL possible in that way whether
Death was instantaneous 1t was found
that the blood was coagulated and other
indications went to prove that electrocu-
ton was certain. instantaneous ana
practically painless form OF death This
is what awaits the assassin who MUIR
dered President Mckinley and plunged
the nation into grief.
The condemned man will be led by
guards into the death chamber In the
Auburn penitentiary. Near the wall at
one end of the room is an oak chair,
constructed something after the manner
of an easy chair, with broad wooden
arms. IT rests upon rubber mating.
w hich insulates it completely. Attached
to the back of the chair is an adjustable
board, against which Czolgosz will rest
his back, and this board is equipped
With sliding road to which is attached
the death mask" a strap which can be
fastened around the head at the fore
head On the inner side of this strap are
two small sponges, which press upon the
temples and which are connected by
wires with the rod in the back of the
Chair. This rod carries the electricity,
conducted to it by heavy wires from the
wall. There are straps fastened to the
back of the chair to pass around the
upper arms of the condemned man and
hold the arms securely against the chair,
crher straps on the arms of the chair IT.
self binding the forearms down and pre-
venting the least struggle. Another
stout strap or belt attached to the back
of the prisoner and binds him securely
ia the seat. His ankles are also strapped
to the foot rest at the bottom of the
chair.
When all is in readiness two small
electrodes fitted with moist sponges like
those pressing against the forehead are
placed against the bare calf of each leg.
tie trousers being either slit for the pur-
p;,se or turned up as far as the knee.
When these electrodes are fastened into
pace the body of Czolgosz will form
part of circuit from the wires at his
had to those at his legs, and any cur
rent entering the upper wires must pass
from the electrodes at his forehead thru
his body to the electrodes attached to
mis- legs and thus back to the dynamo.
The execution itself. these details be-
ing attended TO. ls exceedingly simple.
Upon the wall of the death chamber Is
large switchboard and a number OF
gauges which register the number of
volts of current passing over the wires.
H.. {oIc tor for "a ~.
pose. either the sheriff or some other Of
fioer legally charged with the execution
PULLS down handle on switch, which
completes the circuit. and In a hftieth
part of second about 1900 volts OF the
deadly electricity leaps thru the body OF
the murderer and passes on thru the
wires. In that fraction of time IT is ali
ever. He ia dead as certainly as tho
guillotine had descended unon his neck.
The current is usually allowed to remain
st that Intensity for about ten seconds.
when 1t is reduced to 1900 volts. After
several seconds, in order TO make assur-
ance doubly sure. the current IL again
Increased to upward Of 1000 volts and
then cut off. The execution is over in
less than minute, the penalty de-
manded by the law has been paid
This method of execution has met
with so much favor from criminologists,
physicians and humanitarians that 1t
h,ts been adopted by several other
states. notably Massachusetts and Ohio.
II is an Improvement on hanging from
SEVERAL standpoints, being swift. sure
aid painless, and the removal of the
b ,dy within a minute after the current
a to, dSa h a
o d method. where a man was allowed to
hang for from ten to fifteen minutes
slowly dying. while a jury of doctors
ctunted his failing pulse beats and
finally pronounced him dead. There are
NJ, pulse beats In the electric chair ex-
caution The movement of the handle
oil the switchboard is practically simul-
ts;neous with the stoppage of the heart
tie obliteration of all sense and feeling
and immediate death.
The chances are that Czolgosz will be
ipnralyzed with fear when he views the
apparatus prepared for his death-the
yiisly chair, the head piece and the
straps 1t is, indeed. a spectacle which
might make the most clustering brag-
CURT quail. and in the case Of a pitiful
coward like the man who murdered the
president the effect will probably be
distressing In the extreme to the sheriff
and other officials charged with his legal
execution. But they have little pity for
him. Indeed, at the start before his
trial the sheriff discovered that the
guards stationed outside his cell were
pi.acticing a mild form of torture by
keeping him awake at night. They
m anaged to make noises which startled
him every time he went to sleep; they
talked or sung or whistled and gloried
in the fact that their endeavors We're
driving sleep from the brain of the
mild form of the Chinese
torture which keeps criminals awake
until they die. But as soon as the sher-
ifl' heard of this he put a stop to 1t,
largely because he did not want Cool
g,,sz to appear in court thin. drawn and
h,lggard as tho he had been prosecuted
in the Jail. In the eyes of the law he
was still innocent until he had been
proven guilty. and orders were issued to
feed him well and let him have plenty
of sleep. The result was that when he
came into court he was fat and sleek
after his two weeks of rest and good
fc cd and looked much better than he
did when arrested.
But since his sentence he has changed
his demeanor Realizing that his clum-
s,' efforts to feign insanity We're deceiv-
irg no one. he dropped them after the
trial and conducted himself in a quiet,
orderly way, as tho he were quite re-
signed to his fate and wanted only to
have 1t hurried along and get it over
Put fhf, ifcida1at Auburn 1ulala.