The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-04


Bourke Cochran made the argument
Tor kemmler, and although it was
Welrdly eloquent, as the subject in
vlted 1T to. be, it was unavailing, and
In Kemmler's case, fortunately for the
supporters of capital punishment by
electrocution, decisions were rendered
that assured the maintenance of the
existing law upon the statute books
TILL such time as the legislature might
repeal it,
The first step taken was to obtain an
electrician of sufficient attainment who
would also be willing to bear the OPP
probrium of being at the same time the
state eXecutioner. Such a one was
found in the person of E. F. Davis, of
Springfield, l.. l. His pay was fixed at
$3.50 for each execution, with allow
ance at SO per diem for the time act
ually occupied in services and in trav-
cling and the expenses of his journey.
He has conducted in the three state
prisons 101 executions, so that, apart
from his per diem allowance, his pay
has not exceeded $1,000 a pear-with
that allowance about $1,700; which is
certainly not a large outlay by the
state for the services he renders It.
For some reason or another 1t was
deemed necessary to establish electro
cution plants at all of the prisons, re-
curing the original expenditure for
condemned cells, death chamber, ap-
paratus and the maintenance of at
least force of four keepers so long as
there should be prisoners under SEN
tence of death.
AS a matter of fact, the condemned
cells at none of the prisons have ever
been empty, although at Clinton occa-
sionally only one man has been con-
fined, but the force of wardens has, of
course, to be kept on. These separate
buildings have to be heated and
lighted
In the early use of electricity the
condemned man had a reasonable ex-
pectation of going to his death within
the week named for the execution of
the sentence. The adoption of a NOV
able date within a week had a double
purpose. 1t was proposed to give to
the sentence an additional weight in
the mind of the prisoner by the uncer-
tafnty of its time, following in milder
form the custom in France, where the
condemned person is sentenced to
death, but not informed when the exc
cution will occur until the door opens
at last to bring him forth to the gull
lotine.
This refinement of cruelty was pro-
vided for, although not adopted, and,
in fact, the condemned man in Sing
Sings death cell follows the decisions
upon his case actually from hour to
hour and knows as soon as the gov
ernor has spoken the final word what
his fate is to be, and, if death, at what
day and hour he will meet 1t. The
more potent reason for leaving the
warden the option of selecting one day
of prescribed seven was to make sure
that the machinery should be in order.
Although a hundred executions have
taken placein this state and some forty
in Ohio without really serious mis-
haps, the officials never lead victim
to the chair except in doubt whether
they will be ableeto kill him decently.-
Within few. days the warden of the
Columbus (Ohio) penitentiary, William
N. Darby has resigned his Office, with
its considerable emoluments, rather
than conduct any more executions. He
had officiated at three. The reaction
upon his nerves after the first one he
regarded as weakness, but anxiety at
each succeeding one became more in
tense, and when five men were brought
to the prison under sentence of death
he gave up his position. His expert
ence was largely due to temperament
al causes, but 1T is not foreign to the
wardens of the New York state prisons
who alike admit the awful tension each
recurring ceremony causes.
The death cells in Sing Sing are ten
In number. The room which contains
them is thirty by fifty feet. 1t is built
of brick and the partitions of the cells
and the floors are of the same material
Each cell is six feet wide, eight feet
long and eight feet hign. Their furni-
ture is an iron bed, a straw mattress,
sheets, pillow slips, two blankets, a
chair and table. There is running wa
ter In each one 5@~'-i''
The fronts. of, the cells are barred
Three feet without the door is wire
netting or screen. The space and the
net intervene between the prisoner and
any visitors he may have. Neither his
wife nor his children may touch his
hand, nor in bidding him a last fare
abominable. 1t is only possible
through the roof, through which in
winter the snow and cold may and do
enter.
Despite their wretched conditions,
the condemned men live while they live
rather merrily. With the nit is
Here's to the dead already!
Hurrah for the next who dies!
and although the reckless spirit may
be only mask, 1t is, nevertheless, the
prevailing one. Naturally, it varies in
different groups of inmates. One jolly
fellow may give the key for all the
rest
Such one was DR.. Buchanan, whose
high spirits continued to the last mo-
ment. Ten minutes before he was led
out to the chair he called out to Thorn
as Kerrigan. whose death sentence was
subsequently committed to life: Tom
my, they have a way of justifying the
legal murders by saying after their
commission: The unfortunate man
confessed at the last moment You
are going out In the yard. If you ever
hear that / confessed nail 1t as lie.
But say, too, / died cheerfully. Like
the Shaughraun, in Boucicault's play,
I shall be the life of my own wake"
Unusually there are some scoffing, or
at least jovial, men among them and
they chaff each other with great free
dom and make game of their keepers,
who are powerleSS to repress them.
When condemned man is received he
is stripped In the bathhouse and an
entire new outfit is given him to don;
no article that he possessed will he
ever touch again. He wears under
clothing and blue serge suit and blue
cloth slippers. He has no hat nor cap
nor further use for any. He can go to
bed by day and stay up by night; he
can eat his food when he pleases, al
though it is furnished to him twice a
day at stated hours, abundant in guam
tity and of good quality. If among the
number are some who wish to do so,
thev NAV frame their own hill of fora