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

regarded as alive when he was carried
to the chair. 1t is not, of course, ex-
planned how he got the drug, because
officially it is asserted de died by the
prescribed means.
William Caesar, a negro, who was
sentenced in 1895, did not, however.
reach the chair. 1t is recorded that he
died of consumption, which is likely
enough, but it is also a fact that his
death was accelerated by voluntary
starvation. For many days he refused
all food, and when the prediction Of
his race for watermelon is regarded in
connection with the fact that he de-
clined it when offered, some color is
gwen to story that has other sup
port. s4si
The condemned men have four keep
ers, two by day and two by night. For
OBVIOUS reasons, the prisoners select
the best pair for their walking hours.
and sleep while the stricter couple are
on duty. 1t doesn't matter in the death
cells-it is night time always, at least
nearly dark, and the electric lamps
burn continually. They play checkers,
cards and chess, calling out their
moves or plays from cell to cell, sing
tell stories, read the daily papers, ar
que out the political and social ques-
lions OF the day, make speeches and
occasionally quarrel upon matters of
'4eAA 7iCol anu StTOIS
verbal personalities.
AT times one will read aloud to the
others. Molineaux, who had a good lit
erary taste and is a fine reader, held
his companions entranced with Henry
Harland's How 1t Was Written"
The Cardinals Snuff Box" and Lady
Paramount"
Patrick recently read aloud the Texas
story, Robert Greathouse," to a highly
pleased company of listeners. Although
the condemned men take their time
philosophically, sometimes one of them
gives way to the overwhelming horror
which his impending fate thrusts upon
MIN and in sobs and wild speech fights
through an hour of awful agony. At
such times the others sit in silent sym
pathy with his rawlings. They under
stand.
Generally when the day comes the
victim is the calmest man who assists
at the ceremony. With but few excep-
tons the 100 men put to death in this
state have gone to their doom cheer
fully, and whatever emotion they have
shown has been religious fervor.
The principal keeper, James Con-
naughton, who has been present in an
Official capacity, acts as the warden's
executive officer. When all is ready in
the death chamber he steps into the
cell room and mods to the guards; who
Immediately lead out the prisoner The
day before the barber has been intro
duced into the death house, and with
his clippers has cut the condemned
mans hair close to the scalp, and on
the left side of the head has shaved off
the hair entirely over a space half the
size of a human hand.
AfterWard the prisoner is given
bath and sent naked into a cell, where
ne nnds complete change of clothing
and furniture; nothing that he has
ever touched or used before. He finds
the outer seam of the right leg of his
trousers ripped open from the lower
end, half way up to the thigh. Thus
attired, the next morning he is passed
along from his cell to the death cham
Der door, his priests or clergymen
walking by his SIDE the keeper on duty
In the cells leading him by the hand.
He is not bound.
When the door of the death chamber
where Mr.. Connaughton waits is reach
ed State Detective James Jackson re-
ceives the man from the cellkeeper and
leads him to the chair. He turns him
about and calls him MY boy" and my
son." speaking with affectionate cheer
fulness and pressing him back in the
seat. Keepers Deely and McInerny
stand at each side and fasten the
hands.
Davis, the executioner, standing be-
hind the chair, draws back the vic
TINS head and places over 1t the cap
and fastens the band about the face. 1t
takes only a few seconds. Every mo-
ton Is rehearsed in advance By the
time Davis has made the head fast the
other men have done their work. Davis
steps in front of the chair and rapidly
touches each fastening in turn. All is
ready. He mods to the warden. The
warden makes a scarcely perceptible'
movement with his right hand and
Davis throws the lever on the swith-
board; the warden repeats his signal,
which Davis in turn repeats to Nc
Neal, behind a screen, and the current
flows in.
Not a word has been heard except
possibly the murmured prayers of the
priests echoed by the dying man, and
the soft words o State Detective
Jackson as he adjusts the condemned
man in his place. AS McNeal turns
on the power the victim becomes rig
id; he cannot move more than a frac-
ton of an inch, but the tremor asserts
itself in his swelling limbs and mus
cles. the straps that confine him are
heard to creak and then all is silent.
The doctor has now stepped to the
front of the chair, and when fifty sec
onds or more have elapsed he moves
MS nand and the signal is passed on to
McNeal, who cuts off the current, and
Davis mods to the doctor, who leans
over the man and applies his stetho-
scope to the heart.
Then the other doctors come for
ward and listen; they confer and re-
port to the warden; the warden once
more moves his hand; the doctors step
aside and McNeal applies his current,
but this time the victim is usually
passive and makes no movement An
other delay; the electricity is shut off,
the doctors listen again and bow to
the warden-the man is dead. The
warden leads the way out; the wit
nesses in solemn silence follow him into
the garden. 1t is all over.
Occasionally the programme is va
ried by the physical condition of the
victim or by the assertion of some
mysterious factor in the electricity
Itself. It is even asserted that the
condemned men are not always killed
in the chair and that death does not
follow upon the shock which at least
and certainly deprives them instan-
taneously of consciousness.
It is thought possible that absolute
resuscitation could be attained with
any subject in the chair. Electricity,
unless accompanied by heat In great
quantities, does not destroy the facul-
ties Of the organs of life. 1t only stops
them, so to speak, as a watch may be
OF Fol 10 fIn ,,;&l,