The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-10-28
The Man Who Electroeutes.


ward E. Davis finished his 74th exc :
cution by electricity. OF these Il
occurred in this State, two in Massa-
chusetts and one in Ohio.
This man, vino inyente6'the electric
chair, owns the patents on it and is
the only man who can absolutely be
depended upon to conduct an execu-
tion without hitch, is remarkable in
other ways. Thus, wherever ne goes
he focks by himself. He rarely speaks
to anybody unless he is spoken to first,
aad then he is found to be G most af-
fable person, more than anxious to
talk about himself and his work.
He will cheerfully answer any ques-
tion put to him, no matter how per-
sonal it may be. About his work he
is absolutely cold blooded.
He looks upon an execution as g
matter Of business, nothing else. In
this he remit nds one very much of lit
tie Joe Atkinson, the old Tombs
hangman, who was as cheerful an exc
cutioner as one would care to meet.
"My dear sir, I 'do not kill these
men," said Mr.. Davis just after the
Van Wormer execution to an inquirer.
'sThe people Of the State Of New York,
acting through Judge and Jury,
kill them.
81 am simply the instrument Of the
law. l work the machinery by which
the State of New York takes the lives
Of murderers.'
Davis is little, gray haired man OF
60. Ask New York politician who
is the hardest man in the city to find
aud he will tell you Tim Sullivan.
Ask g State official at Albany, espe-
cially Superintendent of Prisons Col
Inns, who is the hardest man in the
State to find and he will tell you it is
Davis.
Davis is q living mystery. He slips
from place to place, never maintaining
residence in a given locality for any
length Of time and rarely letting any
body know where he is.
Every once IL a while he appears
suddenly in Albany, maps out his
work for the next few months, and
then goes away oaain, whittier nobody
knows. He san be absolutely de-
pended upon, however, to put in an
appearance at State prison where
there is to be an execution several
days before it is to take place.
He goes right to the death chamber
and gets everything in readiness, and
after the execution he goes away as
silently and as mysteriously as he
came.
The State rays Davis $50 fes each
man hs kills. It has tried repeatedly
to buy ono Of his patents, but he vill
not sell If he should die there are
probably plenty Of men who would be
able to work his apparatus, but it
would be more or less Of an expert
ment, even if an electrician willing to
do the work could be found.
Davis mysterious movements are
attributed by some to fear Of assas- !
sination. Davis was asked about this
recently. and laughed heartily. He
receives many threatening letters,
he said, but pays no attention to
them. ~ H 4
The night beforean execution Davis
goes TO bed early aud leaves word that
every precaution is to be taken not to
haEs aaS :aSsi;ss :aSsi;ss around his rom. He 81
sleeps like e top and wakes up bright
and eafly.
His work in the death chamber, out
side Of preparing the apparatus, is very
slight. He looks on while the keep
ers strap the man ID, then puts his
hand on the switch and at d slight
signal turns on the current. He never
leaves the switch. after the first shock
until the man in the chair is ofieially
declared dead $. 5.ss I,
Verynaturally some people have an
aversion TO Davis because he is the
State exeoutioner, Far from being
annoyed By this, Davio 10 rather ANUS
ed rs x 3.
AZ 8 receDs execution Davip took
dinner at d hotel near. the prison.
Several regular boarders at the hotel
refused to sit at the table With him,
pssferring 20 wait until he was
through. p
ID Davis calmly ate'his; dinner, reading
his spapert The while, and bhsn*amoked
two sssgars lille the hungry boarders
waited for him TO Get away. zGs s35.3s fss
Davis has no assistant. He docs