The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-03-07
Electrician Davis Gives the
Senate Judiciary Com
mittee Points On the
Chair"
WHAT THE PLANT COSTS
MANNER IN WHICH EXECUTIONS
ARE CONDUCTED IN THE EN-
PIRE STATE AND IN NEW YORK

Special to ''The Jersey city News.')
TRENTON. Mar. I. 19o6.-The Sem
ate judiciary Cilnmittee has had lee
ture on electrocution from Electrician
Davis. of New York, in regard to Wake
lees BILL
Mr.. Davis gave practical information
concerning the operation Of the electric
chair in that State. covering the ninety
four electrocutions that have taken place
Sing Sing, Dannemora and Auburn in
the last fifteen years. The New York
official assured the Senators that the
most practical and desira bic plan to adopt
would be the plan which seeks to locate
the death chamber and an electrical plant
at the State prison here. He said that
movement had existed in New York
State to have a separate condemned
prison in an isolated spot, removed from
any existing prison, but that idsa had
been abandoned. and steps are now being
taken to execute all murderers in Sing
Sing Prison.
The cost of installing an electrocution
plant, it was said would not be more
than $3.50, provided an electric plant al
ready existed at the prison. In fact. the
New York expert said the whole cost
of installing dynamo. electrodes and
necessary apparatus would not exceed
$4,000.
Senator Avis asked if the current used
in the New York institutions was sup
piled from the town plants. The elec-
trician said it was not, but by an indie
pendent plant in the prison. He said
that in Auburn the plant was used for
lighting purposes. as well as for electro
cutions.
He explained that in addition to the
cell room required for the occupancy of
condemned prisoners awaiting execution
of the death sentence. a room capable of
containing the chair and provision for
the accommodation Of not more than
twenty-seven witnesses was all that is
required.
One of the objections made to death
chamber in the Trenton prison is based
ON the claim that the prisoners of the
s,,ct;+,,+ A., ,,,o,,1l - ,-o-,- ,,,,t A.,
moralized. The New York expert, speak
ing from his own experience and obser-
vation. said that when the electrocutions
were first established and the witnesses
and officials came first into contact with
the prisoners, the latter displayed some
nervousness. Later that display of con-
Germ disappeared and there is now no
visible effect.
The Massachusetts death chamber,
which was installed by the New York
official, has no direct connection with thel
main prison. The result is that electro
cutions take place without knowledge Of
the fact ever reaching the prisoners gem
erally.
The plan of the Sing Sing death house
was explained at length ts the Senators,
who took deep interest in the discourse
Of the expert.
Senator Price, who is physicSaza ask,
ed when the condemned person, after the
current has been sent through his body,
is pronounced dead. The expert replied
that death was believed by all physicians
who ever attended the execution to be in
variably instantaneous but the body was
always kept until rigor morris set in.
1t was explained that 1900 volts are
first sent through the body for seven or
eight seconds. That quantity Of the cur
rent, forced at from fifteen to twenty
horsepower, he said. always produces in
stant DEATH Instances were taken from
actual occurrences to illustrate the ill-
Simultaneous effect of the application Of
the current.
Senators Wakeless Lee. trellnghuysens
Price and Hutchfhsou and Principal
Keeper George o, Osborne. Of the Tren-
ton prison. all questioned the expert Tha
question whether it would be more adj
visable to establish a separate prison for
the execution of criminals. or whether
Trenton prison or Snake Hill Peniten-
tiary would be preferable. was answered
in favor of the State prison, unless the
State would be willing to go to larger
expense. Ii was explained that the cost
of each execution in New York is about
$500 1t was said also thar number Of
States are preparing to follow the ex-
ample of New York. Massachusetts and
Ohio and substitute the electric chair for
the gallows.