The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-06-12

concluded its reading was removed from
his clothing subsequent TO his death.
When Fucker had placed this docu
ment in his pocket he turned quickly,
gave one swift glance towad his death
chair and then, feeling Tor its footrest
so that he might easily find the seat
Of the instrument Of death, he closed his
eyes and did not open them again. Care
fully and surely he sat himself in the
chair.
He rested back his head. stretched
out his arms upon the sides of the
chair, there to be strapped in prepare.
tion for the execution a half dozen
men were quickly bending over him
adjusting the straps, barring his left
leg for the application Of the eIectrodr,
securing him tightly by the legs, arms
and body. while the electrician placed
upon his head the mesh-nct filed inside
with water-soaked spongcs aud sur
mounted by the head electrode. A wide
strap opened in the centre to permit
view of the eyes and nose Of the VIC
tim was then fastened about the front
of the head from the back Of the chair.
The body plunged forward against the
enclosing straps AZ Warden Benjamin
r. Bridges raised his right band anI
the electrician threw down the electric
switch No sounds came from fuckers
lips after his final words, which he read
from the paper.
The current was applied at 12s12La
and maintained at various yoltages for
fifty seconds. AZ the end Of this time
Dr Jos. |. Mclaughlin, the prison sur
geon, examined Tucker and reported
that his pulse was still beating. The
current Was turned on second time aud
then, after the physician had declared.
his heart still beats" again, for the
third time.
Tucker was pronounced dead at f2:l4,
and at 1913, after all three legal med
ical witnesses had examined the con
yicted man. he was pronounced officially
dead. The repeated application OF the
electric current was made, the physi-
clans explained. not because Tucker was
not dead after the first shock. but be-
cause of the Involuntary muscular acs
tion Of the heart and OF the pulse which
cInanated from the heart action. The
medical witnesses agreed that The cleo
trocution was successful. and MI stated
that he was unconscious. ii not quite
dead, at the very instant the $50 volts
OF electricity shocked his body.
In addition to Warden Bridges, his
son, five guards and the electrician. the
witnesses Of the execution We're the fol-.
lowing;
Dr.. Joseph 7. Mclaughlin, the prison
surgeon; DR.. William n. Deyine, sur
geon general Of the Massachusetts mil
itia; DR.. William &. Mcdonald, medical
examiner for Suffolk county, Dr. Ed
ward X. Utley. physician attached TO
the NliddleSex county house of eoirec-
ton; Sheriff John r. l'airbairn Of Mid
dlesex county, and a press representa-
tive.
The witnesses had commenced the
march 70 the dead chamber at l2:07
o'clock. They had returned 10 the pris-
on Office III less than twenty minutes.
Yet this feeling Of self.control was due
chiefly 60 the man who had died in the
electric chair, who walked TO his end
with coolness, deliberation and II half
dreamy expression of countcnaee as If
he Ind planned Il all out how he was
To die and had resigned himself To what
ne must endure In short, Tucker was
\ the coolest man in the death room.