The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-04-23
Discusses
Gillettes Brains
,tBy S. w. Press Association,

tBy S. W. Press Association.)
PHILADELPHIA. April 90. physi
clans, scientists and savants from near
~ all the Important universities and
large cities Of the country will take
part In a discussion OF important top
les during the general meeting OF the
American Philosophical Association
which has opened here to-day and will
extend through tomorrow and satur,
day.
One of+the most important address.
es of the meeting. it is expected, Will
he that of DIR. E. A. Spftzka, who has
chosen for his subject, @"o%bservatiuns
Regarding the 1nfiction of the Dealt,
Penalty by Electricity"
DIR. Spitzka is a member of the fac,
ulty of Jefferson Medical College. an
authority on anthropometry and on
mental processes and diseases, and
the man.. who. within fifteen minutes
after Chester Gillette went to his death
In the electric chair at Auburn, N. Y,
had removed and made a scientific ex.
animation of the brain OF the young
man executed for the drowning OF his
sweetheart. Grace. or BILLY Brown.
In Big Moose Lake, July IL, 1906.
1T was a thoroughly successful exc.
cution.' said DR.. spitzka. "only one
contact was necessary. and was en-.
bletl to remove and examine the brain
between ten minutes and a quarter OF
N hour after the condemned man hn.
e:n pronounced deac.
$50 far as the resulting examination
Went. | can safely say that Gillettc's
brain WINS thoroughly normal. used
he prison scales in Weighing It, and
rs weight was 57H ounces %avoiriu.
pois. which is rather heavy and may
be said to place the brain among the
larger sort. It was. at any rate, that
OF a typical. healthy American lad OF
his age."
DR.. Spitaka has made charts and
drawings of Gillette.s brain and skull,
which will be exhibited at the present
meeting.
From this outline of the SKULL
he continued. you will see that IL
was a fairly good-sized head. The
circumference of the head was 5s.1
centimeters. From ear to ear. meas
urlng over the crown of the head. the
distance was sc centimeters. and the
space between the pupils of the eyes
CO.
Neither OF these measurements, OF
OF the others which 1 made. point to
ward abnormality. Therefore, as dealt
by electricity does not affect the brair
tissues or structure for immediate ex
animation. my personal belief is that
Chester Gillette was a quite sane and
healthy young man."
Among the other papers and speak
ers on the programme OF the meeting
are. art and Ethnology.' by Edwin
Swift Balch. OF Philadelphia; photo
graphs OF Daniels Comet" by Prof
e. E.. Barnard. OF Yerkes Observatory
Williams Bay. Wis; "Medineval Ger
man Sculpture in the German Mu
scum of Harvard University by Prof
Kuno Grancke. of Cambridge; "Goe
the's Private Library rs an Index oil
His Literary interests" by Prof. Wat
erman T.. Hewett. Of Ithaca, N. r.:
Recent Discoveries In the Pathology
OF Rabies" by Mazyck P. Ravenel. NJ
D., of Madison. Wis: Progress OF De
marcation of the Boundary Between
Alaska and Canada by Prof. o. H
Tittmann. of Washington.
The Friday evening lecture will he
on Results OF the American Museum
Exploration In the Fayum Desert oil
Northern Egypt" by Prof. Henry F.
Osborn. president OF the American
Museum of Natural History.