The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-11-30
Description of an EIcctrocution.

Addressing the Medical Society
Of Virginia at its session i'm Nor
folk in October Of last year, Dr.
Charles \. Darlington, sorgcuu 90
the Virginia PcuiDonti&ry. who has
Witnessed many elcC,rJCUtiUns 80
the State IhirJ!-tWo, h,
states gave the details OF execution
by elcCtrOCutiUu. The story OF
one execution practically applies 1o
all. DIR. Darlington says:
The exact details OF an clccn.-
cutiOn are as follows. When th,
fateful day arrives. the jury Of sin
or more citizens are brought into
the death chamber. the attendants.
five or SIN, the electrician. uu&
the surgeon are ali assembled near
the chair-just an innocent look
ing oak chair sitting on ruhbcr
mat. The chair is equipped with
proper straps and buckles for fas-
tening the subject in. and each
attendant has and kncws his sp.Cla.
duty to perform. \ head and a
leg electrode are used; they are
of copper and lined with thick
sponge. The electrodes we use were
designed by MIR. White, State tlcC-
trlcian and are especially adaptable
TO any size head or leg; and by
reason of their clever construction
with springs and COUmter-SpringS.
do away with all straps and buck
les, thus assuring very rapid and
snug adjustments
In the death cell after the last
prayer is said, the short order Of
the court for the execution is read
to the subject, and then with Il
guard on each side of him he is
quickly marched the six or eight
steps into the death chamber up
To the chair. 1t takes an average
of sixty seconds to adjust the straps
10 the chair ana the electrodes Sc
curcly. At a signal from the sur
geCn when all this is properly
fixed. the current is switched on
ana maintained unbrukcn for about
sixty seconds; although the current
/ is never broken it is varied in in
/ tensity during these sixty seconds,
as follows: Beginning at max
mum which is held for three tc
/ five seconds. then slowly during
about twelve seconds cut down Il
minimum, held at minimum FOL
three seconds; then slowly during
about twelve seconds, then carried
back to maximum, held there fol
three seconds, then back again tC
minimum during twelve seconds
held for three seconds. back during
twelve seconds to maximum, helC
there for three seconds, then brok
en- and cut off entirely; thus W.
see that sixty odd seconds has beer
consumed for preparation, and six
ty odd seconds in carrying out the
orders of the court to inflict the
death penalty.
minimum points of the death della
ing current. The electrical mech
anism or machine is so arranged
that the current has from ten tc
twelve amperage and cannot give
a current of higher voltage thar
eighteen to twenty-five hundred
So the maximum referred to above
means, say 1900 voltage, and the
minimum means 200 voltage. AT
ter the current is cut off, the heart
action for a few seconds is tumultu-
Gus, churning violently. This most
quickly slows off, and III a few
more seconds the subject is pro
nounced dead. He died from shock,
paralysis of the respiratory centers
and of the heart.
There have been post-mOrtcm
FINDINGS in which the right side of
the heart has been rupturcd, ON
ing to the violent contraCtiuns ri
tEc heart muscle. bar under our
state law. the surgeon is not pre-
mittcd to perform "A post-mortcm,
so his paper will no, deal with
any such findings here.
The temperature of the body is
enormously elevated after electro
cuuon, sometimes reaching 1l5 de
degrees. RigOr mortis sets in un-
usually early.
You can see from the above ac-
count what a swift performance on
electrocutiCn is. and | can assure
you that il is one of the most sol
emn, awe-aspiring acts any one can
take part in. have witnessed
thirty odd during two years and the
last one was just as fearful in its
solemnity as the first one. | hope
and believe that the solemn judicial
inflicting of the death penalty in
place OF the more or less spectacu-
lar hanging, will have a powerful
deterrent effect on the criminal
classes.
CAPT w A COLE pRnMOTEn