Henderson daily dispatch., 1935-12-04
Lethal Gas Chamber Is
Believed Torture House
tContinucd from Page oue)
= llnath hr olcctrocutlon

CCOntinuCd FIOm rage One
than death by clcctrocution.
The first dog executed in the gas
chamber last week was placed on the
floor of the chamber. When the eggs
Of sodium and cyanide were dumped
into the container of sulphuric acid
beneath the new death chair. il was
minute or more before the dog sniff
fled any of the poison gas fumes
When the gas finally reached its nos
trials it ran about, flung its head
from side to side, bOwlcd dismallv. as
if sensing the approach of death. and
finally died in conclusions. The wit
ncsses, including those who had seen
as many as $50 electrocultions, were
Mortified, sickcncd. For all those VINO
have ever witnessed an electrocution
know that unconsciousncss comes in
Stantly to the person oeing electro
cutcd as soon as the switch is thrown.
even though it may require several
minutes before the heart stops beat
ing.
II have seen at least $50 mon cleo
trocutcd, but | have never heard one
make any outcry or give any indica-
ton of having suffered any pain. for
those being electrOcuted lose consc-
iousness instantly as soon as the cleo
trio current hits Them" Warden H.
II. HOncyscutt said following the sec
ond experiment in gassing the dog
Yesterday II have never socn an exc
cution by gas. but II q human being
would suffer as much as the two dogs
I have seen gasScd to deatli-~and |
think human being would suffer
just IS mueh--thcrc is no comparison
in the humanenpaS Of electricution AS
compared with death by gas, in my
opinion. / hope | am never called up
on to be present at Il gas execution"
Guards and the electrician who
have assisted in clectricutions and
who witnessed the death uc the two
dogs in tho gas chamber agreed with
Warden Honeycutt that cIectrocution
is more humane, that the person be
ing electrocuted suffers no pain what
ever, loses consciousness immediately
and that clectrocutions arc unplca-
SAINT only to those who must witness
them.
1T would be possible for Il man
condemned to death in the gas cham
b2r to remain alive for several min
utes after the chamber has been seal
ed and the gas turned on DR.. George
>. Coleman. prison physician. said
after witnessing the gas killing Of the
second dog. in the second test Of the
gas chamber. "A human being can
hold his breath for perhaps two min
utes, and must take several deep in
halations Of the gas before losing con-
'sriOuSueSS. Inhalation Of The gas will
also cause violent muscular trcmOrS
and commissions before the victim is
entirely dead. There is no douHt but
that a human being would suffer con-
siderable pain from the effects of tho
gas before losing consciousness. l am
convinced that clectrocutiOn is entire
ly painless to the victim, much quick
or and much better for every ono con
rcrncd."
The dog put TO death in the gas
chamber yesterday was tied in the
scat of the chair over metal containc,'
Of Sulphuric acid into which tho
"eggs'' of sodium cyanide are dropped
when button is pushed on tho cleo
trio switchboard outside the chamber,
in order that the gas might reach him
p1orc quickly. It was thought that tho
reason the first dog howled and yelp-
, cd, as il in terrible pain. was because
he was on the floor, and that the gaa
did not reach him soon enough.
But the second dog exhibited the
same reactions as tho first. At first
he did not seem to notice the ga.t
after the eggs" were dropped into
| the acid. When he commenced to sniff
| il. he turned his bead from side to
side, in An apparent effort TO avoid
! O" rot away from the deadly fumes.
AS the gas grew stronger. he start cd
! TO yelp and howl as if in severe pain
and struggled to free himself from,
| the ropes that bound him in the chair
! Then he began to shake violently
! these preliminary tremors finally 60
ing into regular commissions before he
. finally fell over in the chair and died
! Whether a human being would &C
through all these steps is not de-
! finttely known. although reports from,
ether states where gas is used to exc
cute those condemned to death. in
| dicatc that the gas victims go through
some muscular strain and commissions
before dying. At any rate, those who
have seen these two tests Of tho ga