The
Carolina
Watchman.
VOL. XXI. THIRD SERIES.
SALISBURY, N. C. THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1890.
HO. 43.
COME! SEE! BUY!
G. W. WRIGHT,
The Leading Furniture Dealer and Undertaker
ELECTROCUTED !
The First Xeial Death bj Electricity
on Record.
SEMSLER, TI1E WIFE EIRDEREK, BEAD.
I
IN SALISBURY.
m offering the Largest and Best Assorted Stock of Furni
ture ever brought to this place.
o
w
o
PARLOR SUITS!
PARLOR SOTl!
Mohair Crush Plusli at ffiO.OO. Former
price $75.00.
Silk Plush at $50 00. Former firicr,
$00.00.
Wool Plush at $35.00. Former price,
$45,00.
BED ROOM SLITS!
BED ROOM SUITS!
Antique Oak, Antique Ashe, Cherry ami
Walnut at prices that defy competition.
A LAHGE STOCK
A LARGE STOCK
- ss
Of Chairs, Safe?, Mattresses of all Kinds,
Spring Bela, Work Tables for Ladies
Pictures and Pit arc Frame of every stlc
and quality always in stock, or will be
made to order on short notice at reason
able prices.
5
BABY CARRIAGES!
JJABY CARRIAGES!
A large stock of Baby Carnages with
wire heels at $7.50.
Silk Plush Seat ami Satn Parasol Car
riages with wire wheels at only $1(5.50.
Formerly sold for $22.50.
"UNDERTAKING DEPARTMENT !
UNDERTAKING DEPARTMENT!
Sjx cial attention given to undertaking
in all its branches, at all hours day and
night.
Pa i tics-wishing my services al niiht will
call at my resilience on Bank street, in
Brooklyn."
Tltanking my friends and the public
generally for past patronage and asking a
continuance of the same, Lam,
Yours anxious to uleasc,
G. W. WRIGHT,
Leading Furniture Dealer.
td
o
Q
j
i
Tliis space belongs to
W H.REISNER. I
Valeh it next week, jj
6?
AN AWFUL TISIK WITH AN AWFUL AFFAIR
THE ELECTRttTC UUTTON BURNS
THROUGH THE SKIN INTO
Auburn, N. Y.,- Aug. 0. With a
short, sharp shock, painless so far us
ho world will over know, the soul of
William Kemmler was separated from
lie lodv at 0:40 o'clock tins morning.
A cap adjusted" to the bead of a man
DOQltd captive in a strange looking
chair, a lever quickly swung around
the arc of a semi-circle, a quick con
vulsion, a sudden revival of muscular
action, another turn of the lever, a
muse, a room filled with sickening
f inner;, nnd-twenty-scven witness of the
FIRST ELECTRIClnE IN IT ST0.';Y
knew that the death of Tillie Ziegler
had been avenged in law, and the crime
of William Kemmler expiated, so far as
human hands could force its expiation.
An execution is always a ghastly
sight. A lynching Iris about it an at
tendant excitement, horn of hurried,
boisterous action, which lends an arti
ficial strength to the nerve3 of partici
pants and onlookers alike. But the
slow solemnity of a public execution,
the quiet: formal preparations tor a
judic al killing are depressing enough
to weaken the nerves and undermine
the courage of the bravest.
At 0:38 the doors at the right of the
execution chair leading toward I he
execution room opened, and arden
Durston s figure appeared in the door-
w 111
way. rJ-hind him walked a spruce
looking, broad-shouldered little man,
full bearded, with carefully arranged
hair mustering around his iorehead
He was dressed in a suit of new cloth
ing, a sack coat and vest of dark, gray
material, trousers of a mixed yellow
pattern, and a white shirt, whose pol
ished front wis exposed directly below
a little how of lawn of a black and
white pattern. This was William
Kemmler. the man who was about to
undergo the sentence of death. Be
hind him walked Dr. W. E. Houghton
and Chaplain Yates. Kemmler was
by far the
COOLEST MAN IN THE PARTY.
He did not look about the room with
anv sneeial deirree of interest, lie hes
itated as the door was closed behind
him, and carefully locked by an attend
ant on the other side, as though he did
not know exactly what to do.
"Give me a chair, will you?" said
the warden. Some one quickly handed
him a wooden chair which he placed
in front ami a little to the right of the
execution chair, facing the little circle
of men. Kemmler sat down com
posedly, looked about him and then up
and down without any evidence of fear
or of esjiecial interest in the event.
His face was not stolid; it was not in
different. He looked, if anything, as
though he was rather pleased at being
the centre of interest.
Warden Durston stood at the left of
the chair, wifli-his hand on the back
of it, and almost at the moment that
Kemmler took his seat, he begin to
speak in short, quick periods.
. "Now gentlemen," he said, "this
is William KcnUnler. I have warned
him that he has got to die, and if he
has anything to say. he will say it'
As the warden finished, Kemmler
looked up and said in a high-keyed
voice, without any hesitation, and as
though he had prepared himself with
the speech: "Well, I wish every one
good luck in the world, and I think I am
oing to a good place, and the papers
have been savins a lor ot stuff that
isn't so. That's all I have to s iy."
With the conclusion of the speech
he turned his back to the jury, took
off his oat ami handed it to the war-
len. This disclosed the tact that a
hole had been cut from the band of
the trousers down, so as to expose the
base of the spine.
W hen his coat was off, Kemmlei
turned in the direction of the doo;
through which he had come into the
room and began to unbutton his vest.
At the time the warden was drawing
the interfering dranerv of his shirt.
throu'd, the hole in the trousers and
cutting it off, so as to leave the little
surface of flesh', against which one of
the electrodes was to press, absolutely
bare. Warden Dnrston called atten
tion to the fact that it was not neces
sary to remove his vest, and Kemmler
calmly buttoned it again and carefully
.-arranged his tie. "Don't hurry about
this matter," said the warden; "be
perfectly cool."
He was perfectly cool. He was by
all odds the coolest man in the room.
When his tie was .arranged lie sat
down in the electric chair as quietly as
though he were silting down to dinner.
Warden Duston stood on the right and
George Vtele, of Albany, on the left.
They began immediately to adjust the
strap around Kemmlerjs body, the con
demned men holding up his arms, and
GAVE EVERY ASSISTANT E.
When the straps had been adjusted
about the body, the arms were fastened
down and then the warden leaned over
and parted his feet so-is bring his legs
near the legs of the chair.
When the straps were being arrang
ed, Kemmler said to ihe wartleuaud
his assistants : " Take your time ;
don't lie in a hurry. Be sure that
everything is all right."
Two or three times he repeated these
phrases Warden Durston reassured
hni.wifjh the remark that it would not
hurt liiril, and that he (Durston)
would he with him all through. But
it was not fear that Kemmler felt. It
was rather a certain pride in the exact
ness of the experiment. He seemed to
I have a greater interest in its success
than those. who made the preparations
for it, and who were watching its pro
gress to its final fatal conclusion.
Vv hen the straps had been adjusted
to the liody and limbs, the warden
placed his hand on Kemmler's head
and held it against, the rubber cushion.
which ran down the back of the chair.
Kemmler's eyes were turned toward
the opposite side of the room. Before
they had followed the warden in his
movements. Then the condemned
man made one or two remarks in a
perfectly clear, composed tone of voice:
"Well, I wish every body good luck"
was one of them, and "Durston. see
that things are all right" was another.
Deputy Viel i n g u n fastened the tl u mb
screws which held the figure "4" at
the hack of the chair in place, and le
gan to lower it so that the rubber cup
which held the saturated spon go, press
ed against the top of Kemmler's head.
The warden assisted in the preparation
bv holding Kemmler's head.
THE CAP ADJUSTED.
When the cap had Iteon adjusted and
clamped in place, Kemmler said: 'Oh,
you'd better press that down further, I
gttess; press that down." So the head
piece was unclasped and pressed further
down.
While it was being done Kemmler
said: " Well. I want to do the best I
can; I can't do any better than that."
Warden Durston took in his hand the
leather harness which was to be ad
justed to Kemmler' head. It was a
muzzle of broad leaf he." straps which
went across the forehead-;:nd the chin
of the man in the chair. The top
strap pressed down against the noc of
of Kemmler until it flatted it down
slightly over his face. As the harness
was put in place Dr. Spilzka. who was
standing near the chair, said softly.
"God bless you, Kemmler." And the
condemned man answered, "thank
you." softly.
The door leading into the room
where the switches were arranged was
partly open. A man stood in the
doorway. Behind him there were two
other men. Which of them was to
ouch the lever and make the connec
tion with the chair was not known.
Warden Durston savs it will never be
known.
The dynamo in the machine shop
was running at good speed and the
volt metre on the wall registered a
little more than 1.000 volts. Warden
Durston turned to the assembled doc
tors those immediately around the
execution chair and said: "Do the
doctors say it is all right ?
Stop." "Stop," cried other voices
shout. The warden turned to the
doorway and called out: "Stop" to
the man at the lever. A quick move
ment of the arm and the electric cur
rent was switched off. There was a
relaxation but the straps held it so
firmly in the chair that there was not
a quarter of an inch varation in the
position of any part of the frame.
Ihe quiet little group around the chair
grew business like.
"he's dead,"
said Dr. Spitzka. calmly. "Oh, he's
dead," re-echoed Dr. McDonald with
firm confidence. The rest of the wit
nesses noted their acqniesence. There
was no question in the mind of anyone
but that the stiff, upright object before
them was lifeless.
This was the programme; this N the
inevitable effect. The next question
was, what was to be done with the
body.
Dr. Spitzka stepped forward and
called attention to the appearance "of
nose, which, he s iid, had an undoubted
post mortem color. No one disputed
this. Dr. Spitzka turned around in a
business-like way and pointing to the
harness said: "Oh, undo that. Now
the body can be taken to the hospital."
Tue warden replied that he could
not let any of the witnesses go until
he had their certificates. All this con
versation took but a moment. Dr.
Balch was bending over the body look
ing at the exposed skin.
Suddenly he cried out sharply, "Dr.
McDonald, see that rupture.11 In a
moment Dr. Spitzka and Dr. McDon
ald had bent over and were looking
where Dr. Balch was pointing at a
red spot on the hand that rested in
the right arm of the chair. The in
dex finger of the hand had curved
backward as the flexor muscles con
tracted, and had scraped a small, hole
in the skin at the base of the thumb
on the back of the hand. There was
nothing strange in this alone; but
what was st:ange was that the little
rapture was dripping.
hand, and, as the seconds flew by, he room threw the current on and off
noted their passage. Dr. Spitzka, too (There was to be no mistake this time
looked at the stop watch, and as the j about the killing. The dvnamo was
tenth second expired, lie cried ouj: run up to its highest speed
me anxious irronn stood si on v
watching the lody, suddenly there a ose
from it a white vapor bearing with it
a pungent and sickening odor.
the body was burning.
Again there were cries to stop the cur
rent and again the warden sprang to
the door and give the quick order to bin
assistants. The current stopped-and
then there was a relaxation of the
tody. No doubt this time that the
current had done its work, if not well,
it least completely. Dr. rell, who
stood at the side of the special corres
pondent of the United Press, turned
and ?a!d: "Well, there is no doubt
ibout one thing: the man never suffer
ed one iota of pain."
1 he autopsy was began about nine
o clock. It was in c ha rare ot Dr. Jen-
aits, of New York, (who handled the
viiife). Dr. Daniel, Dr. McDonald and
Dr. Spitzka. Dr. Fell ore oared the
blood from the body for examination
under the microscope. It was found
when the body was spread out on the
able that a very severe viyor moiits
tad set in.
There tvas little relaxation.and it was
with difficulty that the corpse was
straightened out. On examination it
was found that the second electrode had
BURNED THROUGH THE SKIN
and injto the flesh at the base of the
pine, making a scar nearly five inches
in diameter. The heart, lungs and
other organs were taken out and found
to be in-good healthy condition. They
will be preserved for further examina
tion. The brain also was taken out,
and it too will be carefully examined.
Ihe examination of the brain showed
that it was hardened directly under the
spot where the electric current had
come in contact with the skull, and
that the blood at that spot was harden
ed, showing that the current had had
direct action on the brain.
KEMMLER'S CRIME.
Hardly a minute had elapsed since
the adjustment of the strap. There
was no time for Kemmler to have
weakened, even if his marvelous cour
age had not been equal to the test of
the further delay.
But there was no fear that he would
have lost courage. He was as calm in
the chair as he had been before he en
tered the room, and during the process
of his confinement by the straps which
held him close.
At the warden's question, Dr. Fell
stepped forward with a long svringc in
his hand, and quickly, but deftly, wet
ted the two sponges winch were at the
electrodes one on top of the head, and
the other at the base of the plne.
The water which he put on them was
impregnated with salt. Dr. Spitzka
answered the warden's question with
a sharp "all right," which was echoed
bv others about him. "Ready," said
Durston again and then
" GOOD-BYE."
He stepped to the door, and through
the oneniiif? said to some one ill tlie
"next room (but to whom will probably
never will be known with certainty)
"EVERY THING IS READY."
In almost immediate response and
1
as the stop watches in the hands ot
some of the witnesses registered 0.421,
the electric current was turnel on
There was a sudden convulsion of the
frame in the chair. A spasm went
over it from head to foot, confined bv
the straps and springs that held it
irmly so that no limb or other part
of the body stirred more than a small
fraction of an inch from its resting
place.
The twitching that the muscles of
the face underwent gave to it for
moment an expression of pain, but no
crv oseaned from his lip, which were
free to move at will. No crv came
forth to suifsrest that consciousness
lasted more than an infinate small
fraction of a second -beyond the cal
culation of the human mind. I'm
body remained in this riyid position
for seventeen seconds. The jury am
witnesses, who had up to this moment
remained seated, came hurriedly for
iv : i nl aod surrounded the chair. 1 lie re
was no movement of the body beyond
the first convulsion. It was not
pretty sight this man in his shir
sleeves, bound hand, foot, body an
even head, with a heavy frame-work
pressing down on the top or his skull,
still' with the stillness qf death. Di
Mi Donald hld his stop wiit'.h m Lib
-"thisman is not dead."
Cried Dr. Spitzka. Faces grew
white grew whit and fell hae'e from
.1 ' 1 tl. 1 Iv
tne ciiair. warden Durston sprang
to the doorway and cried, turn on the
current.
But the current, could not be turned
on. When the signal to stop ha
come i ne operator nau pressed ine lit
le button which gave the sirn to the
ng ueer to stop the dvnamo was ill
most at a standstill and the volt me
re registered an almost imperceptible
current. 1 Here was a rapid response.
but quick as it was it was not quit-
noug.i to anticipate the signs of what
may or may or may not have been re
u ruing consciousness.
As the group of horror-stricken wit
nesses stood helplessly by, all eveshxet
on the chair, Kemmler's lips began to
drop spittle, and in a moment more,
Ins chest moved, and from his nioutl
came a heavy stertorius sound, quick
every res pi
ening and increasing with
ration it respiration it was. iiien
was no voice but that of the warden
" . i 1 I . 1 A L " ll
ervingjo i ue operator to turn on in
current, and the wheezing sound, half
groan, which forced itself past flu
ightly closed lips bounded tlnongh the
still chamber with ghastly distinct
ness.
Two thousand volts were sent
through the body in the chair. How
ong it was kept in action no one
knows. To the excited group of men
about the chair it seemed an in in
terminable time. For the men who
stood in front of the volt metre in
the ;.d joining room and threw the
switch lever backward, time had no
ineaiu lenient.
Dr. Daniel, who looked at his watch
excitedly and who throughout had
an .approximate idea ot the time at
least, said that it was tour and a half
minutes in all. The warden's assis
tants who Stood-over the dynamo, said
that on the second signal the machin
ery was run 1 1 1 ret
altogether. It will never he Known
with any degree of accuracy what
the space ef t'mc was. No one was
anxious to give the signal to stop.
All drcialed the responsibility of of
fering to the man a chance to revive
or to give again at least those appear
ances cf returning auimali m which
had started and so horrified the witness
a few minutes before.
Some of the witnesses hurried away
from the sight. One of them lay down
faint and bick.
It takes a long, long time-to tell the
story.
It seenieJ a long tinr reaching a cli
m.ix. In reality f here wore but seventy
three s -cornis in t he interval which lap
sed between the moment when the first
sound issued from Kemmler's lips until
the response to the signal came from
the dynamo rfooiu. It came with the
same suddenness that had marked the
first shock which passed through Keium
ler's body. The sound which had
horrified the list ners about the chair
was cut off sharply as the body once
more became, rigid.
The slimy ooi still dropped from
the mouth and ran slowly in three
lines dawn the liead and into the grey
ve-t. Twice there was a twitching of
the bodv a. the elect if cans ill the next
Auburn. N Y., Aug. P. The crime
for which Kemmler was executed was in
itself oiic worthy of only passing notice,
and had it not been for the method of
paying the death penalty would have
attracted little attention; for the mur
derer and his victual had lived only in
dissipation and debauchery.
Kemmler was the son of a Fhiladcl
phia butcher, and was hi ra Mry 1), 1860.
He eked out an existence as a huckster
about the suburbs of Philadelpia until
1887. when ho married a weoman named
Ida Porter, of Camden, N. J. She had
another hit sand living, and two days
after his marriage Keimnler doped with
Tillie Zieslei. also also n married woman
and one of his customer.'. They fled to
Buffalo and lived there for eighteen
months.
Quarrels were frequently for both were
addicted to drink, and Kemmler always
brutal m his disposition, .frcotiently anus
ed her. On the morning of March 28th,
1S1, the pair inuulircd in a herto qtiiu
rcl over irionev matters. In a drunken
rajie Kemmler attacked his mis! ress with
a hatchet with which he struck her three
times mostly about the head. The worn-
an was dead befjre ho h.iu liatshoJ hi
work.
The Bowsers.
mr. bowser Takes a few lessons on
THE riARP.
When Mr. Bowser unlocked the
front, door one night this winter lit did
it so softly, and he made so little nois
in the hall that I suspacted something
wrong. He came into the sitting-room
looking r;. titer sheepish and like a man
who had something on hit mind: but
I asked no questions and he volunteered
no information until after supper.
Then he suddenly asked:
Do you keep up your piano pr.tc-
tlC"
"Oh, yes. You hate music, and so I
don't play when are you here."
"1 hate music! What are you talk
ing about?"
"You have often compared my play
ing to the sounds of beating on an old
(ill pan.'
"Well, of course, you are a poor
player, and your voice is cracked; but
is concerned real
as if it had been carried around the
country since the days ol Columbus,
and when he was looking at it he said:
"This barp was made W Givoni
ni inset t over one hundred years ago.
i.WU :
" im wits viivuiiir
Who was-Givoni? Whv don't von
ask who George W ah in gton was?
"Well, its my opinion that yon
have liden swindled on the instrument,
and I fear you are too old to take up
such music."
Do you? That's a nice way to
encour.-ge a husband! 1 seec now
why so many men run out nights.
not only saved forty dollais in buying
this harp, but I'll make your heart ache
with jealousy before the month in
over."
He began to trum. He held hU
head on one side, ran out his tongue
and picked away at the scale, iyid he
had been going about five minutes
when the cook opened the door, beck
oned me-out, and whispered:
"I give yon notice that 1 shall leave
after supper to-morrow P
"Whv. what is it?" I asked.
"Him Mr. Bowser! He'll bring
spooks and ghosts about. I hnv
already leen taken with palpitation of
the heart. Mercv! but listen to t hose
voices of the dead calling out to each
jther across their graves! Mrs. Dow
ser, it's the wonder of the people that
1 1 Ml1
you uon t commit suicide:
Mr. Bowser thrummed until I had
o carry baby up stairs to quite- his
inwls, run until the ends ot hia fin
gers were sore, and he wouldn't havo
quit when he did had not a voice in
of the house shouted:
"Why don't some ono throw a rock
throng the window or run for tho
potrol wagon ?"
Next day a dark-skinned mart who
said he was a, grandson of the lato
Givoin, came up and gavetr. IJowser
a lesson, and the cook, whd had almost
consented to stay, suddenly rose up
and rushed alter her bundle. When
ready to go she whispered to mc:
I m sorry, mum; sorrow for you
; hit's left! if h c iild d o;, send mo
word, and I 11 do all in my power,
Mr. Dowers took four lessons in all
and then he told his teacher that his
services wen I lie no longer required.
tie took the last two lessons in thu
bar in order,, ho said, to surprise me.
On the evening of the last lesson ha
i i i . l i a . . m
orougut in t ne narp just as a coupieoi
the neighbors came in. He prompt
ly responded to an invitation to
show off, but had not labored two
minutes when one of the gentlemen
asked:
"Have you any particular object in
that, Mr. Boswer?"
"Of course he has," replied the other.
It is an imitation of a great calamity
in Japan buildings shaken down by
earthquake -dlames devouring the ruins
husbands shouting wives praying
children sobbing dogs barkng etc.
Is it your own composition. Mr. Bow
ers?"' "Why why, don't I play alright?
The teacher said I was making wonder
ful progress."
They lieekoncd him on into an alley
and held a conference. What won
said I do-not know; but when Mr.
Boswer came in he looked very pakv
and the first thing he did was to give
the harp a kick that opened all the
joints and prepared it for the crash
i i i i ii .
wnicti came wiieu tie iiung it one
doors.
Mr. Bowser, have you gone crazy?"
I demanded. 1
"No, ma'am, but I've got a few
words to say to you,"
"What have I done?"
so tar as inu-uc is conc.'rneu n
i in. :l i ...m. : .. "
ilia a Halt minutest music- n uns nry soui won jo.
-Jut yen never sing or play.
"Haven't had time heretofore, hut
no I - I
"Von intend to?"
"Yes. I feel the need of something
to make home more jdeasant to offer"
more diversion during the long hours
of evening. I think I shall learn the
harp."'
"At your age?"1
"That's it! Thats what I expected
to I
leal
I am neither bl iud.
sjk'imii less
nor cripple I. I'liny went at it and
learned six languages after he v:ts
ii
seven! y years net.
"Well, I suppo e you brought h un
th j bari?"
"Yes. Jt s a beauty, and I boug.it
it cheap. It's a real Givoni, and I
bought it of a man who was hard up.
Got it for si."i, and it's worth $7t"
"And you will try to learn to play ,
it?'
"Certaiulv
"Done! Done! Who coaxed mo
"The grandson of Givoni. He had
an old harp he wanted to get rid of
and he stuck you for a flat and got
twice its worth."
"Stuck tue for n flat!" he shouted
as he walked around on thecal. "And
why! Because I was willing to swin
dled to keep place J n the family. You
had your mind set on a harp and a
harp you must have."
"Mr. Bowies! What did I want of
a harp?'
"Heaven only knows, liut for yon
I should never have tried to play on
it. What do you suppose Greenu and
D ivis said?"
"That you are irduuce."
"That if their wives led them around
by the nose as you-do in" that they'd
witie out the family amjl then commit
suicide! 1 must have looked sweet
dawdling over that old ,harpf'
"You d;d. I told you that it Was
nonsese you trying to learn music at
V im agcy"
"My age! There you go! Ami a
thousand years old? Am I five hun
dred? Am I even one hundred, that
you keep flinging it at me? Music!
I W hv, I've? more music in my big tcto
than you Have in your whole body,
! Mrs. Bowser, this is the limit. You
. i i
altei noon, anu m les
asionisu you
have gone far enough. Now beware!
The world is ready to turn!"
lint next morning the word was
as plcasent as June, and when a crowd
of a dozen loys paraded up and down,
I had one lesson this ' each harping on a piece of that harp,
stbau a mouth I II i 3Jr. Bowser never let on that he saw
1
or heard
Vs.
any
thing. lMroit t'rtt
Yon will practice in the garret I
suppose?
"Not by a jugful! I shall practice
right hen! That is, there w-m't U
much practice about it, as I shall be
ill. (Villi; iiiiit: U.IHIIUIII. . .
1 11.. l,,,lvMi hmmiht iu af iwiMskmeutwojM lessen C( .ar
The GreensbotO Wtrbmtm thin!
that the return to the whipping post OS
4
greasy
M -l':.u.d h:m. w hie iT. .!..-J .Nol'.iH.
i
tn : tiu-
Vl