Report
of C. F. MacDonald, M. D., on the Execution by Electricity.
REPORT
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NYCHS Presentation Page 11 of 14 |
To His Excellency
David B. Hill,
Governor of the State of New York:
SIR -- -In
compliance with your request, previously made to me, to furnish you a detailed
report of the facts and circumstances attending the execution of convict
William Kemmler alias John Hart, I
have the honor to respectfully submit the following:
William Kemmler, alias John Hart, was duly executed by
electricity at Auburn Prison, in the city of Auburn, Cayuga county, N. Y., at
6.49 o'clock A. M. on the 6th day of August, 1890. Present--The agent and
warden of the prison and twenty-five official witnesses, as shown by the
certificate of execution filed at the clerk's office of the county of Cayuga,
and which reads as follows:
COURT
OF OYER AND TERMINER, IN AND FOR ERIE COUNTY.
The
People of the State of New York against
William
Kemmler, otherwise called John Hart.
STATE OF NEW YORK,
COUNTY OF CAYUGA
I, Charles F. Durston,
agent and warden of Auburn State Prison, at Auburn, Cayuga county, do hereby
certify, pursuant to section 505 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the State
of Now York, that, in obedience to, and in conformity with, the judgment and
sentence of the above-named court, and the warrants of said court, a copy
of which is hereto annexed, I, said agent and warden at the said State Prison,
at the city of Auburn, on the 6th day of August, 1890, did attend upon the
execution of the judgment and sentence, and that the said William Kemmler,
otherwise called John Hart, the convict therein, mentioned, was then and there,
to wit, at the place and time last aforesaid, executed in conformity to the
said judgment and sentence of said court, and in accordance with the
provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the State of New York. I do
farther certify that the persons whose names are hereinafter signed were the
persons invited by me, as such agent and warden, to be present at said
execution, and that said persons were all the persons present and witnessing
the execution of said judgment and sentence upon the said William Kemmler,
otherwise called John Hart.
Dated
at Auburn, Cayuga county, State of New York, this 6th day of August, 1890.
(Signed.) CHARLES F. DURSTON,
Agent and Warden.
The
undersigned, being the persons and all the persons present and witnessing the
execution of the judgment and sentence set forth in the foregoing certificate,
do hereby, pursuant to the statute, and at the city of Auburn, county of Cayuga
and State of New York aforesaid, on the 6th clay of August, 1890, subscribe the
foregoing certificate:
| Background on some who were Kemmler execution witnesses:
Dr. Louis Balch, secretary of State Board of Health. Originally favored rope, but became electric chair supporter. Dr. W. T. Nellis, a doctor from Buffalo. NY Times gave second initial as J. Dr. Joseph Fowler, a doctor from Buffalo. Dr. W. T. Jenkins, of NYC, a deputy coroner. Dr. Henry Argue, a doctor from Elmira. Dr. C. W. Daniels, a doctor from Buffalo. Alfred P. Southwick, the Buffalo dentist who first suggested to State Senator Daniel H. McMillan that electricity replace the rope for executions. McMillan told Gov. Hill who then had the idea studied officially. Rev. C. A. Houghton, Auburn cleric. NY Times gave first initial as O. C. R. Huntley, of Buffalo, a name long associated with upstate electrical power. Dr. Henry E. Allison, an alienist, head of Insane Criminals Asylum in Auburn, first institution of its kind. It moved in April, 1892, to Fishkill, and became known as the Matteawan State Hospital. Dr. George E. Fell, a Buffalo doctor whose redesign of Harold Brown's electric chair was used at Auburn. Oliver A. Jenkins, sheriff of Erie County where the Tillie Ziegler murder took place. Robert Dunlap of NYC. Dr. E. C. Spitzka, NY Neurological Society leader vs. alienists' running state hospitals. Dr. Carlos F. MacDonald, president of NYS Commission in Lunacy. Joseph C. Veling, deputy sheriff of Erie County. NY Times spelled the name Yeiling. Horatio Yates, chaplain at Auburn Prison from Dec. 1, 1888, having served at the M. E. Church in Tyres, Seneca, previously. Tracy C. Becker, court referee from Buffalo named by a state judge to conduct the hearing into claims by a George Westinghouse- hired lawyer, officially for Kemmler, that execution by electricity violated the 8th Amendment as cruel and unusual punishment. Michael Conway, State Agent for Discharged Convicts. George Grantham Bain, (1865-1944), then of Washington and affiliated with the United Press. He founded his photo agency in 1898 specializing in NYC news. The Library of Congress has his photo files. Frank W. Mack of the Associated Press. Dr. George F. Shrady, of NYC. Editor of Medical Records for four decades. NY Health Department physician-in-chief. Past president of Practitioners Society and Medical Editors' Assn. Became electric chair opponent. George W. Irish, of Cazenovia, politically active with Roswell P. Flower and others in the well-connected statewide volunteer firemen's association. George P. Quimby, Buffalo District Attorney. Not listed in the report as a witness, but did attend and emerged visibly upset by it.
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Louis Balch, M. D.
W. T. Nellis, M. D.
J. M. Jenkins, M. D.
W. T. Jenkins, M. D.
Joseph Fowler, M. D.
Henry A. Argue, M. D.
C. W. Daniels, M. D.
A. P. Southwick, M. D.
C. A. Houghton.
C. R. Huntly.
H. E. Allison, M. D.
T. K. Smith, M. D.
Robert Dunlap.
E. C. Spitzka, M. D.
Carlos F. MacDonald, M. D.
George E. Fell, M. D.
Oliver A. Jenkins.
Joseph C. Veling.
Horatio Yates.
Tracy C. Becker.
Michael Conway.
George Granthan Bain.
Frank W. Mack.
George. F. Shrady, M.
D.
George W. Irish.
Of the witnesses
present fourteen were physicians, two of whom, Carlos F. MacDonald and E. C.
Spitzka, were officially designated as physicians by the warden, in pursuance
of the statute.
The execution took
place in a room set apart for the purpose, in the basement of the
administration building of the prison, to which the electric current was
conducted by means of an ordinary electric light wire. The apparatus consisted
of a stationary engine, an alternating-current dynamo and exciter, a
Cardew volt-meter, with extra resistance coil, calibrated for a range of from
thirty to 2,000 volts; an ammeter for alternating currents from 0.10 to 3.00
amperes; a Wheatstone bridge, rheostat, bell signals and necessary switches; a
death chair, with adjustable head-rest, binding straps and two adjustable
electrodes.
The dynamo was an
alternating-current dynamo intended to supply 750 incandescent lamps of
sixteen-candle power each, and capable of generating, as shown by careful
tests made several months prior to the execution, a maximum electromotive
force or current of 2,376 volts, the commercial and mean voltage being 1,680
and 1,512, respectively, the speed of the dynamo being 1,900 revolutions and of
the exciter 2,700.
The chair, a square-framed
heavy oaken one, with a high, slightly sloping back and broad arms, was
fastened to the floor, the feet of the chair being properly insulated. Attached
to the back of the chair, above the head-rest, was a sliding arrangement
shaped like a figure four (4), the base or horizontal arm of which projected
forward, and from which was suspended the head electrode, so as to rest on the
vertex, or top of the head, against which it was firmly held by means of a
spiral spring.
The spinal or body
electrode was attached to the lower part of the back of the chair and projected
forward horizontally on a level with the lower portion of that part of the
spine known as the hollow of the sacrum. The electrodes each consisted of a
bell-shaped rubber cup, about four inches in diameter, the part
corresponding to the handle of the bell being of wood, through the long axis of
which the wire passed into the bell, terminating in a metallic disk about three
inches in diameter and faced with a layer of sponge.
The lower electrode
was also provided with a sliding arrangement and spiral spring to hold it in
place, while a broad strap fastened to the back of the chair and passed around
the lower part of the prisoner's abdomen rendered the contact secure. The
prisoner's head was firmly secured by means of conjoined leather bands, which
encircled the forehead and chin, and were fastened to the back of the almost
perpendicular head-rest, while the chest, arms and legs were secured by
broad straps attached to corresponding portions of the chair. The wire attached
to the head electrode descended from the ceiling, and that of the lower one
passed along the floor, being protected by a strip of wood.
The dynamo and engine
were located in one of the prison shops several hundred feet distant from the
execution room; the volt meter, switch and other instruments for determining
the pressure were located in a room adjoining the execution room, which
contained the death chair, electrodes and connecting wires. Communication
between the meter-room and dynamo-room was by means of electric
signals.
Kemmler was brought
into the execution room by the warden a' introduced to the witnesses, who were
seated in a semicircle, facing the death chair. On entering the room he
appeared strikingly calm and collected. In fact, his manner and appearance
indicated a state of subdued elation, as if gratified at being the central
figure of the occasion, his low order of intelligence evidently rendering him
unable to fully appreciate the gravity of his situation. He was given a chair
near the death chair, and on being seated, in response to the warden's
introduction, said: "Well, I wish everyone good luck in this world, and I
think I am going to a good place, and the papers has been saying a lot of stuff
about me that wasn’t true. That's all I have to say."
At the warden's
bidding he then arose, removed his coat, and without the least display of
emotion or nervousness, took his sent in the death chair, calmly submitting to
the adjustment of the electrodes and binding straps, himself aiding the
proceedings by suggestions and fixing his body and limbs in proper position.
Observing the nervousness of the assistants who were adjusting the straps, he
admonished them not to hurry, and said he wanted them to “be sure that
everything is all right." He pressed his bared back firmly against the
spinal electrode and requested that the head electrode be pressed down harder
on the top of his head, from which the hair had been imperfectly clipped before
he entered the room, remarking, at the same time, that he desired to perform
his part to the best of his ability.
The preparations
terminated with a final moistening of the electrodes, the whole occupying, at
most, between three and four minutes. Everything being seemingly ready, the
warden signaled to his assistants in charge of the switches in the adjoining
room to turn the lever, which closed the circuit and instantly sent the deadly
current through the prisoner's body.
The instant the
contact was made the body was thrown into a state of marked rigidity, every
fiber of the entire muscular system being apparently in that fixed, rigid
condition known to physicians as tonic spasm. Synchronously with the onset of
rigidity bodily sensation, motion and consciousness were absolutely suspended,
and remained so while electrical contact was maintained. At the end of
seventeen seconds Kemmler was pronounced dead, none of the witnesses
dissenting, and the warden signaled to have the contact broken, which was done.
Before Kemmler was
brought into the room the warden asked the physicians how long the contact
should be maintained; I replied twenty seconds, but subsequently assented to
ten seconds, in deference to the opinion of my associate physician that a considerably
less period of time would suffice, an opinion which, doubtless, would have been
sustained had the voltage been 2,000 or more.
For obvious reasons
the only means of determining the question of death was by ocular
demonstration; so that it can not be positively asserted that the heart's
action entirely ceased with the onset of unconsciousness, though in all
probability it did.
When the electrical
contact was broken the condition of rigidity, noted above, was instantly
succeeded by one of complete muscular relaxation. At the same time superficial
discolorations, resembling commencing capillary post-mortem changes, were
observed on the surface of exposed portions of the body, especially the face.
The body remained motionless and apparently lifeless, for approximately one-half
minute, when there occurred a series of slight spasmodic movements of the
chest, accompanied by the expulsion of a small amount of mucus from the mouth.
There were no evidences of return of consciousness or of bodily sensation; but
in view of the possibility that life was not wholly extinct beyond
resuscitation and in order to take no risk of such a contingency the current
was ordered to be reapplied, which was done within about two minutes from the
time the first contact was broken.
The sudden muscular
rigidity noted on the first closure of the circuit was again observed and
continued until the contact was again broken, when the opposite state of
complete muscular relaxation appeared. The second closure of the circuit was
inadvertently maintained for about seventy seconds, when a small volume of
smoke was seen to issue from the point of application of the spinal electrode,
due, as was subsequently found, to momentary scorching of the edge of the
sponge with which the electrode was faced, and from which the moisture had been
evaporated by prolonged contact of the current. The odor of the burning sponge
was faintly perceptible in the room. There was also some burning, or rather
desiccation, of the already dead body, immediately underneath the electrodes,
especially under the lower one, which will be fully described in connection
with the autopsy.
A careful examination
of the body was now made, in which most of the medical witnesses participated
to a greater or less extent, The wrists were found to be pulseless, the heart
had ceased to beat, the pupils were dilated, the cornea, or anterior surface of
the eye-balls, were depressed and flaccid on pressure. In other words,
William Kemmler was dead, and the intent and purpose of the law, to effect
sudden and painless death in the execution of criminals, had been completely
and successfully carried out.
AUTOPSY.
The autopsy was held
about three hours after death, all of the witnesses to the execution who
desired to do so being present. The examination was, by verbal direction of the
warden, under my personal supervision, and was performed by Drs. F. C. Spitzka,
George F. Shrady and W. T. Jenkins, of New York, and Drs. C. M Daniels and
George F. Fell, of Buffalo, N. Y. To Dr. Jenkins was assigned the removal of
the chest and abdominal organs; to Dr. Daniels, the removal of the brain and
spinal cord, and to Dr. Spitzka, the examination of the brain and cord. Dr.
Fell examined specimens of the blood, microscopically, and Dr. Shrady kindly took
stenographic notes, and subsequently compiled therefrom the report of the
examination substantially as follows:
HIS KEEPER |
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NY Times Aug. 7, 1890:
While most of the visitors loitered about the hall, Warden Durston went with J.C. Veiling, Kemmler's old Buffalo keeper, to the murderer's cell. Kemmler was apparently greatly pleased to see Veiling, and insisted that he should remain to breakfast with him. To this proposition Veiling assented, and a good breakfast was soon set before them. While they were waiting for it, the Rev. Drs. Houghton and Yates entered the cage. Kemmler greeted them in a pleasant manner, and they talked with him a few minutes on the subject of his coming death. Then the clergymen and Kemmler knelt upon the floor, the murder in his shirt sleeves, and a prayer for the soul of the condemned man was offered up. Breakfast followed, and throughout the meal Kemmler was in the best of spirits. After the meal Kemmler was asked if he had any objection to having his hair cut, and he said he had not. Veiling therefore produced a pair of shears and cut the hair from the murderer's head. Kemmler sat smiling while the shears were being plied. Veiling was very nervous, and made a sorry job of the haircutting. When he had finished his work the crown of Kemmler's head from which the hair had been cut had the appearance of a great scar. Several times the murderer addressed Veiling. "They say I am afraid to die," he said, "but they will find that I ain't. I want you to stay right by me, Joe, and see me through this thing and I will promise you that I won't make any trouble." The last moment in the old cage came soon and Kemmler arose to follow the Warden into an adjoining room. He had previously bidden the faithful [keeper] farewell. His eyes roved over the dingy quarters a moment and then he looked straight toward the door. "Come William," said the Warden, and together they walked into the chamber of death.
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Body fairly well
nourished. Rigor mortis marked, particularly in the muscles of the jaw, neck
and thorax, and gradually extending from above downward, involving the feet
and legs last. Postmortem discoloration existed over lower portion (posterior
and lateral aspects of trunk) of body and extended up as far as the anterior
axillary line; also on the pendant surface of the upper and lower extremities.
The upper extremities were partly flexed and rotated outward, the nails showing
post-mortem lividity.
There was a seminal
discharge, which, on microscopic examination, was found to contain a large
quantity of dead spermatozoa. There was marked post-mortem discoloration
of the forehead, about an inch in width, corresponding with the position of the
strap, beginning at the hair on the left side and extending to the hair line on
the right side. A corresponding discoloration from the pressure of the chin
strap was also noted. There was an oval depression of the scalp upon the
vertex, due to pressure of electrode, beginning at the anterior hair line and
measuring four inches in its long and three and one-half inches in its
short diameter. Anterior to the posterior portion of the depression and in the
immediate line there was a vesication one and one-half inches in length,
and half an inch in width, very superficial in character, crescentic in shape,
and upon which the hair appeared to be slightly scorched. On the small of the
back, corresponding to the level of the fourth sacral vertebra below, and
second above, four and one-half inches in vertical diameter and four and
one-half inches in transverse diameter, was a burn, presenting four
concentric zones, of which the outermost had a pale area, corresponding to
that of the rubber cup of the electrode and one-fourth of an inch in
diameter.
Succeeding this was a
vesication, partial below and complete above, about an inch in diameter above
and one-third of an inch below.
Then followed another
zone, which was in its upper third a complete eschar, black in appearance, and
in its lower part showed desiccation of a greenish-brown color. The last
or inner zone showed a number of vesicles, chiefly peripheral, and below the
center was a black eschar, half an inch in its vertical and five eighths of an
inch in its transverse diameter. Above was a tongue-shaped pale area
with a lateral projection to the left of the median line, extending about two
inches, and an upper projection in the dorsal furrow which was more sharply
pointed, and which on its periphery showed a reddened portion, with here and
there, vesications. In addition, the back showed a number of depressions
produced by the folds of the shirt and suspenders, such as are commonly found
in dead bodies lying on the back.
On incising the akin
over the sternum (breast bone) the blood which escaped was unusually dark and
fluid, and remained so on exposure. The muscles of the thorax were of the usual
color “Tardieu spots " were noticed on the posterior border of the lower
lobe of the left lung. When placed in water more than half of the lung floated
above the surface, showing a marked emphysematous condition. The bronchi were
normal in appearance and contained mucus and air bubbles. The right lung was
adherent throughout to the diaphragm. In the middle lobe of this lung there
were numerous well-marked "Tardieu spots."
The heart weighed five
and three-fourths ounces; its valves and substance were normal in appearance,
and its ventricles were empty. The stomach contained a pint of undigested food.
The blood from the cut surface of the liver was of a dark crimson hue. The gall
bladder was distended with bile. The spleen was normal in size and appearance.
The left kidney weighed three and one half ounces and the right three ounces;
both were markedly congested. There was no vermicular action of the intestines
on exposure to the air or on irritation. The bladder was contracted.
The scalp on being
removed showed the outer aspect of the vertex of the skull to be in a
desiccated condition, corresponding with the contact of the electrode as
previously noted, but of a larger area, being four inches, by four inches, the
zone of the scalp being only two and one-half by three inches,-the
long diameter being antero-posterior. On removal of the skull cup the
dura was normal in texture, somewhat dull in color, particularly over the area
corresponding with the zone of contact. In the pre-Rolandic region the
meningeal vessels, measuring along the convexity antoero-posteriorly four
inches on the left side and three on the right, were filled with carbonized
blood. On the internal aspect of the calvarium the meningeal vessels in the
dura and in their contents appeared to be black and carbonized. The carbonized
vessels were so brittle that their ends were torn off with the calvarium and
presented a broken, crummy appearance. This carbonization was limited in an
abrupt manner. The other meningeal vessels, in the region corresponding to the
outer burn previously described contained blood of a dark crimson hue. In the
narrowest portion of this region was seen, a little posteriorly, in the median
line, a dark discoloration sending out a right lateral prolongation three-fourth
of an inch in the direction of the longitudinal sinus and in width seven-eighths
of an inch. Over the left cerebral hemisphere, one-third of an inch to
the loft of the median line, there was a deep carbonized spot corresponding
with the desiccated portion of the calvarium.
The pia and gyri themselves
were of a pale buff 'color; the rest of the cerebral cortex was normal in
appearance. While observing this anemic area, it was noticed that its blood vessels
began to fill. The pia and arachnoid on the convexity of the brain were
perfectly normal. An interesting fact was observed on handling the pons varolii
and medulla oblongata, in that they were found to be warm. By a thermometer
inserted in the fourth ventricle, the temperature was noted at ninety-seven
degrees Fahrenheit. The area of this temperature corresponded with an area of
temperature on the back of the neck, which was noted at ninety-nine
degrees Fahrenheit, three hours post-mortem, the temperature of the room
being eighty-three degrees Fahrenheit. The smaller vessels of the pia
were etatic.
Capillary
hemorrhages were noted in the floor of the fourth ventricle, also in the third
ventricle and the anterior portion of the lateral ventricle. The perivascular
spaces appeared to be distended with serum and blood.
The brain cortex in
the area of contact was sensibly hardened to one-sixth of its depth,
where there was a broken line of vascularity. The vessels over the corpus
striatum showed enlargements in different parts of their ramifications. The
pons was slightly softened. The burned integument of the back on being removed
showed the spinal muscles underneath to be cooked, like "overdone
beef," throughout their entire thickness. The spinal cord was removed
entire, but showed no gross appearances of pathological condition. Portions of
the brain and spinal cord were preserved by members of the staff for purposes
of hardening and microscopical examination. The blood taken immediately after
death showed, under microscope, a markedly granular condition, almost suggesting
an electrolytic dissolution of the red corpules.
A preliminary
microscopical examination of portions of the brain and spinal cord, including
specimens from all the cerebral lobes of both sides, segments of the cervical,
dorsal and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, -with the connected nerve
group, was subsequently made by Dr. Spitzka, who stated as follows:
"The brain,
spinal cord and peripheral nerve appeared structurally healthy in every
portion examined, except in the area corresponding to the discolored (anemic
through extreme contraction of vascular channels) area of the Rolandic and
pre-Rolandic regions, the ventricular surfaces, and the pons and medulla
oblongata. The latter, which had been the seat of a remarkable post-mortem
preservation of temperature approaching that of a normal human body, were
distinctly softer than the observer has been accustomed to find these parts in
autopsies on persons of Kemmler’s age, and performed so soon after death.
'The hemorrhagic spots
in the fourth ventricle, which were strongly marked, were not accompanied by
signs of parenchymatous rupture of larger vessels. Hence they maybe regarded as
having the same significance as the ‘taches de Tardieu’ found on the
surfaces of other organs, notably, the heart and lungs.
"The peculiar
softened vesicular zone of tissue underlying the outermost layer of the
cerebral cortex, being very fragile, will require extreme care in hardening and
manipulation to enable me to obtain reliable specimens. It is noteworthy that
this ‘destruction line’ runs parallel to the free surface of the brain and
does not ‘dip’ with the sulci.
"Examination of
the fresh specimens reveal the existence of vacuoles (probably gas bubbles) in
the ganglion cells and in the parenchyma of the ‘destruction line.’ From the
fact that no hemorrhages had occurred in this softened area, it is a just inference
that it was produced after life had become entirely extinct, for the
continuance of a blood circulation in a softened brain area is incompatible with
the bloodless appearance, already noted, and the absence of capillary hemorrhages
in this very district, while they were present in those remote from the site of
the electrode.
“A more minute
analysis will be completed, but cannot be reported until some future
time."
REMARKS
Notwithstanding the
wide publication of unofficial reports of the execution of Kemmler, and the
efforts which have been made to proclaim it a failure, and to invest it with an
air of repulsion, brutality and horror, it is confidently believed that when
all the facts in the case are rightly understood, the first execution by
electricity will be regarded as a successful experiment, and that in time due
credit will be accorded to those whose duty required them to act as principals
in carrying out the law, the establishment of which is destined, in the not
distant future, to be regarded as a step in the direction of a higher
civilization.
 Dr. George F. Shrady |
A surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War, Dr. Shrady served both in the field and at Central Park Hospital. His attendance on U.S. Grant during the former President's last illness brought Dr. Shrady to national attention. After President Garfield's assassination, Dr. Shrady was consulted as a surgical pathologist, and reported to the medical profession and the public on the results of the autopsy. He also took part in the autopsy on the body of the assassin Guiteau. Dr. Shrady was secretary and then president of the NY Pathological Society, a manager of the Hudson River Hospital for the Insane, a trustee of the Hudson State Hospital for the Insane at Poughkeepsie, and many years on the editorial staff of the New York Herald. His account of the last days of Grant in an Adirondack cottage on Mount McGregor, north of Saratoga Springs, details the old general's final battle and bitter victory -- delaying death long enough to complete memoirs that would secure his family's financial future. The cottage shares the mountain top with the Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility. Because would-be visitors to the historic site need to stop at the prison check point first, making arrangements in advance is advisable. The cottage is owned by New York State. The tours are provided by the Friends of Grant Cottage, P.O. Box 990, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-0897 (518-587-8277) Candace Scott runs an excellent web site about Grant, the Civil War General and 18th President, including newspaper stories about his stay at a cottage on Mount McGregor. The Ulysses S. Grant Assn. site is also a fine resource. Visit it for the full text of Dr. Shrady's Gen. Grant's Last Days, from which a few excerpts appear below: |
 Drexel cottage among Mt. McGregor trees. |
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by George F. Shrady, M.D. With the approach of warm weather there were many suggestions concerning the advisability of benefiting the patient by change of air and a temporary sojourn in a more salubrious climate. . . .It was finally decided to accept the invitation of Mr. Drexel to occupy his cottage on Mount McGregor, a few miles north of Saratoga. . . . Accordingly, on June 17th, a special car was placed at his service, and he left his city home, never again to enter it. . . On his arrival at Mount McGregor, he was much pleased with his quarters, and was confident that the change would, in a measure at least, restore his wasting strength. . . . His life at Mount McGregor was necessarily very monotonous. When he was not engaged on his Memoirs in his little office adjoining his bedroom, he would sit for hours on the porch, reading the newspapers or watching the crowds of sight-seers who were constantly about the cottage. By an unwritten law of instinctive courtesy it was understood by the visitors that they should not approach too near or in other ways manifest any unseemly curiosity. . . . When out-of-doors, he always wore a high "stove-pipe" hat, being particular in this way to prevent neuralgic attacks, to which he seemed at the time to be specially liable. . . . When I visited the General for the first time at Mount McGregor, it was quite evident that he had grown weaker and that he had lost considerably in weight. This was in part due to his difficulty in swallowing even the liquid food which, for obvious reasons, was his only form of nourishment.. . . The day after I left Mount McGregor was a cooler and more refreshing one for the patient than many of the preceding ones, and he was consequently in relatively better condition. He took his favorite position on the porch, and read the morning papers as usual. In the latter part of the afternoon he expressed a desire to be wheeled in his Bath-chair to the eastern lookout, which commanded a sweeping view of the valley from Saratoga Lake far northward between the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains. . . . . The trip was an enjoyable one at first, but the patient had evidently miscalculated his strength. It must be recalled that although stimulated in spirit by the fresh air and the inspiring surroundings, he was in reality in a very weak condition. The nourishment, such as it was, had been insufficient to minister to his wants. From being a man who before his illness weighed nearly 200 pounds, he was eventually reduced to almost half that weight. Still, on this occasion the General enjoyed the scene to his heart's content. It was his favorite site for observation. There was a sweep to the scene that gave due appreciation of his love for the broad view in this as well as in other matters. It was noticed that on the return trip his general feebleness became strikingly manifest. He was anxious to get home as soon as possible. . . . On awakening in the morning, he appeared weaker than ever, and exhausted nature lapsed into listless dozing for most of the day. . . Although the condition of the patient was the occasion of grave anxiety to the family, the General himself. . . insisted on tremblingly walking from one room to the other during the readjustment of the pillows on his chair, and even minutely directed that all his manuscripts and literary effects should he duly cared for and safely packed, as all his work was finished in such directions. . . . Dr. Douglas, always hopeful before, was at last convinced that the inevitable end was near. Accordingly, telegrams were hastily sent for the consultants to come at once to Mount McGregor by the first morning train. It was thus, with Professor Sands, I was next to meet our patient. We arrived by special train on the afternoon of July 22d [1885]. At that time the General was still conscious, and was seated in the cushioned chair he had occupied continuously, night and day, for months. However, at his own request he was soon removed to his bed, and the following morning he quietly passed away. The peace that he had so often wished for others came to him at last in the truer and more enduring sense. It was the calm death he had hoped for, a gentle and gradual falling to sleep. The weary, anxious night had passed, the rays of the morning sun stole quietly into the death-chamber; but at last there was another morning for him, another light, glorious, infinite, immortal. [Image selection & caption by NYCHS webmaster] |
 Grant reads his paper on the cottage porch. |
As might naturally
have been expected, at the first execution by this method, there were certain
defects of a minor character, in the arrangement and operation of the
apparatus, which those in charge of the next execution, guided by present
experience, will be able to avoid or overcome. But, in spite of these defects,
the important fact remains that unconsciousness was instantly effected, and
death was painless. When this is understood, together with the additional fact
that less than four minutes, elapsed from the time the first contact of the
current was made to the time the last one was discontinued and Kemmler was
absolutely dead, it will be conceded by all fair-minded persons that the object
to be attained, so far as relates to the individual, in the execution of a
criminal, namely, sudden and painless death, was fully realized in Kemmler's
case; and had the first contact of the current been maintained for full twenty
seconds, as first suggested, in all probability there would have been no reflex
muscular movement after it was broken, and no unfavorable criticism of the
result could then have truthfully been made.
The reflex movements
referred to were similar to those which have occasionally been observed, for a
short time, in animals experimentally killed by electricity, after the current
was too quickly interrupted, the animal, however, not recovering consciousness
nor life; hence they may properly be regarded as involuntary muscular movements
of a reflex character, following the interruption of the current, and in no
sense a resumption of normal, respiration, however much they may appear to be
so to a superficial observer, or to one not familiar with the phenomena in
animals above referred to. These movements are as nothing compared with those
usually exhibited by animals suddenly decapitated, and which usually continue
for some seconds or even minutes.
In the excitement and
confusion of the moment, occasioned by the suspicion, on the part of some, that
death was not complete, the second application of the current was maintained
too long, nearly one and one-half minutes. If there was a spark of unconscious
vitality remaining in Kemmler's body after the first contact was broken --
there certainly was no conscious life -- it was absolutely extinguished
the instant the second and last contact was made. That the man was dead
however, long before the burning of the sponge and desiccation occurred, there
is no reason to doubt,
Unfortunately, the
volt-meter and other appliances for determining the strength of the
current were not located in the execution room, hence none of the official
witnesses could know precisely what the voltage was at the moment the current
was applied. But reasoning from the known lethal effect of an electromotive
pressure of 1,000 volts, as shown by deaths which have occurred from accidental
contact with electric wires, as well as by numerous experiments on animals,
whose weight and resistance exceeded those of man, affords solid ground for the
conclusion that no human being could survive the passage through his body of an
alternating electrical current of 1,000 volts for a period of twenty seconds,
the contact being perfect.
It has been suggested
that an error was committed in applying the electrodes to the head and spine
instead of the hands. In answer to this may be stated a fact which is well
known, to physiologists and medical electricians, namely, that the sudden
arrest of the heart’s action can be more surely effected by destroying or
paralyzing the brain center, which controls such action, than by attacking the
heart itself; hence by including the brain directly in the circuit, the action
of the heart is instantly arrested, while, at the same time, all the vital
centers, including those of consciousness are paralyzed; also, that the brain
is very susceptible to the influence of electricity, and is readily affected,
sometimes to an alarming extent, by the passage into it, through the skull, of
ordinary currents, such as are obtained from medical batteries; that the nerve
tissues contain an excess of moisture, and hence are among the best of
conductors, while the amount of moisture and so-called animal matter
contained in live bone is sufficient to render that substance a fairly good
conductor. Further, it is not difficult to penetrate the hairy scalp by
electricity if the hair be properly moistened, the conductivity of all the
tissues of the body being dependent on the amount of water they contain.
The head electrode,
which was originally suggested, but which was not used (though in all
probability such form of head electrode will be used in future), was designed
to include the forehead, down to the eye-brows, in the zone of contact.
The point of contact of the body electrode is not of material importance, but
may be applied to the hand, foot, calf of the leg or any other indifferent part
of the body.
Death in Kemmler's case
was probably caused by sudden, destructive change in the molecular elements of
the brain centers and blood, but which, though sufficiently intense to
instantly abolish all conscious life, was, apparently, not intense enough to
effect immediate abolition of muscular contractility. The fact that the heart
was found, on post-mortem examination, to be quite empty of blood,
clearly indicates, that its contents had been expelled and its action suddenly
arrested by the influence of the shock, acting through the higher nerve
centers.
That a method of
judicially inflicting the penalty of death in punishment of the crime of murder
will ever be devised, which, in its operation, shall be divested of that sense
of awe and dread usually experienced when in the presence of the mystery of
death, is not to be expected; and even were it possible, the wisdom of such a
method might well be questioned so long as the welfare and protection of
society require the infliction of such a penalty to deter men from committing
murder.
There are abundant
reasons for believing that death by means of electricity is so rapid that the
application of the current could be repeated several times within the interval
that is known to elapse between the receipt of an injury, or a peripheral sensory
impression, and its conscious perception by the brain through the medium of
the sensory nerves. In other words, the electrical current would travel from
the point of contact to the brain many times faster than sensory impressions or
nerve currents, the rate of velocity of the latter being, roughly
speaking, only about 155 feet per second, a rate which is quite slow in
comparison with the lightning-like velocity of electricity, which travels
at the rate of millions of feet per second. Thus it will readily be seen that
an electrical current of lethal energy coming in contact with the body so as
to include the brain in the circuit would reach the latter and produce
unconsciousness long, comparatively, before any resultant sense of pain at the
point of contact, or elsewhere, could be conveyed to and appreciated by that
organ through the process of nerve conduction, which, as has been shown,
requires a distinctly appreciable period of time, the rate of transmission of
painful sensations being even slower than that of ordinary tactile
impressions.
A striking
illustration of the relative slowness of nerve conduction as compared with
electricity, was shown in a series of experiments in instantaneous photography
recently conducted by Professor Maybridge in the following manner:
The lantern was used
to make a series of instantaneous photographs, and in order to make the
intervals between the exposures, as well as the times of exposures exceedingly
short, the plates were exposed and stopped by means of an electric current. One
very interesting series of pictures made was intended to illustrate the
slowness of the brain in receiving impressions. Two women were employed; one
stood in a bath-tub and the other sat on a raised chair and poured a
bucket of water over the standing woman's head and shoulders. In order to make
the shock more intense, Professor Maybridge had filled the bucket with ice-water,
unknown to the victim, who would not have awaited the douche so patiently had
she known what its temperature was going to be. One view showed the water
tipped over and falling, yet not quite touching the girl’s head. The next view
showed the water splashing from her head and shoulders, and yet there were no
signs of sensation. In the third picture she was just beginning to respond to
the shock, and the subsequent pictures illustrated the further phases of the
response. The point of special interest, however, is in connection with the
second view. The electric current had in that case first exposed the plate, and
then after a very short interval had shut it off again; that is to say, had
acted twice with an interval of time between the two sufficiently long for the
sensitive plate to take an impression of the view, and this after the ice-water
had touched the woman's shoulders, and before she was conscious of it.
Compared with hanging,
in which death is frequently produced by strangulation, with every indication
of conscious suffering for an appreciable time on the part of the victim,
execution by electricity is infinitely preferable, both as regards the
suddenness with which death is effected and the expedition with which all the
immediate preliminary details may be arranged. By the latter method the fatal
stroke renders its victim unconscious in an infinitesimal fraction of a
second, so small as to be beyond the power of the human mind to estimate,
while, at the same time, it disintegrates the nerve tissues and blood to an
extent which insures an absoluteness of death in a shorter space of time than
is possible by any other known method. In other words, it is the surest,
quickest, most efficient and least painful method that has yet been devised.
The execution of
Kemmler, from the time he entered the room until the second contact was
interrupted, occupied not more than eight minutes; whereas executions by
hanging usually require from fifteen to thirty minutes. In fact, it not
infrequently happens that the heart continues to beat for that length of time
after the fall of the fatal drop. Then, too, far more time is consumed in
placing the prisoner on the gallows, pinioning his limbs, putting on the black
cap, placing the noose about his neck and carefully adjusting the knot under
his left ear (from whence it sometimes slips at the critical moment, resulting
in strangulation instead of a broken neck), than would be required for
arranging the preliminary details of an electrical execution. During the
preparation of this report the Associated Press dispatches contained an account
of a hanging, in which the criminal's head was almost completely torn from the
body.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The statute providing for the execution of
criminals by electricity should be amended so as to provide for but one plant,
to be located in the central part of the State, in a building especially constructed
for the purpose. The building should contain the necessary electrical
apparatus, an engine, execution room, solitary cells and quarters for the
guards and other necessary officials, the apparatus to be in charge of and
operated by a competent, accredited electrician.
2. The engine and
dynamo should be especially constructed for the purpose, and should be capable
of generating an electro-motive force of at about 3,000 volts, in order
to insure the maximum voltage that would be necessary, and at the same time
cause no injuries to any electrical-lighting company, such as is likely
to be the case so long as commercial dynamos are used in executing criminals.
3. The volt-meter
should be located in the execution-room, and a competent and responsible
official should be detailed to take the readings of the meter before and at the
instant the current is applied. The voltage should not be less than 1,500 nor
more than 2,000, and should be a matter of official record. The prisoner's
resistance should also be taken immediately before bringing him into the
execution-room.
4. The statute should
require an official report of each execution to be made to the Governor within
ten days after the execution takes place.
Carlos F. MacDonald,
President, State
Commission in Lunacy