the carolina watchman vol xxl-third series salisbury n c thursday august 14 1890 no 43 come see buy fi w wright the leading furniture dealer and undertaker in salisbury offering the largest and ib-st assorted stock of furni ture ever brought to tliis place o o ' y parlor stits v j parlor slits k w mohair crush plush ut s0.o0 former . -^^ price s";i 00 "*^ silk plush at sad 00 former price hh go.oo p won plush at f'w.00 fniuier price y sla hi j r ,, bed room suits i r.l'.d room suits y ■ ant iijiic oak antique ashe cherry and r^a r 1 walnul al prices thai defy competition hth j a lalige stock | a large stock *— < «— - of chairs safes mattresses of all kinds ., i i spring ileus work tallcs for ladies ' j y i 1 id mis and til ure frames of every sulc l and quality always in sloek or will be i made lo order on short notice at reason \^^/ l iihle priii s ba1jy carriages pj s baby carriages i s "*' a large stuck of baby carnages with r^h w ire v heels it s t -~> < > . mm silk plush scat and satin parasol car c riages with wire wheels at only 10.50 .^ h formerly sold for 52.50 l^j [^^ undertaking department q j undertaking department s|>ieial attention given lo undertaking [ | j r-n iii all its branches at all hours day and l r r r might |>* . pal ties wishing my services at ni j-.li t will 7 f lj call al my residence on bank street in brooklyn hh ij thanking mv lik-nds and the public ~ ~\ ,- -. generally lor past patronage and asking a ' v kj j continuance of the same 1 am ** -» v • i i • — • l ... ns an xions ie olease g w wright leading furnilure dealer / i his rpace belongs to \ [ w h.rei5ner j \ wntcli il next v ek / — i electrocuted the first le^al death by electricity on record kemmler the wife embereb bead an awful time with as vwful affair till rleotrric button burn's thia i hi the skis into tii flesh auburn x v aug 6 with a short sharp hoc painless so far as the world will ever know the soul of william kemmler was separated from the bodv at 0:40 o'clock this morning a cap adjusted to the head of a man bound 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 act ion anol her f urn of t he lever a pause i room rilled with sickening fume and twenty-seven witness of the first elei triftde in v sto.'ly knew that the death of tillie ziegler laid been avenged in law and the crime of william kemmler expiated so fur as human hands could force its expiation an execution is always a ghastly sight a lynching has abonl if an at tendant excitement born of hurried boisterous action which lends an arti ficial strength to the nerves of partici pants and onlookers alike iiut the slow solemnity of a public execution the quiet formal preparations for a judical killing are depressing enough to weaken ihe nerves and undermine tin courage of the bravest at 0:38 ih doors at the right of the execution chair leading toward i execution room opened and \\ arden durston s figure appeared iu the door way i hind him walked a spi looking broad-shouldered little man full bearded with carefully arranged hair mustering wound his forehead he was dressed in a suit of new cloth ing a sack coat and vest ol dark gray material trousers of a mixed yellow pattern and a white shirt whose pol ished front wis exposed directly below a little bow 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 v..,lked di vv k houghton and chaplain yates kemmler was by far tiie coolest m n in the party lb did nol lo k abonl ihe room with anv special degree of interest he hes itated as tho door was close behin 1 him and carei ally locked by an ai teml ant on the other side as though he did nol know exact ly what lo do " give me a chair will yon ? " said the warden some one quickly handed him a wooden chair which he placed in front and a lit e to i he rigid of the executi;.n chair facing the little circle of men kemmler sat down com posedly looked about him and then up and down without anv i videnceof fear or of especial interest in the event his face was not stolid it was not in different he looked if anything as though he wiis rather pleased at being the centre of inf rest warden durston stood at the left of ihe chair with his hand on the h ick of it and almost al i he moment that kemmler look his seat he began to speak in short quick perio 1 a now gentlemen 1 he said this is william hi inniler i have warned him thai he has got to die and if he has anything to say he will sav it a the warden finished kemmler looked i and said in a high-keyed voice without any hesitation and as though lie had prepared himself \*. ith the speech •• well i wish every one good luck in the world and i i hink i am going to a goad place and the ! have been saving a loi ot stuff that isn'l so that's all i have to s iy with th '■ dm ion of ihe >]• ■ -.-^ in turned his back lo th jury i ■ k off hi c at ami handed it to the war den this disclosed the fact that a hole had been cut from th hand of the trousers down so as to expose the base oi th spine when his cat was off kemmler turned in the direction of the door through which he had com ■ into the room and leg in to unbutton his vest \ | i he t ime t he warden was drawing the interfering drapery of ids shirl through tic hoi iu tin trousers ami off , , a i leav ! se little surface oi ti ■ h against w hich one of fhe electrodes wa to press ab olutel bare warden durston called atti n tioii to the facl that il wa - 11 il n c - sary to remove iii vest and kern calmly buttoned it again an ! ■ arranged his tie " don't hurrj ah ■ this matter 1 - ii 1 the w irden " be i ie i ■ i i -. cool lie was perfei fclv cool he w all odds the i o di-sl man iu tin room when ui tie was arranged h ■ down in the electric chair as ij del ,;, n though he wry silting down to dinner warden duston stood on the righ jeorge vide of albany on the i'iaa beg in immediately lo adjust i in • i i.i j > around keiiiml i ■ body thecoii deinned n holding up his arms and o-avi rver1 \ --! st vn r when the straps had been a ; ' i idioul the body hie anus were fas torn d down and then the warden leaned over an i parted his feel -■•■ ■- 1 ng i near ihe legs of : .. i . i his assistants take your time doift ln in i hurry ii sure that everything is all right 1 two or three times he repeated these phrases warden durston reassured ii'r.i with tho remark that it would not hurt him and that he dursl would he with him all through but it was not fear ilia kemmler felt it was rather a certain pride iu the exact ness of the experiment he seemed to have i greater interest in its success than those wli > made the preparations for it anil who were watching its pro gress to its final fatal conclusion \\ hen the straps had been adjusted to the body and limbs the warden placed his hand on kemmler's head and held it against the rubber cushion which ran dawn the back of the chair kemmler's eyes ware turned toward the opposite side of the room bef ire they had followed the warden in his movements then the condemned man made one or two remarks in a perfectly clear composed lone of voice well i wish everybody good luck was one of them and durston see that things are all right was another deputy vieling unfastened the thumb screws which held the figure " 1 at the back of the chair in place and be gan to lower i so that the rubber cup which held the saturated spouse press ed against the fop of kemmler's head the warden assisted in the preparation by holding kemmler's head the cap adjusted when the cap had been adjusted and clamped in place kemmler said oh you'd better press that down further i j:ns press that down so the head niece was unclasped and pressed further dawn 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 tank in his hand the leather harness which was to be ad justed to kemmler head it was a muz/jo of broad leal he straps which went across the forehead and the cliin nf the man in the chair the top strap pressed down against the no e of of kemmler until it flatted it dawn slightly over his face as the harness was put in place dr spilzka who was stand ina - near the chair said softly g d bless you kemmler aud the condemned man answered thank yon softly the door leading into the roam where i\i switches were arranged was partly open a man stood i:i the doorway behind him there wen iwo ol her men \\ hich of them was to i'liii i t he lever and make fhe connec tion with the chair was not known warden durston savs it will never be known the dynamo in the machine simp was running at good speed and the vol i 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 ? " 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 nol been equal to the test of he further delay bui there was o fear that he wouli have !.>-', courage he was as calm i the chair as he had been before he ei tered the room and during the proce ■ confinemi nt by the straps whic held him close at t 12 m rd ■:■'- ■;■: jstion dr fe stepped forward with a lonir svringe i his hand and quickly but deftly wet ted the two sponges which were at th electrodes one on top of the head am the oilier at the base of the p:m the water which he put on them w impregnated with salt dr spitzk answered i he warden's quest ion wil a sharp all right which was echoei bv others ab mt him " ready sai i kirston again and then " g00d-i5ye lie stepped to the door and through the opening said to si me one in the nexl room but to whom will probably never will be known with certainty every tfiixg rs ready hi almost immediate response as i in stop watches in the hand i - mie of the w itnesses registi red >'. 21 the ele l v current was f urne i fin re wa ; a sudden convulsii m frame in f he chair a spasm iv ul j a ,;■ if fr mi ! ead to foot confined b the straps and springs that held il lirinlv so i hal no limb i r oflu r part if the h d i irre i in ir ■ than a small ■■ tion of an inch from its ri sting the 1 '■ itching that the muscles oi j the f :■•■• iinderwi nl gave to it !' i • n ex j iression if pa i . ' ■ : ' crv e cap ■! from his lips which .\ free to move ai will n'o c . i a i fo - iggesf thai consi io - l more 1 hail aii ifinate - va tion of a md beyond tie tion ol the ; i ian mind 1 n l,o iv remained in this ri aid position ! for seven ti en seconds the jury and i if.n .>>.•*, \\ ho had up to tiii moment | remained seated came hurriedly for | vara and surrounded the chair there was no movement of fli ■ bo ly beyond i he r t con ulsion i was nol a |,. ■•> v sight this man in his shirl - a eves bound hand foot : even head with a heavy fi ■ . dov i oi the top ■ : ii tin stillm f d.-.itl : li i a ; •■.,, ! hand and as the seconds flew by he noted their passage dr spitzka too looked at the stop watch and as the j tenth second expired he cried out stop stop cried other vac about the warden turned to the doorway and called out stop 1 to the man at ihe lever a quick move ment of the arm and the electric cur rent was switched off there was a relaxation bid the straps held ir so firmly in the chair that there was nol a quarter of an inch varation in the position of nil y part of the frame | the epiiet little group around the chair grew business like iiks dead said dr spitzka calmly oh he's dead 1 re-echoed dr mcdonald with firm confidence the rest of the wit nesses noted their aequiesenee there was no question ; u the mind of anyone bid that the stilt upright object before them was lifeless this was the programme this the inevitable effect the next question was what was to he done with the body dr spitzka stepped forward and called attention to the appearance of nose which he s nd 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 t iken to the hospital tue warden replied t hat he could nol let any of the witnesses go until he had i heir certificates all thi con versation look but a moment i r ijah.-h was bending over the body look ing at t he exposed skin suddenly he cried out sharply 1 ir mcdonald see hat rupture in a moment dr spitzka and dr mcd m ald had bent over and were looking where dr balch was pointing at a r.-d spot on the hand that rested in the i ight arm of t h \ chair the in dex linger of the hand laid curve backward as ihe flexor muscles con tracted and had scraped a small hole iu i he skin at the base of the i huiub on the hack of the hand there was nothing str.in:;c in this alone but what wnsst'augc was that the little rupture was dripping this man rs not dead cried dr spitzka paces grew white grew whik and fell b.-ic'v from the chair warden durston sprang io the doorway and cried turn on the current ilni tin curreiil could nol be t*.u ned on v hen t he signal to stop had come the operator had pressed the lit tle button which gave the sign to the eng nee'r to stop the dynamo was al most at a standstill and the volt me tre registered an almost imperceptible current there was a rapid response hul quick as it was il was not quick enough to anticipate the signs of what mayor may or may nol have been re turning consciousness as the group of horror-stricken wit nesses stood helplessly by all eyes fixed on the chair kemmler's lips began to drop spittle aud iu a moment more his chest moved and from his mouth came a heavy stertorius sound quick ening and increasing with every respi ration—if respiration it was there was no voic icit ! hat of t he war leu cryingjo i he operator to t urn on the current and the wheezing sound half groan which forced itself past the | tightly closed lips sounded tin ough the j still chamber with ghastly distiuct ! ss i i wo thousand volts were sent through the io in the chair how long it \\ as kept in acl ion no one knows to the excited group o men i al.out the chair it seemed an in in j terminable time for the men who stood in front of the volt metre in j the adjoining room and threw the switch lever backward time had no in ■:./:;] eineilt dr daniel who looked at his w itch excitedly and who throughout had j an p ri situate idea of the t ime at le i-t said that it was four and a half minutes in all the warden's a ■ -- tants who stood over the dynamo said t hat ai e second signal t ho nun i - cry was run three and a half minutes altoget her it will never he known j wii h any degree oi ru curacy w lial the space ef fine was no one was anxious to give 1 lie signal to sti p all lire ded the responsibility of of fering to t ii man a chain e to revive or to give ag tin at leasl i \ - ■ appeal - mice of re i urniiig animal i ui v rteii and so horrified the \\ il nes i few minutes before some of i he wit lies ■■- burr e 1 i : • he sight i hie if 1 1 em lay d faint and i k ll t ikes a long i ing i to tell tl dory it - em 1 a long tim r;u;l ng u max in r alii '. there wen bid seve i • hr — coiids in the interval v li eh • i ip scd :. •! ween : h i moil i i he firs -.. in i - • led fi mil iv nil ei '- | i i ia response to i he sign tl cm ia a n.iiiio room it ca with i same sudden ness that had uiai . i i •■ shock which passed t hroiig l einin ;../-. hody flic sound whi h had : he i isl ner.s i out the < .-. a ■ . ,'. i the , id . uiore became rigi i tii ■ -,.--.' o')z till iropp i ! roi , i u t h a 1 1 1 1 ran ■ ■• i.i v n i ' . .-'.■' room threw the current on an 1 off there w is to he no mistake this time iibout the killing the dvuamo was run up to its highest speed as the anxious group stood silently watching the body sud lenly there a ose from it i white vapor hearing with it i pungent and sickening odor the 11 idy was burning again i here were cries to stop the enr \ renl ami again the warden sprang to the do r and give the quick order to his i ssistants the curr a.t t ipj>ecl and th ii tii a was a relax:,tion of the hody n ' doubt this time that the ' current had done its work if not well i al least completely dr fell who j stood at the side of ihe special corres pondent of the united press turned and a d •• we there is no doubt about one thing the man never suffer ed one iota of pain the autopsy was begun about nine o'clock it was in charge of l>r jen kins ul x.-w york ( \\ ho handled the knife dr daniel dr mcdonald and dr r-.il/kai dr pell prepared the blood from the body for examination under the microscope it was found when the body was spread out on the table that a very severe rigor mortis iiu set in there vas little relaxation.and it was wilh difficulty that the corpse was straightened out on examination it was found that the second electrode had burned through till skin and injto the flesh it the base of the spine making a car nearly five inches in di iliwi'l the heart lungs and other organs were taken out and found nj be in go id heal liy condition they ■ pr , i .• i for i irther examina tion the brain also was taken out an i it to i will b • carefully ex iniined the l'xaminal ion ol i he brain showed i al it was hardened direct lv under the spot where the elechic current had come in contact \\ ith the skull and that the blood at that spot was harden ed showing that the current had hud din ct action on the brain kemmler's i rime auburn x v ana c the crime for which kemmler was executed was in itself one worthy of only passing notice anil haul it nol been for the method of paying the death penalty would have attracted little attention for ihe mur derer and his victual had lived only in dissipation and debauchery kemmler was the son of a philadel phia butcher nnd was b ra mry !'. isg0 lie eked out an existence a si huckster about the suburbs of philadelpia until i when he i uirrii d a weoman named ida porti r of camden n j she had another liusand living and two days after his marriage kemmler eloped with tillie ziegler also al.-o a married woman and one of his customer they tied i buffalo and lived there for eighteen months quarrels were frequently for both were addicted to drink anil kemmler always brutal in his disposition frequently abus ed her on the morning of march 28th i shi the pair indulged in a lien o quar rel over money matters in a drunken rage kcmmlei attacked his mistress with a hatchet with which he struck her tin c times mostly about the head the wom an was dead before he liii liai-ii-l his work the bowsers mr bowser t vk1 - a few i.i ons on nil ti.vrb when mr h r.vser unlocked the front door one uighl i his .... ioter li it so softly and he made so little nois in tin al i suspected smnetl u rung ! 1 cam ; into the sitting-i looking i at ier sheepish and like a man who had soi a hing on hi • mind bill [ asked im and he volunteered no information until after supper then he suddenly asked i a vou keep up your piano prac tie-s i >.;. yes on hide music and - i i don't day when are vou here i hate music whal are you talk ing about vou have oi n compared my play ing to th sounds of heat ing on an old tin p n •- veil of c mrsi . you are n pool plavei . d ) . , ■ • - cnu ked but so far is inn dc is cone rued ia a it uils my soul with joy ' ijul \ . a never sing or phi haven't had i no i i - v . inti id to v.vs i feel the need of soiuel more pleasant to oil i llg t he long ho ii - ol evi niug 1 think i shall , ir • • • a f y i . " i'll t's il ! ! . it i i neither h id sj il went t it ami ap i a i •■ li mi and i i - ' ' an ; . to learn to s ■ ■ il i a i had one i ■ on ' . : ■ ■ i i > h you ictici iu the garr.-l i i ■ n ,- im a jugful i hall |-> '■ ; " ■• , i . ll el ■ • a • 1 it . ! i ns if it had been carried around the country since the days of columbus ii nl when he was looking at it he said this harp was made by givoni himself over one hundred \ cars ago '■\\ h i was ( tivoni ': ' who was givoni vvhydon't von ask who george washington was well it's my opinion that you have he u swindled mi the instrument an 1 i fear you arc too old to take up such in - 1 ): » yon that's n nice way to encot.r ire a husband i seee now why so many men run out nights i not only saved orty dollais in buying this harp hut i'll make your heart achn with jealousy before the mouth is over he began lo trum he held hit head mi one side ran out his tongiiu and picked away at the scale and lo had been going about five minuter when the cook opened the door beck on ed ia ■ out ami w hispered 1 give yon notice that i shall leave after supper to-morrow !" why what is it ?" i asked him mr ilowser il.-'ll bring spooks and ghosts about i have already 1 n taken with palpitation of tin heart mercy hut listen to those voices of the dead calling out to each other across their graves mrs bow ser it's the wonder of the people that yon don't commit suicide mr ijowser thrummed until i had to carry baby up stairs to quite his howls run until the ends of his lin gers were sore and he wouldn't have quit when he did had not a voice ui of the house shouted "\\ hy am t some ono throw a roi k throng the window or run for tin potrol wagon . " next day a dark-skinned man who said he was i grandson of the lato givoii came up and gave mr ijowser i lesson and the cook who had almost consented to stay suddenly rose up and rushed alter her bundle when ready to go she whispere 1 to me 1 in sorry mum sorrow for you : il it's all 1 f h child de send ill word and 1 ii do all in my power mr bowers took four lessons iu all and then he told his teacher that his services woul he mi longer required lie took the last two lessons m tho bar iu order he said to surprise me on the evening of the hist lesson he brought in the harp just as a couple of cm neighbors came in he prompt ly responded to an invitation to show off hut had not labored two minutes when one of the gentlemen asked have you any particular object iu that mr boswer of course he has replied the other it is an imitation of a great calamity iu japan buildings shaken down bv earthquake flames devouring the ruins husbands shouting wives praying children sobbing dogs barkng etc 1 it your own composition mr bow ers why why don't i play alright i'lu teacher said 1 was making wonder ful progress they beckoned him on into an alley and held a conference what wim aid i do not know but when mr an iu he looked very pale ill i the hi 1 t hing he did was to givu i he harp i kick that opened all tin and prep il'ed it tor tin crash h came when lu hung it out s , rs mr i '. iwsi :. have vou gone crazy 1 demanded no ma'am hut i've got a few wi mis to say to you w ... : la i done done done who coaxed mo the grandson of givoni hi had iin old harp he wanted to get rid of and he stuck yon for a hat and got i w ice its worth stuck me for a flat he shouted ■.'. alked around on the cat and why because i was willing to swin dled t - keep plaeojn the family vou had voui mill 1 sol on a harp and a harp vou in isl hav 1 mr m - r-s what did i want of i h;i , ■ heaven only knows but for vou 1 hon d :. '. ei ha m tl ied to play on it w hal do . ,:: suppose greenu an 1 davis id -• i . re a dunce that if their w ives led them around you du ni - that they'd and then commit . ' 1 111 isl have looked sweet hat old harp ' 1 ni did i told j on that it was ing to leai 11 music at v ia ag m age there you go am 1 a irs old m i five hui \ 1 . i •• en one hundred that ' it me mil a ! iu my big t<ji ill '. i ir while bod . mrs hows ti e limit you gone fai eiio igh n ow beware ! i ie orb . a i . to tn i ! bui a ■ . ■ morning the word wax - 1 nl as ! ue sin i when a crowd i aid i up and down .- 1 ' larping on a piei • of that harp mr li ■ a nc -■ . i'd 0:1 that he saw or thug detroit fret pn — -^~«»- ■ — i iii eeii boio ii ' 1 ■'. ia ia thin h that th . ' 1 i to thi lipping post a*j