Execution by Electricity.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3538, 17 June 1890, Page 2

Execution by Electricity.

■:; A vecont cablegram, ia the daily papers stated that the first execution l>y electricity was ahout to take place ';. in the State of .New, York, ■ Joseph Kemmlen (says tlje ft " Town 'and ' Country Journal"), will be the first man .to die tinder the : new law, 'and;.; his;execution. .will, he,-ffatehecWwUli • ™ interest by the ecientiu'o world* There willbenonebfthe ghastly-surround. r. : ings}bat dharaVterise death by 'bang-' ingj'the proceedings ttill'appear : to'':' be nothing nioro than an electrical experimenfc. , %6 only, horrible fparfr. • of it wilt be the reflection that its .*■ successful issue means the instant death of the human subject upon .which the experiment" is to he made; - Be will be led to the execution chair, \ and in ; : rmoment mil be pushed-Back i, into il/the hooks in the .belt about his body slippod into tho rings' in the v; chrtiiyahd there fastened in placeJby V) a turn of ; the screws,', At the sotted moment his feet will be raised, the foptrost slipped under them and: fasti';' ened by a turn'of the sprew, and astrap on top of the test will be buckled tightly over his/ankles. In another moment the two dangling wires' 'will be fastened on, to.the metal at the, centre of theback of the cap, and the [ other to the metal connection;on the

heel of' each Bhde. A. black cloth' will be pulled over the face of the prisoner, the.officera will stand, well back frp'nv the chair, and at ', at. signal the executioner'at: the'Bwitoh'" will turn on the current, the volume of which has previously' been adjusted to suit the resistance of the prisoner ■.' the experience of Joseph Kemmfer can certainly tell what will happen then, but if the confidence of

those'in charge or the efficiency. ■of the apparatus is well founded, at the instant the switch is. touched. there will be a little stißoning of the prisoner's body, i little quivering of the limbs, life will- flutter for" a. bare instant, like the needle that will be dancing upon the kial ou the wall, and then it will all.be overi Thero will bj no pain, no convulsion, scarcely a movement to mark the passage from life to'death, but the victim wil| bo hopelessly and unmis- • tabablydead. On the morning of the day fixed for the execution the prisontr will be informed, and whatever opportunity he desires for" religions consolation and farewell words will bo. given him. These ovcr.jusl before the hour fixed upon for tbe execution, the offioers' will enter his cell, and the death warrant will be read. ; Hi* shoes will then be removed, and a pair resembling regular army brogans will he substituted. In the soles of these there will have been inserted a metal plate covering the whole sole and connecting with wires ■passing out tbrougli the heels. Whilo one officer is making this change of shoes another will fasten the prisoner's hand together in front, aud will place around his body, just beneath the -arin pits, a stout leather ' : strap,'.-:' with a buckle fastening it in front and snap hooks projecting from each side of the back. Another offiicet will place upon the back of the.prisoner's head a peculiar close-fitting cap apparently of black rubber, made around a small mantle piece in the centre. .It will look somewhat as if made by taking - a rubber football, and' with a metal cap at tho hole for a centre, cuttim; off the end of the ball into a sort of hood,' The cap will fit orer almost the whole of tbe head, from the base brain to woll towards tho- forehead. Insideof >t, in the centra about tie metal piece, wi|l: be a spiralarraase- ■' ' ment of copper wire, about Binltf diameter, and made to fit down over the part of tho - head - that it will cover. The wires, just before the cap is placed oil the prisoner's head, will be covored with sponge saturated with salt water. While these arrangements are being put on, the prisoner will be Sitting on a chair, in his cell. This chair, not differing apparently from an ordinary one, but which is mado especially for the put pose, will be connected with, wires leading to another rcom, and the prisoner) . sitting in the.chair,-willbe subjected to a.current of electricity too lii»bt to be felt, but heavy enough to give an expert electrician in the other room an exact measurement, by the nsb of what is known as the" Whotstone bridge." of the electrical resistance of.. the man.. This will onlytake -an '■ instant, and this will be done before the officers have the prisoner ready to leave tho cell. V

Comißg Diyorce Suits- . The official list of divorce oases to be tried in London during the sittings, ;' which commenced on April 15, • amounted to 284—boing above the average. In regard; first'of all, to the O'Shea and Parnell case, it ia ; not in the published list, consequently it will. not be heard these .sittings. Indeed, owing to many compliqations, it is doubtful whether it will be tried. ■ this side of tho Long Yaoation. . Among the actions to be;determined \, before the court itself is that of Canto ' v. Dunlo and Wertheimer. 'The petitioner is Viscount Dunlo, son of; .; the Earl of Clancarty; and' Lady Dunlo is better known as; Miss Belle • Bilton, one of the Sisters Bilton, the music hall artistes, It will be-, remembered that after his mar- . riage at the registry, office Lord ' ; Dunlo went to Australia. Sir CharlesRussell has. been retained for the' petititioner, and the oase will be reached in about three weeks' time. In another case a well known private'.,; '■ inquiry agent is a co-respondf>nt, and in the secood an author and an aotor. ■-,', What is known as the'sequel to the " Highgate Abduction Case;" as "part heard," Mr Yetts, the. ' : > respondent, obtaining on, adjournmentin order, as he.sajd, that-he might, call Florence Dexter, in regard to whose abduction he was sentenoed to six months' imprisonment.' One* of the applications for a new trial is that of Mr Thirkettle, of Leeds, who alleged adultery on the part of his'- ■'■ wife;with General Frances, a retired • officer ot the Indian Army, and with; his brother-in-law,: Air Waller,, a: brewer o( Bradford, against whom • he claimed Mm damages, ■; In "■ the cross-suit againsthira, he was unsuccessful, and his wife a,. ; decree nisi. The most interesting ; probate suit v?illbe l lbat of Edwards Y.delaWarr and, others'.' It has ' reference to the lato Lord SaokviUe'a' ' will under which four maids of honor were substantially benefited/ Some'-'' oiirioustevelationsareexpeoted, and • a large array of legal talent has been retained, '. ' ":■'■' V;-; "•'