What is The World's First Electrocution -- Use Of The Electric Chair -- Amendment?
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The World's First Electrocution -- Use of the Electric Chair -- Amendment/Corrected Version
(Auburn, New York; Capital Punishment, Death, Law, Revenge, Murder)
On this date of August 6, 1890 -- One Hundred and Sixteen years ago in Auburn, New York about 25 miles Southwest of Syracuse, New York -- William Kemmler was strapped to the very first electric chair to be used in the world's penal system.
As read throughout the country by newspapers and around the world, New York State officials "threw" a switch and instituted a new type of capital punishment on this date of August 6, 1890 at the Auburn State Prison as prevously stated .
Electrocution was intended to be a humane alternative to
Late on the night of March 28, 1889; a drunken William Kemmler beat his also drunken and argumentative "wife", Tillie Ziegler, to death in a quarrel that ended up with Kemmler killing his common law wife /
William Kemmler had deserted his real and lawful wife and child in the state of Pennsylvania and ran off with the married Tillie Ziegler whom passed as his "wife" to many in Buffalo, New York's slum district.
The couple had settled in Buffalo, New York about 160 miles West of Syracuse, New York in that period of time via the
A bloody Tillie Ziegler whom was barely alive, as Kemmler stood above her with his bloody hatchet; as the police arrived -- Kemmler now was a crazed man in shock at his actions as he slowly came out of his drunken being while being arrested.
Kemmler's trial was brief. On May 9, 1889 as he was sentenced to die, (the trial started May 6, 1889) according to court records, Kemmler eyes rested unwavering on the judge as he heard himself sentenced to death.
In the last months of Kemmler's life as he began to sober up and show remorse; Kemmler became a
William Kemmler was about to become the first man in the United States of America and the world to die in the
During the early morning of August 6, 1890 the people of Auburn, NY and surrounding areas awaited outside the walls of the state prison to hear of Kemmler's soon to be fate as the first man to die in the electric chair and not by hanging.
Warden Durston, Chaplain Yates, the Reverend Dr. Houghton and Deputy Sheriff J.C. Veiling took watch over the condemned man.
After, Warden Durston read Kemmler's death warrant -- and prayer had been conducted, Kemmler who had know been sober for months and more aware of his crime was taken to the stark room filled with about twenty five witnesses all of them; clergymen, the district attorney, the judge, prison officials, reporters, and fourteen distinguished engineers/medical researchers/doctors whom all sat in a semi-circle before the wooden chair with electrodes attached to it -- looking grim.
At 6:34 A.M. by court records, Kemmler sat in the world's first "nonexperimental" electric chair.
After the deputy sheriff had cut a small round patch in the middle of Kemmler's hair down to the bare scalp as for the chair's crown/electric cap to obtain good contact with the electrode and the top of Kemmler's bare head.
Kemmler was dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt and tie, with a slit in one of his trouser's leg -- for one electrode to be attached by/via a slit in the seat of his trousers to ensure better contact with the chair and it's electrode system of one cord attached to the helmet that had its sponge made wet thus attached to Kemmler's head and temples fastened by a leather strap around his
Kemmler had removed his suit jacket before being executed, but left his suit vest and the rest of his "Sunday's best" attire.
Kemmler now was pale white, but calm for a man in his position. Many believed that Kemmler thought his death would be quick and painless -- all were wrong.
Kemmler was soon to be slowly tortured.
The other main electrode connected to one of his legs, making Kemmler the
As the morning light glimmered into the death chamber, the warden rapped twice on the door -- as a lever clicked; a
The current of electricity that once had passed through his body for several seconds now made Kemmler look like that of a rag doll -- limp and dazzed but not yet dead.
The reddish faced Kemmler and his swollen body let out a stinch that made many of the witnessess turn from the morbid sight of the smelling and burning human flesh.
After, several jolts of electricity, and to the dismay of the prison doctors and warden -- Kemmler was finally now dead.
Something that was supposed to have been more humane than hanging had turned into a gruesome circus like sideshow of human death.
Some witnessess had passed out and some had thrown up from the terrible smell of cooked flesh.
About an hour and a half latter, justice had been carried out after many times of pulling the switch releasing electricity into Kemmler's now over cooked body.
Finally about 8 A.M. -- the crowd who has waiting so long and came to hear of the world's first electrocution was given shocking word of the gruesome execution outside of the Auburn State Prison.
The World's First Electrocution -- Use of the Electric Chair used around 700 volts of electricity to 1,500 volts and finally to 1,300 volts of raw electric current on its many and separate times of putting Kemmler to death.
Papers around the United States reported that the new method of execution was
The World's First Electrocution -- Use of the Electric Chair -- Amendment:
The world's next electrocution took almost a year to occur.
On July 7, 1891 four men were put to death in the Sing Sing Prison's new electric chair; making it the second electric chair in New York State and the world.
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