Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1891 — BY A QUICK ROUTE. [ARTICLE]

BY A QUICK ROUTE.

Four Murderers Electrocuted at the Sing Sing Penitentiary. Instantaneous amt Falnles* Death Follow* the Application of the Electrio ~ Fluid. Slocum, Smiler, Wood and Jurigo, four ourderers, were electrocuted at tho New York penitentiary, on the 7th, The approximate time of the turning on Of the current in each case was: Slocum, 4:40t Smiler, 5:10; Wood, 5130; Jtfgfro, 6;©s_ Tho prisoners had received some intimation beforehand that the executions were to take place, and they were prepared for them. They went to the execution chair bravely, and met their fate without a struggle. They offered no resistance, butrather assisted the keepers when they were bound down in the chair. The elec - trodes were not applied, as in the Kemmler case, to the top of the skull and Ihe ba9e of tho spine, but were bound to the foreheads of the condemned men and to thecaivesof their legs. The current wasturned on in each case for twenty seconds. The volrage was about 1,500 or 1,600. In each case there were apparent evidences of revival, as in the Kemmler case, add in each of these four cases the current v&r turned on a second time. In spite of the 'act. that Sponges were kept constantly wot, all of the executed men were burned by the curreut. and especially about the calves of the legs. The medical men present agree that death came on the first contact, and that the seeming revival was merely a reflex muscular action. None of tho witnesses were overcome by fright. and all of them who have spoken have made the statement that tho electrode,, were successful, and that death In all’ cases was instantaneous and painless. One of the witnesses briefly tells the tal* of the execution as follows: “About * o’clock the witnesses were let into the death chamber. The experts had previously examined everything and said they were satisfied the machinery of death would work perfectly. At 4 o’clock Slocum walked into the death room, accompanied by Father Creeden. Ho seemed to be making a tremendous effort to keep his composure. He had received Father Creed den’s last offices and had declared himsolrcady to die. He was then firmly strapped into the chair and the death current applied. Death was instantaneous. Therewas a sudden contraction of the nerves and then all was oyer. Smiler followed nextMr. Edgerton cheored him up. Be or* Smiler had time to think he was strapped into the chair, and an instant later the current of electricity was flashed through him that sent him into eternity. Next to follow was Wood, the negro. He had boen worked up into a state of religious enthusiasm, and it was while in this frame of mind that he was fastened into the chair and killed by the fatal shock. Jugiro was stubborn to the last. There was the usual ferocious, ugly look on his faco. He was closely guarded, and short work made of him. There was no apparent hitch in the four executions, and they wore pronounced a success. The t’eath of the four men to the observer appeared to bo painless Death came like a flash. It was one awfuj shock and then oblivion. The doctois took charge of the four bodies immediately after death, and began an autopsy to discover, as far as possible, how rapid had been the killing and the precise effect produced.”

Slocum walked steadily to the awful room, nis arms were tied behind his back, and a strap on his legs allowed him to 3tep about twelve, inches at a pace. No time was lost. When the death chamber was reached, Slocum walked to the fatal chair and sat down. His feet were tied, and his arms and head firmly fix'd to the proper places. He was ready In a moment. A moment later Warden Brown touched the bell and the current was applied, He died quickly. Present reports indicate that, in Slocum’s case, execution by electricity proved a success. Five minutes after he was killed the black smoke from the stack told that, preparations were being made for ’the~next mah. Harf ap hour after Slocum was awakened Smller had been aroused, and while Slocum ate his breakfast Smller was being prepared for his crisis by Rev. Mr. Edgcrton. Exactly thirty-ono minutes after Slocums’s dead body had been removed from the chair to the autopsy roorrl, Smiler was placed in the seat of death. In a fraction of a second after the straps were secured tbo fatal spark was applied and Smller’* soul was on its way to join that of Slocum. One of tho jury fainted, but keeper Connaughton’s presence of mind quelled subsequent disturbance. Wood was prepared next, and he wai executed ats:3B>4 o’clock. The execution of Juglro, the six-foot, 190-pound Japanese sailor, had been left to tho last in expectation of a struggle The expectation was realized. He dirt struggle with the guards: but was overcome, placed in the chair and subjected to tho fatal current.

A Cheyenne (Wyo.) sp«cial says that portion of Cheyenne county are being devastated by grass hoppers. For three weeks past they have been hatching oat, and myriads cover the prairie for miles just west of First View. A strip of land tea miles wide and extending ip a southeasterly direction across the entire county is completely hid from view by the hoppers. They meet with considerable difficulty in crossing the railroad, and consequently settle upon the track, causing the wheels of the engine to slip, so that it often requires two engines to pull the trains over these places. The extent of territory they cover is not known, but they are said to extend over all the land between First View and Limon Junction, and as far ( south as the Arkansas river. As yet they ' have done no damago to crops or grass, being too young. By the time they aw able to fly ordamnge crops, they will b* well out of Colorado into Kansas. Columbus Peak, of Madison, aged twen-ty-four, subject to epileptic attacks, whit canoeing on the Ohio river was soiled o his all men tana drowsed- “