ZAP, O CRAP, IT DIDN’T WORK, LET’S DO IT AGAIN!
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
AUGUST 6TH
ZAP, O CRAP, IT DIDN’T WORK, LET’S DO IT AGAIN!
On this day in history, August 6th, 1890, 135 years ago today, William Kemmler made history. William Kemmler made history by being the first person ever to use the electric chair. This history making execution by electrocution was carried out at Auburn prison, in the state of New York. William had recently been convicted of murdering his lover, with an axe. He was sentenced to die at 6:43 a.m. At that precise time the electric switch was turned on, with William strapped into the chair. Seventeen seconds later the switch was turned off. Surely this poor sinner of a man was dead by now; Right? The inventor of the electric chair quickly examined the body of William and began to brag about the humanity, and effectiveness, of his wonderful, new, killing machine. Then, suddenly, in the midst of the inventor’s pontifications, William Kemmler began gasping for air. The switch was quickly turned back on, this time for four minutes, and with increased voltage. It took the executioners two tries to get the job done, but get the job done they finally did. Those who witnessed the event called it grotesque, horrific, and revolting. Some people even fainted. One writer reported that, “William Kemmler had been tortured to death with a refinement of cruelty that was unequaled in the dark ages.” Another witness said that an axe would have been more humane than the chair. Ironically William would have known. We can’t ask him though; you want to know why? Because he died! He died 135 years ago today.
Despite the poor reviews of Williams’s history making execution, the electric chair soon began to replace hanging as the preferred and more humane way to execute criminals.
I will end this tragic story with the last words that William Kemmler spoke. After the deputy sheriff had strapped William into the electric chair, Mr. Kemmler gently reminded the deputy that he had forgot to strap in his arm. He then said, “Well, I want to do the best I can, and I can’t do any better than that.”
THE END
Rend Petersen
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