Again came that click as before, and again the body of the unconscious wretch in the chair became as rigid as one of bronze. It was awful, and the witnesses were so horrified by the ghastly sight that they could not take their eyes off it. The dynamo did not seem to run smoothly. The current could be heard sharply snapping. Blood began to appear on the face of the wretch in the chair. It stood on the face like sweat.
The capillary or small blood vessels under the skin were being ruptured. But there was worse than that. An awful odor began to permeate the death chamber, and then, as though to cap the climax of this fearful sight, it was seen that the hair under and around the electrode on the head and the flesh under and around the electrode at the base of the spine was singeing. The stench was unbearable.
Ever hear of William Francis Kemmler?
The capillary or small blood vessels under the skin were being ruptured. But there was worse than that. An awful odor began to permeate the death chamber, and then, as though to cap the climax of this fearful sight, it was seen that the hair under and around the electrode on the head and the flesh under and around the electrode at the base of the spine was singeing. The stench was unbearable.
--Excerpt From New York Times article, "Far Worse Than Hanging"
 | |
|
He's the "unconscious wretch" described above. Kemmler has the grim distinction of being the first person in the world to be legally executed by electrocution, specifically, the electric chair, a uniquely American invention.
Kemmler (May 9, 1860 – August 6, 1890) had had a hard life. He eked out a living peddling vegetables from a cart in the slums of Buffalo, New York.
He murdered a woman on March 29, 1888.
He woke up that morning suffering from the hangover of hangovers. Kemmler, in his demented state, thought his girlfriend, Tillie Ziegler, was conspiring against him -- stealing from him and preparing to ditch him for one of his own friends.
The two, Kemmler and Ziegler, were arguing face to face and the volume of their ranting kept rising. Then "Kemmler calmly went to the barn, grabbed a hatchet, and returned to the house. He struck Tillie repeatedly, killing her. He then went to a neighbor's house and announced he had just murdered his girlfriend," as the New York Times reported at the time.
Kemmler was convicted of murder.
In its August 7, 1890, story about Kemmler's death in the first electric chair execution, the New York Times, in a story on the front page (which in those days was covered by a veritable sea of words, broken up by few images), described the method as "far worse than hanging."
The Times is glazing over a much more complex story. Saying that "leading developers of electrical power" were opposed to the use of electricity in executions is not really true. Westinghouse did indeed protect this use of electrical power.
Kemmler was convicted of murder.
In its August 7, 1890, story about Kemmler's death in the first electric chair execution, the New York Times, in a story on the front page (which in those days was covered by a veritable sea of words, broken up by few images), described the method as "far worse than hanging."
Kemmler's resulting murder trial proceeded quickly. He was convicted of first-degree murder on May 10. Three days later he was sentenced to death, destined to be the first person executed in an electric chair under New York's new execution law replacing hanging with electrocution. A chair was ready at the Auburn state prison. The leading developers of electrical power, including George Westinghouse, did not want to see their new product used in this manner. A lawyer filed an appeal claiming the electric chair violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.
"Probably no convicted murderer of modern times has been made to suffer as Kemmler suffered."
The Times is glazing over a much more complex story. Saying that "leading developers of electrical power" were opposed to the use of electricity in executions is not really true. Westinghouse did indeed protect this use of electrical power.
But he had a major rival who had worked full-throttle to create the electric chair: Thomas Edison.
More then a century ago Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse were engaged in a titanic battle over alternating and direct current (AC/DC). Both knew that only one electrical system was needed to bring electricity into every American's home.
Edison, the fiercely competitive entrepreneur, decided to knock down for the count, once and for all, his great competitor Westinghouse. He chose to do this via “a great political, legal and marketing game” that involved death by AC power, Westinghouse's system, as Smithsonian magazine reported.
The famous inventor Edison chose the path of propaganda by staging the public killings of various animals -- dogs, horses, even an elephant -- using Westinghouse’s AC power system.
"The two men would play out their battle on the front pages of newspapers and in the Supreme Court, in the country’s first attempt to execute a human being with electricity."
Race to AC or DC System
Edison developed the DC system in 1879, when he launched the "first practical incandescent light bulb." That single-handedly stimulated a massive effort to construct hydroelectric plants across America to generate DC power primarily for cities. The realization of this goal "practically guaranteed Edison a fortune in patent royalties."
The problem was that DC power had limitations, as Edison himself knew. The primary challenge was the difficulty of transmitting DC over long distances without massive energy loss. Edison turned to a recently hired employee, a 28-year-old Serbian mathematician and engineer named Nikola Tesla, to help solve this problem. Edison tasked Tesla with designing a more practical way to transmit power.
"With a background in mathematics that his inventor boss did not have, he set out to redesign Edison’s DC generators. The future of electric distribution, Tesla told Edison, was in alternating current—where high-voltage energy could be transmitted over long distances using lower current—miles beyond generating plants, allowing a much more efficient delivery system."
Edison told Tesla his ideas, though “splendid” were “utterly impractical.”
Tesla departed Edison in 1885 (announcing that Edison had cheated him by not compensating him as promised for his work). He worked toward the goal of raising enough money to create his own company -- until he was approached with an offer he couldn't refuse.
George Westinghouse of the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company stepped in. He believed in AC power and purchased some patents off Tesla, with the goal of commercializing the system for the common American. So Edison partly created the rivalry himself by refusing Tesla’s ideas. For at the time, "Westinghouse had both ambition and capital, and Edison immediately recognized the threat to his business.".....
Edison, the fiercely competitive entrepreneur, decided to knock down for the count, once and for all, his great competitor Westinghouse. He chose to do this via “a great political, legal and marketing game” that involved death by AC power, Westinghouse's system, as Smithsonian magazine reported.
The famous inventor Edison chose the path of propaganda by staging the public killings of various animals -- dogs, horses, even an elephant -- using Westinghouse’s AC power system.
"The two men would play out their battle on the front pages of newspapers and in the Supreme Court, in the country’s first attempt to execute a human being with electricity."
Race to AC or DC System
Edison developed the DC system in 1879, when he launched the "first practical incandescent light bulb." That single-handedly stimulated a massive effort to construct hydroelectric plants across America to generate DC power primarily for cities. The realization of this goal "practically guaranteed Edison a fortune in patent royalties."
The problem was that DC power had limitations, as Edison himself knew. The primary challenge was the difficulty of transmitting DC over long distances without massive energy loss. Edison turned to a recently hired employee, a 28-year-old Serbian mathematician and engineer named Nikola Tesla, to help solve this problem. Edison tasked Tesla with designing a more practical way to transmit power.
"With a background in mathematics that his inventor boss did not have, he set out to redesign Edison’s DC generators. The future of electric distribution, Tesla told Edison, was in alternating current—where high-voltage energy could be transmitted over long distances using lower current—miles beyond generating plants, allowing a much more efficient delivery system."
Edison told Tesla his ideas, though “splendid” were “utterly impractical.”
Tesla departed Edison in 1885 (announcing that Edison had cheated him by not compensating him as promised for his work). He worked toward the goal of raising enough money to create his own company -- until he was approached with an offer he couldn't refuse.
George Westinghouse of the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company stepped in. He believed in AC power and purchased some patents off Tesla, with the goal of commercializing the system for the common American. So Edison partly created the rivalry himself by refusing Tesla’s ideas. For at the time, "Westinghouse had both ambition and capital, and Edison immediately recognized the threat to his business.".....
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIn this fashion my associate Wesley Virgin's biography launches in this SHOCKING and controversial VIDEO.
ReplyDeleteWesley was in the army-and soon after leaving-he unveiled hidden, "mind control" tactics that the government and others used to get whatever they want.
As it turns out, these are the EXACT same tactics lots of celebrities (especially those who "became famous out of nowhere") and top business people used to become wealthy and famous.
You've heard that you only use 10% of your brain.
That's really because the majority of your brainpower is UNTAPPED.
Perhaps that expression has even occurred IN YOUR very own head... as it did in my good friend Wesley Virgin's head 7 years back, while riding an unregistered, beat-up bucket of a car with a suspended license and $3 in his pocket.
"I'm so fed up with going through life payroll to payroll! Why can't I become successful?"
You've taken part in those questions, isn't it right?
Your very own success story is waiting to start. All you need is to believe in YOURSELF.
CLICK HERE To Find Out How To Become A MILLIONAIRE