Related events:
Wednesday 6th of August 1890 (-) — Murderer William Kemmler is executed by Old Sparky
Kemmler was the first person in the world to be legally executed using an electric chair. He murdered his common-law wife Matilda 'Tillie' Ziegler with a hatchet on 29 March 1889. Current of 1.000 volts was passed through Kemmler for 17 seconds and he was declared dead by Dr. Edward Charles Spitzka. Witnesses noticed Kemmler was still breathing so attending physicians Dr. Spitzka and Dr. Charles F. Macdonald came forward to examine Kemmler. After confirming he was still alive Spitzka called out "Have the current turned on again, quick — no delay." In the second attempt Kemmler was shocked with 2.000 volts. Blood vessels under the skin ruptured and bled and some witnesses erroneously claimed his body caught fire. The New York Times reported instead 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." Tuesday 29th of October 1901 (-) — Assassin Leon Czolgosz is executed by Old Sparky
Czolgosz' last words were: "I killed the President because he was the enemy of the good people – the good working people. I am not sorry for my crime. I am sorry I could not see my father." Monday 30th of March 1908 (-) — Murderer Chester Gillette is executed by Old Sparky
Gillette became the basis for the fictional character Clyde Griffiths in Theodore Dreiser's novel An American Tragedy. Wednesday 3rd of May 1911 (-) — Murderer Joseph Nash is executed by Old Sparky
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