Otis Singleton
On August 6, 1890, William Kemmler became the first person to be executed by electric chair. He was convicted of murdering his wife, Matilda Tillie Ziegler, with an axe. The electric chair was adopted by New York State in 1889 as a more humane alternative to hanging. However, Kemmler's execution was botched, requiring a second shock to induce death, and witnesses reported the smell of burning flesh.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | William Francis Kemmler |
| Date of Birth | May 9, 1860 |
| Place of Birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Parents | Immigrants from Germany, both alcoholics |
| Education | Dropped out of school at age 10, unable to read or write |
| Occupation | Butcher |
| Crime | Murder of Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, his common-law wife, with a hatchet |
| Date of Execution | August 6, 1890 |
| Location of Execution | New York's Auburn Prison |
| Method of Execution | Electric chair |
| Voltage | 1,000 volts (first attempt), 2,000 volts (second attempt) |
| Duration of Execution | Approximately eight minutes |
| Outcome | Death |
| Post-Mortem | Autopsy performed, doctors concluded he became unconscious after the first jolt and did not suffer |
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What You'll Learn
William Kemmler was the first electric chair victim
William Kemmler was the first person to be executed by electric chair. On August 6, 1890, Kemmler was convicted of murdering his common-law wife, Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, with an axe a year earlier.
Kemmler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1860. Both of his parents were immigrants from Germany, and both were alcoholics. After dropping out of school at age 10, unable to read or write, Kemmler worked in his father's butcher shop. He went into the peddling business after his parents died and earned enough money to buy a horse and cart.
Kemmler's murder trial proceeded quickly, and he was convicted of first-degree murder on May 10, 1889. Three days later, he was sentenced to death, destined to be the first person executed under New York's new execution law, which replaced hanging with electrocution.
On the morning of his execution, Kemmler woke up at 5:00 a.m. and dressed in a suit, necktie, and white shirt. After breakfast and some prayer, the top of his head was shaved. At 6:38 a.m., he entered the execution room and greeted the 17 witnesses in attendance. He sat down on the chair, but was ordered to get up so a hole could be cut in his suit through which a second electrical lead could be attached. The generator was charged with 1,000 volts, which was thought to be enough to induce quick unconsciousness and cardiac arrest. The chair had already been tested on a horse the day before.
However, the initial 17-second passage of electricity failed to kill Kemmler, and he was still breathing after the first shock. The generator needed time to recharge before a second attempt could be made. During this attempt, Kemmler received a 2,000-volt shock. Blood vessels under his skin ruptured and bled, and some witnesses reported that his body caught fire. The entire execution took about eight minutes.
Following Kemmler's execution, New York newspapers scoffed at the claim that electrocution was "humane," with one paper declaring that Kemmler had been "slowly roasted to death." However, doctors who performed an autopsy on Kemmler's body concluded that he had become unconscious after the first jolt of electricity and had not suffered.
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Kemmler was convicted of murdering his wife/common-law wife
On August 6, 1890, William Kemmler became the first person to be executed by electric chair. He was convicted of murdering his common-law wife, Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, a year earlier.
Kemmler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1860. Both of his parents were German immigrants and alcoholics. After dropping out of school at age 10, unable to read or write, he worked in his father's butcher shop. His father died from an infection after a drunken brawl, and his mother died from complications of alcoholism. In the late 1870s, Kemmler was described as slender, with dark brown hair, and spoke both English and German. After his parents' deaths, he started a peddling business and earned enough money to buy a horse and cart.
Kemmler murdered Ziegler with an axe. His trial proceeded quickly, and he was convicted of first-degree murder on May 10, 1889. Three days later, he was sentenced to death and destined to be the first person executed under New York's new execution law, which replaced hanging with electrocution.
Kemmler's lawyers appealed the sentence, arguing that the use of electricity as a means of execution constituted "'cruel and unusual punishment' and was thus contrary to the constitutions of the United States and the state of New York. The appeal was denied, and Kemmler's execution was set to proceed.
Kemmler's execution did not go smoothly. After an initial 17-second passage of 1,000 volts of electricity, doctors examined Kemmler and found that he was still alive. After a second shock of 2,000 volts, blood vessels under Kemmler's skin ruptured and bled, and some witnesses claimed his body caught fire. The entire execution took about eight minutes.
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The electric chair was conceived in 1881
The idea for the electric chair came about after Southwick witnessed a fatal accidental electrocution in 1881. He then began experimenting on animals, conducting trials with a dog in water and out of water, and varying the electrode type and placement. He eventually developed a repeatable method to euthanize animals using electricity.
Southwick advocated for the use of his method as a more humane replacement for hanging in capital cases. He came to national attention when he published his ideas in scientific journals in 1882 and 1883. He worked out calculations based on his dog experiments and tried to develop a scaled-up method that would work on humans. He adopted a modified version of the dental chair as a way to restrain the condemned, and the device became known as the electric chair.
In 1886, New York State governor David B. Hill set up a three-member death penalty commission to investigate a more humane means of execution. The committee included Southwick, human rights advocate and reformer Elbridge Thomas Gerry, and New York lawyer and politician Matthew Hale. They explored many forms of execution and in 1888 recommended electrocution using Southwick's electric chair idea with metal conductors attached to the condemned person's head and feet. The first law allowing the use of electrocution went into effect in New York State on January 1, 1889.
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It was first used in 1890
The electric chair was first used in 1890, when William Kemmler was executed in New York's Auburn Prison. Kemmler was an American murderer who killed his common-law wife, Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, with an axe in 1889. He was sentenced to death and, on August 6, 1890, became the first person to be executed by electric chair.
The electric chair was adopted by New York State in 1889 as a more humane alternative to hanging. It was developed by Buffalo, New York dentist Alfred Southwick and Auburn Prison electrician Edwin F. Davis. The device was fitted with two electrodes, composed of metal disks held together with rubber and covered with a damp sponge, which were applied to the head and back.
On the morning of his execution, Kemmler was awakened at 5:00 a.m. He dressed in a suit, necktie, and white shirt. After breakfast and some prayer, the top of his head was shaved. At 6:38 a.m., he entered the execution room and was presented to the 17 witnesses in attendance. He remained composed and did not scream, cry, or resist.
Kemmler was strapped into the chair, and a charge of approximately 700 volts was delivered for 17 seconds. However, the current failed, and witnesses reported smelling burnt clothing and charred flesh. A second shock of 1,000 volts was then applied, but Kemmler was still alive. A third shock of 2,000 volts was finally used, and Kemmler was declared dead. The execution was not without controversy, as some witnesses claimed his body caught fire, and newspapers called the execution a "historic bungle" and "disgusting, sickening, and inhuman."
Following Kemmler's execution, New York's claim that electrocution was humane was questioned. While doctors who performed an autopsy on Kemmler's body concluded that he had become unconscious after the first jolt of electricity and had not suffered, New York newspapers claimed that the condemned was "slowly roasted to death." Despite this, the electric chair became a symbol of capital punishment in the United States and was also used extensively in the Philippines.
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The electric chair was adopted by other states
The electric chair was first adopted by New York State in 1889 as a means for death penalty prisoners "to die as pleasantly as possible." It was considered a more humane alternative to hanging. The first person to be executed by electric chair was William Kemmler, an American murderer who killed his common-law wife, Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, with an axe.
Following Kemmler's execution, other states began to adopt the electric chair as a method of capital punishment. This included Ohio in 1897, Massachusetts in 1900, New Jersey in 1906, and Virginia in 1908. The electric chair soon became the prevalent method of execution in the United States, replacing hanging as the preferred method of capital punishment. It was also used extensively in the Philippines, with the last electric chair execution taking place in 1976 before it was replaced by lethal injection.
The adoption of the electric chair by other states was influenced by several factors. One factor was the perception that it was a more humane method of execution compared to hanging. Proponents of electrocution, including Thomas Edison, touted it as quick, effective, painless, and humane. The electric chair was also considered a technological marvel and an advance in civilization. Additionally, the spread of arc lighting in the late 1870s to early 1880s, which operated at high voltages, led to reports of accidental deaths, further fueling the debate around execution methods.
However, Kemmler's execution was not without controversy. The leading developers of electrical power, including George Westinghouse, did not want their product associated with capital punishment. There were also concerns about the humaneness of the electric chair, with some arguing that it violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. Kemmler's lawyer filed an appeal, but it was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, which set a precedent for the use of the electric chair in capital punishment.
Despite the initial intentions of providing a more humane method of execution, the electric chair has been associated with botched executions and has fallen out of favor in recent years. Lethal injection, which is perceived as more humane, has largely replaced it.
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Frequently asked questions
William Kemmler was the first person executed by electric chair. He was put to death on August 6, 1890, at New York's Auburn Prison.
William Kemmler was convicted of murdering his common-law wife, Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, with an axe.
The execution did not go smoothly. After an initial 17-second jolt of 1,000 volts of electricity, Kemmler was examined and found to still be alive. After a second shock of 2,000 volts, his blood vessels ruptured and bled, and some witnesses claimed his body caught fire.
Death by electric chair was first adopted by New York State in 1889 as a more humane alternative to hanging. It was thought that death by electrocution would be quicker and less painful.
