Fry-day

 

From Stephanie Hayes

On August 6, 1890, history took a grim turn inside Auburn Prison, New York, when William Kemmler became the first person ever executed by electric chair. Convicted of murdering his lover, Matilda Ziegler, with an axe, Kemmler’s death was meant to showcase a new, “more humane” method of execution. What followed, however, was anything but humane.

Once strapped to the wooden chair, a current of roughly 700 volts surged through his body for 17 seconds before the power failed. Witnesses described the horrific smell of burning flesh and scorched fabric — but Kemmler was still alive.

A second attempt followed. This time, 1,030 volts were sent coursing through his body for nearly two full minutes. Smoke began to rise from his head. When the current finally stopped, Kemmler was dead — his body severely burned, the electrode on his back having charred through to his spine.

What was intended as a triumph of modern science became a chilling spectacle, exposing the brutal reality of early electrical execution. That day, the world learned that “progress” could be just as horrifying as the methods it sought to replace. ⚡