8 – William Kemmler Was the First Man to Die in the Electric Chair in 1890, It Didn’t go Well
Joseph Chapleau was supposed to be the first man to die via electrocution in the United States. He was convicted of the brutal murder of Erwin Tabor in 1889 and was initially sentenced to death. However, he avoided a terrible fate when his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. By all accounts, Chapleau was remarkably well treated and lived in two adjacent cells which were well furnished and carpeted. Not only that, he was allowed to wear civilian clothes, played in the jail’s band, and was given the nickname ‘professor.’
William Kemmler was not so fortunate when he was convicted of murdering his wife with a hatchet. The murder occurred on March 29, 1889, and he was tried and convicted within six weeks. Kemmler received the death penalty on May 13, just over four months after the state of New York had introduced death by electrocution. George Westinghouse, furious about Edison’s attempts to slur AC, hired a lawyer to help Kemmler win his appeal against the sentence. The appeal failed on October 9, but the condemned man had to wait another ten months for the sentence to be carried out.
On August 6, 1890, Kemmler woke up at 5 am on what would be his final day on earth. He made sure he was dressed for the occasion and put on a suit and a pair of polished shoes. After breakfast, his head was shaved, and he entered the death chamber at approximately 6:38 am in front of 17 witnesses. Unlike many killers in the future who completely broke down at this point, Kemmler remained calm and said: “Gentlemen, I wish you all good luck. I believe I am going to a good place, and I am ready to go.”
The warden made sure that Kemmler was strapped in. Then, he attached electrodes to Kemmler’s head and said: “Goodbye, William.” The warden signaled for the switch to be pulled and history was made. After 17 seconds, two doctors examined the inmate and declared him dead. It appeared as if everything had gone according to plan when suddenly, someone shouted: “Great God, he is alive!” Kemmler’s heart was beating, and he was noticeably breathing. It was an utter disaster, and the current had to be switched on again. It took four minutes to complete the job, and Kemmler’s body was warm for hours afterward.
The brutal nature of his death elicited sympathy from the media who referred to him as a “poor wretch.” George Westinghouse was also appalled and famously said: “They could have done a better job on him with an ax.” Edison was less angry and said he was confident that the next execution would be accomplished immediately. Presumably, Edison was not one of the witnesses, as some of them were so horrified that they tried to leave the room during the execution. It was later claimed that Kemmler’s body was set on fire. Over the years, there have been increasing calls for the retirement of the electric chair. However, it is still used occasionally in the United States.
