Killing Is Going Green Solar Power Execution By Electric Chair At High Noon Today

United State Of America Is Going Green Execution Only On Sunny Days At High Noon By Electric Chair Is A Method Of Capital Punishment Today. Its where an individual is subjected to a high-voltage electrical current, typically through electrodes attached to their head and legs, while seated in a specially designed chair. The method was conceptualized in the late 19th century as a more humane alternative to traditional methods of execution, such as hanging.

The volt is the international unit of measurement for electrical voltage. Humans, in turn, are constantly using electricity for appliances and devices, but how destructive will the electrical voltage itself be to them?

Thought to have been more humane than hanging, death by electric chair was first adopted by New York State in 1899 as a means for death penalty prisoners “to die as pleasantly as possible.” More and more states would follow suit several years later, even as botched electrocutions took place. Perceived as a technological marvel and an advance of civilization, it would be the choice method of capital punishment in the United States for nearly a century.

History of Electric Chair Executions

The first electric chair execution took place in 1890 in New York, when William Kemmler was put to death for murder. The execution was botched, with Kemmler’s face and hair scorched, and the death chamber filled with a “stench…unbearable.” Despite this, the electric chair gained popularity as a method of execution, with 26 states adopting it by 1949.

Procedure

During an electric chair execution, the individual sentenced to death is securely strapped to a specially designed wooden chair and electrocuted via strategically positioned electrodes affixed to the head and leg. The process typically takes around two minutes.

Challenges and Controversies

Electric chair executions have been plagued by botched executions, with instances of prolonged suffering and gruesome outcomes. In 1942, six Nazi saboteurs were executed in the electric chair in Washington D.C., with one of the prisoners reportedly experiencing a “ghastly” and “awful” death.

In recent years, there have been concerns about the humane nature of electric chair executions, with some arguing that the method is cruel and inhumane. In 2008, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that execution by electric chair constituted a form of “cruel and unusual punishment” under the state’s constitution, effectively ending electric chair executions in the state.

Current Status

Today, electric chair executions are relatively rare, with only a few states still using the method. South Carolina is one of the states that still uses the electric chair, and in 2022, a prisoner scheduled for execution chose to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair.

Conclusion

Execution by electric chair has a complex and controversial history, with both proponents and opponents debating its humane nature. While the method was initially seen as a more humane alternative to traditional methods of execution, it has been plagued by botched executions and concerns about its cruelty. Today, electric chair executions are relatively rare, with many states opting for alternative methods, such as lethal injection.

Description of Each Execution Method Lethal Injection
In 1977, Oklahoma became the first state to adopt lethal injection as a means of execution, though it would be five more years until Charles Brooks would become the first person executed by lethal injection in Texas on December 2, 1982. Today, every state that has the death penalty authorizes execution by lethal injection. When this method is used, the condemned person is usually bound to a gurney and a member of the execution team positions several heart monitors on this skin. Two needles (one is a back-up) are then inserted into usable veins, usually in the prisoner’s arms. Long tubes connect the needle through a hole in a cement block wall to several intravenous drips. The first is a harmless saline solution that is started immediately. Then, at the warden’s signal, a curtain is raised exposing the prisoner to the witnesses in an adjoining room. The process then differs depending upon whether the state uses a single drug or multi-drug protocol.

In the one-drug executions, the prisoner is injected with an overdose of pentobarbital. In the multi-drug executions, states start with a sedative, previously sodium thiopental but more recently drugs such as midazolam, which is supposed to put the prisoner to sleep. Next, a paralytic drug, typically vecuronium bromide or pancuronium bromide, is injected, which paralyzes the entire muscle system and stops the prisoner’s breathing. Finally, the flow of potassium chloride stops the heart. Death results from anesthetic overdose and respiratory and cardiac arrest while the condemned person is unconscious. Medical ethics preclude doctors from participating in executions. However, a doctor will certify the prisoner is dead. This lack of medical participation can be problematic because often injections are performed by inexperienced technicians or orderlies. If a member of the execution team injects the drugs into a muscle instead of a vein, or if the needle becomes clogged, extreme pain can result. Many prisoners have damaged veins resulting from intravenous drug use and it is sometimes difficult to find a usable vein, resulting in long delays while the prisoner remains strapped to the gurney.

Electrocution
Seeking a more humane method of execution than hanging, New York built the first electric chair in 1888 and executed William Kemmler in 1890. Soon, other states adopted this execution method. Today, electrocution is not used as the sole method of execution in any state. Electrocution was the sole method in Nebraska until the State Supreme Court ruled the method unconstitutional in February 2008. For execution by the electric chair, the person is usually shaved and strapped to a chair with belts that cross his chest, groin, legs, and arms. A metal skullcap-shaped electrode is attached to the scalp and forehead over a sponge moistened with saline. The sponge must not be too wet or the saline short-circuits the electric current, and not too dry, as it would then have a very high resistance. An additional electrode is moistened with conductive jelly (Electro-Creme) and attached to a portion of the prisoner’s leg that has been shaved to reduce resistance to electricity. The prisoner is then blindfolded. After the execution team has withdrawn to the observation room, the warden signals the executioner, who pulls a handle to connect the power supply. A jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts, which lasts for about 30 seconds, is given. The current surges and is then turned off, at which time the body is seen to relax. The doctors wait a few seconds for the body to cool down and then check to see if the prisoner’s heart is still beating. If it is, another jolt is applied. This process continues until the prisoner is dead. The prisoner’s hands often grip the chair and there may be violent movement of the limbs which can result in dislocation or fractures. The tissues swell. Defecation occurs. Steam or smoke rises and there is a smell of burning. U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan once offered the following description of an execution by electric chair:

…the prisoner’s eyeballs sometimes pop out and rest on [his] cheeks. The prisoner often defecates, urinates, and vomits blood and drool. The body turns bright red as its temperature rises, and the prisoner’s flesh swells and his skin stretches to the point of breaking. Sometimes the prisoner catches fire….Witnesses hear a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh permeates the chamber.
At postmortem, the body is hot enough to blister if touched, and the autopsy is delayed while the internal organs cool. There are third degree burns with blackening where the electrodes met the skin of the scalp and legs. According to Robert H. Kirschner, the deputy chief medical examiner of Cook County, “The brain appears cooked in most cases.”

Gas Chamber
In 1924, the use of cyanide gas was introduced as Nevada sought a more humane way of executing its condemned prisoners. Gee Jon was the first person executed by lethal gas. The state tried to pump cyanide gas into Jon’s cell while he slept. This proved impossible because the gas leaked from his cell, so the gas chamber was constructed. Today, five states authorize lethal gas as a method of execution, but all have lethal injection as an alternative method. A federal court in California found this method to be cruel and unusual punishment. For execution by this method, the condemned person is strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber. Below the chair rests a pail of sulfuric acid. A long stethoscope is typically affixed to the prisoner so that a doctor outside the chamber can pronounce death. Once everyone has left the chamber, the room is sealed. The warden then gives a signal to the executioner who flicks a lever that releases crystals of sodium cyanide into the pail. This causes a chemical reaction that releases hydrogen cyanide gas. The prisoner is instructed to breathe deeply to speed up the process. Most prisoners, however, try to hold their breath, and some struggle.

The prisoner does not lose consciousness immediately. According to former San Quenton, California, Penitentiary warden, Clifton Duffy, “At first there is evidence of extreme horror, pain, and strangling. The eyes pop. The skin turns purple and the victim begins to drool.” Caryl Chessman, before he died in California’s gas chamber in 1960 told reporters that he would nod his head if it hurt. Witnesses said he nodded his head for several minutes. According to Dr. Richard Traystman of John Hopkins University School of Medicine, “The person is unquestionably experiencing pain and extreme anxiety…The sensation is similar to the pain felt by a person during a heart attack, where essentially the heart is being deprived of oxygen.” The prisoner dies from hypoxia, the cutting-off of oxygen to the brain. At postmortem, an exhaust fan sucks the poison air out of the chamber, and the corpse is sprayed with ammonia to neutralize any remaining traces of cyanide. About a half an hour later, orderlies enter the chamber, wearing gas masks and rubber gloves. Their training manual advises them to ruffle the victim’s hair to release any trapped cyanide gas before removing the deceased.

As of April 17, 2015, Oklahoma introduced death by nitrogen gas as an alternative to lethal injection if the necessary drugs cannot be found or if that method is found unconstitutional. Nitrogen is a naturally occurring gas in the atmosphere, and death would be caused by forcing the prisoner to breathe only nitrogen, thereby suffocating him or her by oxygen deprivation. Several other states have adopted nitrogen hypoxia as a back-up method of execution, but as of May 2022, no state had issued a nitrogen execution protocol.

Firing Squad
On March 23, 2015, firing squad was reauthorized in Utah as a viable method of execution if, and only if the state was unable to obtain the drugs necessary to carry out a lethal injection execution. Prior to this reauthorization, firing squad was only a method of execution in Utah if chosen by the prisoner before lethal injection became the sole means of execution. Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina subsequently authorized firing squad as an alternative method of execution.

The most recent execution by this method was that of Ronnie Gardner. By his own choosing, Gardner was executed by firing squad in Utah on June 17, 2010. For execution by this method, the prisoner is typically bound to a chair with leather straps across his waist and head, in front of an oval-shaped canvas wall. The chair is surrounded by sandbags to absorb the prisoner’s blood. A black hood is pulled over the prisoner’s head. A doctor locates the prisoner’s heart with a stethoscope and pins a circular white cloth target over it. Standing in an enclosure 20 feet away, five shooters are armed with .30 caliber rifles loaded with single rounds. One of the shooters is given blank rounds. South Carolina’s execution protocol calls for the use of three shooters, each of whom is provided live rounds. Each of the shooters aims his rifle through a slot in the canvas and fires at the prisoner. The prisoner dies as a result of blood loss caused by rupture of the heart or a large blood vessel, or tearing of the lungs. The person shot loses consciousness when shock causes a fall in the supply of blood to the brain. If the shooters miss the heart, by accident or intention, the prisoner bleeds to death slowly.

Hanging
Until the 1890s, hanging was the primary method of execution used in the United States. Hanging was still authorized in Delaware and Washington before those states abolished the death penalty in 2016 and 2018, although both had lethal injection as an alternative method of execution.

For execution by hanging, the prisoner may be weighed the day before the execution, and a rehearsal is done using a sandbag of the same weight as the prisoner. This is to determine the length of ‘drop’ necessary to ensure a quick death. If the rope is too long, the prisoner could be decapitated, and if it is too short, the strangulation could take as long as 45 minutes. The rope, which should be 3/4-inch to 1 1/4-inch in diameter, must be boiled and stretched to eliminate spring or coiling. The knot should be lubricated with wax or soap “to ensure a smooth sliding action,” according to the 1969 U.S. Army manual.

Immediately before the execution, the prisoner’s hands and legs are secured, he or she is blindfolded, and the noose is placed around the neck, with the knot behind the left ear. The execution takes place when a trap-door is opened and the prisoner falls through. The prisoner’s weight should cause a rapid fracture-dislocation of the neck. However, instantaneous death rarely occurs.

If the prisoner has strong neck muscles, is very light, if the ‘drop’ is too short, or the noose has been wrongly positioned, the fracture-dislocation is not rapid and death results from slow asphyxiation. If this occurs the face becomes engorged, the tongue protrudes, the eyes pop, the body defecates, and violent movements of the limbs occur.

Pancuronium bromide is a nondepolarizing muscle relaxant approved to induce skeletal muscle relaxation during anesthesia and to facilitate the management of patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. The use of pancuronium bromide during surgery led to the appreciation that it has advantages over drugs previously used for muscle relaxation. Patients in whom pancuronium bromide is of value are (1) hypoxemic patients resisting mechanical ventilation and so cardiovascularly unstable that use of sedatives is precluded, (2) patients with bronchospasm unresponsive to conventional therapy, (3) patients with severe tetanus or poisoning where muscle spasm prohibits adequate ventilation, (4) patients with status epilepticus unable to maintain their own ventilation, (5) shivering patients in whom metabolic demands for oxygen should be reduced, and (6) patients requiring tracheal intubation in whom succinylcholine administration is contraindicated. Without concomitant sedation, use of pancuronium bromide is associated with psychological risks. Other risks are undetected ventilator disconnection, tachyarrythmias, prolonged paralysis and drug interactions.

Going green is a movement that promotes environmentally friendly practices and sustainable living. It encompasses a wide range of activities, from reducing waste and conserving energy to using eco-friendly products and supporting sustainable businesses.

Benefits of Going Green

Reduce Carbon Footprint: By reducing our carbon footprint, we can slow down climate change and its devastating effects on the environment.
Save Money: Going green can save you money on energy bills, water consumption, and waste disposal.
Improve Health: Green spaces and sustainable living can improve air and water quality, leading to better health and well-being.
Support Local Communities: By supporting local businesses and farmers, we can strengthen our communities and promote economic growth.
Ways to Go Green

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Reduce your consumption, reuse items when possible, and recycle as much as you can.
Use Public Transportation: Use public transportation, walk, or bike whenever possible to reduce carbon emissions.
Conserve Water: Take shorter showers, fix leaks, and use water-efficient appliances to conserve water.
Use Eco-Friendly Products: Choose products with minimal packaging, made from sustainable materials, and designed for recyclability.
Support Sustainable Businesses: Shop at local farmers’ markets, buy from eco-friendly companies, and support organizations that promote sustainability.
Local Businesses Going Green

Going Green Landscaping: Located in Spokane, Washington, Going Green Landscaping offers eco-friendly landscaping services, including rain garden design and installation.
Going Green Magazine: Based in the Lower Cape Fear region, Going Green Magazine provides resources and information on eco-friendly living, sustainable practices, and environmental conservation.
Online Resources

Going Green: A website providing resources and information on sustainable living, renewable energy, and environmental conservation.
Quora: A platform where you can ask and answer questions about going green, sustainable living, and environmental issues.
Remember, every small step counts, and collective action can lead to significant positive change. Start your journey to going green today!

Going green with solar power is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future. Solar energy is a renewable source of power that uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity. Here are some benefits of going green with solar power:

Benefits of Solar Power

Renewable and Sustainable: Solar energy is a renewable source of power that is sustainable and will not run out.
Zero Emissions: Solar power generates electricity without emitting any greenhouse gases or pollutants, making it a clean and environmentally friendly option.
Energy Independence: Solar power allows you to generate your own electricity, reducing your reliance on the grid and providing energy independence.
Cost-Effective: Solar panels are becoming increasingly cost-effective, making it a viable option for both residential and commercial properties.
Government Incentives: Many governments offer incentives and tax credits for individuals and businesses that switch to solar power.
How to Go Green with Solar Power

Assess Your Energy Needs: Determine your energy needs and requirements to determine the right size and type of solar panel system for your property.
Choose a Solar Panel System: Select a solar panel system that suits your needs and budget. There are various types of solar panels available, including monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film panels.
Install Your Solar Panels: Install your solar panels on your property, ensuring they are installed correctly and securely.
Monitor and Maintain: Monitor your solar panel system’s performance and maintain it regularly to ensure optimal energy production.
Real-Life Examples of Going Green with Solar Power

Green Power Energy: Green Power Energy is a solar installation company that has helped numerous customers switch to solar power. Their customers have reported significant savings on their energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint.
Solar Installation Company: A solar installation company in the United States has installed solar panels on over 10,000 homes and businesses, reducing carbon emissions and energy costs for their customers.
Conclusion

Going green with solar power is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future. With the benefits of renewable energy, energy independence, and cost-effectiveness, it’s no wonder why many individuals and businesses are switching to solar power. By assessing your energy needs, choosing the right solar panel system, installing and monitoring your panels, and maintaining your system, you can enjoy the benefits of going green with solar power.

Going green with solar power for electric chair execution in Prison Architect requires careful planning and management of your facility’s energy resources. Here are some key points to consider:

Electric Chair Requirements: The Electric Chair requires a direct electrical connection and will draw a lot of power from your facility’s power station or Green Energy sources. This means you’ll need to ensure you have a sufficient power supply to support the chair’s operation.
Green Energy Sources: You can use solar panels to generate electricity and power your facility, including the Electric Chair. This will help reduce your reliance on traditional power sources and contribute to a more sustainable and eco-friendly prison.
Power Station Management: To ensure a stable power supply, you’ll need to manage your power station’s capacity and output. This may involve building additional power stations, upgrading existing ones, or using capacitors to store excess energy.
Capacitor Placement: When building a new power station, consider placing capacitors near the main generator to reduce energy loss and increase efficiency. You can also use capacitors to link the Electric Chair to its own power station, reducing the load on the main power station.
Prison Architect Tips: In Prison Architect, it’s essential to keep the backup power station separate from the main generator to avoid a catastrophic failure. Also, be mindful of the Electric Chair’s power requirements and plan accordingly to avoid insufficient power issues.
By following these guidelines and leveraging solar power, you can create a sustainable and efficient execution system for your Prison Architect facility.

The Shocking History of Washington DC’s Electric Chair It’s been in storage for years. Could that soon change? One February night in 1927, somebody smashed Daisy Welling over the head with a brick as she walked across the grounds of the Capitol, on her way home from her job as a telephone operator at the nearby Hotel Driscoll. Her skull was fractured, and the attacker pulled her into the bushes, raped and robbed her, then ran off. Welling survived and was able to give a vague description of her assailant. The ensuing response was “one of the most intensive man hunts in the history of the city,” as a newspaper columnist put it.

Police quickly rounded up an assortment of men who fit Welling’s imprecise description of a light-skinned Black man around 30 years old. One of them, Philip Jackson, eventually confessed to the crime, and the case was considered solved. Jackson later recanted that admission, though, insisting it had come only after two days of violent questioning by the cops. He also had an alibi that, while not airtight, was corroborated by two witnesses.

Jackson’s trial was brief, and the evidence—at least as chronicled in newspaper reports at the time—now hardly seems definitive. Yet it took just an hour for the jury to convict him of “criminal assault” (as rape was euphemistically called). Their recommended punishment was death; at the time, rape was a potential capital offense in the District.

Jackson’s attorney appealed the death verdict. Among other things, Jackson—whose parents were said to be a brother and sister—was described as being of unsound mind. But those efforts proved unsuccessful, and President Coolidge rejected a final appeal for clemency.

On the morning of May 29, 1928, three guards led Jackson down a long corridor on the fourth floor of the District jail. Their destination was a straight-backed wooden seat, illuminated by a beam of sunlight shining in through the jail bars: Washington’s new electric chair. Jackson was about to be the first person killed by it.

A reverend accompanied Jackson on this final walk, reciting the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil . . . .” Jackson, repeating the words, turned around and lowered himself into the chair. He continued praying even as his voice was muffled by the leather mask fitted over his face. Shortly after 10 AM, with Jackson now strapped in place, the executioner gripped the handle on the control panel and pulled.

On a recent Tuesday morning–95 years and around 50 executions later—I wrapped my own hand around that same lever and gave it an uncertain tug. Nothing happened: The chair is no longer connected to an electrical source, and the handle is now locked in place. But recreating that terrible act was intensely creepy in a way I wasn’t quite prepared for—a grim link not just to the scores of people who expired in this oddly unimposing piece of furniture but to the victims of the crimes they were convicted of. Decades of brutality and horror were directly connected to the short lever that my fingers now curled around. I couldn’t let go fast enough.

The District’s electric chair isn’t in a museum, and the public isn’t generally invited to see it. Instead, it’s kept behind a locked door marked “Microfilm Storage” in a windowless room at the DC Archives building in Shaw. No effort has been made to present it: You walk through the door and there it just sits, unceremoniously wedged between a filing cabinet and some boxes of old documents.

Parts of the chair and control panel as they sit today at the DC Archives. Photographs by Rob Brunner.
At a glance, it resembles an old-fashioned shoeshine chair. But then you notice the belt restraints, the blindfold, the electrode-fitted headpiece that provided the jolt—all still right there, as if the thing could be plugged in and fired up tomorrow. “It’s a piece of the city’s history—and, of course, America’s history,” said DC archivist Bill Branch, who had agreed to show it to me. “Things like this, I think they need to be kept and dis-played to remind us where we were—and that we don’t want to go back.”

Before my visit, I had been contemplating the unpleasant question of whether I would, if the opportunity arose, sit in the chair myself. I asked Branch if he’d ever done it. “I think that could be sacrilegious,” he said, recoiling slightly. “After 50-some people died in that chair, I honor their presence. It’s like going to a cemetery.” It seemed unwise to ask if I could give it a try.

Jackson didn’t die after the first wave of electricity ripped through his body. As he lay slumped over, the prison doctor listened with his stethoscope, then shook his head: Jackson was still breathing. The process was repeated, but again he lived, and he survived another try after that. In the end, it took six attempts before the doctor finally declared him dead. One witness that morning was John Roberts, an evangelist who had previously been on hand for 57 hangings and was witnessing his first electrocution. He told the Washington Post that “it was the most horrible death he had ever seen a man die.”

The electric chair had been intended as a more humane execution method than hanging, a technological advance that Thomas Edison himself had been involved in developing in the late 19th century. But from the start, botched electrocutions were common, and even when things went as planned, the harsh reality of death by electricity tended to rattle spectators. That didn’t prevent a series of states from adopting it as their primary mode of execution, beginning with New York in 1888.

It took a while for the idea to gain currency in Washington. In 1911, the Post reported on growing opposition to hanging, with “talk of the electric chair” in the air as a replacement. (Back then, capital punishment was mandatory for first-degree murder convictions in DC.) A former warden of the District jail warned that he considered the electric chair “torture,” but pro-death-chair voices kept getting louder, pushing the idea that electrical executions were less cruel. Finally, in 1925, Congress passed a bill making the electric chair Washington’s official method. The old gallows inside the District jail—which had been used to hang the man who assassinated President Garfield, among many others—would be scrapped.

The old District jail, where electric-chair executions were carried out for decades. Photograph courtesy of Hulton Archive/Stringer.
Congress appropriated money for the District to purchase a chair, but apparently such devices weren’t available simply to order from a death-chair catalog; it would have to be built from scratch. The city’s chief electrical engineer, W.B. Hadley, was dispatched to Sing Sing prison in New York, home to one of the country’s most notorious electric chairs. Hadley spent most of his time on projects like upgrading the city’s network of streetlights. Now there he was studying the electrical specifications that could deliver fatal voltage to a human being.

The process—presumably as determined by Hadley on his trip—would at some point be written in red ink on a three-by-five card, as the Post later reported. “Pull the wooden handle—labeled main switch—spin the control wheel to the right, and keep your eye on the voltage meter. For the first 6 seconds, give 2,000 volts, followed by 50 seconds of 500 volts. Then, 3 seconds of 1,000 volts, 50 seconds of 500 volts, and, finally, 6 seconds of 2,000 volts. Total elapsed time: slightly less than 2 minutes.”

The chair was apparently constructed by workers at the District repair shop on U Street, Northwest, then taken to the Washington Asylum and Jail, as it was officially called. The jail was a forbidding stone structure built (though not designed) by Adolf Cluss, the architect responsible for local landmarks such as the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building and Eastern Market. Opened in the 1870s, it was located near Congressional Cemetery in Southeast, adjacent to the site of DC’s current jail.

In the early days, whenever the time came for the chair to conduct its deadly business, it would be dusted off and set up at one end of the prison dining hall. Executions were scheduled for right after breakfast. Once the deed was done and the body removed, the chair would go right back into storage—just in time for prisoners to file in for lunch.

Over the next three decades, dozens of people were executed in DC’s chair. Who were they? Reading through the long list is a depressing exercise: Rapists of children. Murderers of wives and girlfriends. Killers of shop clerks and cops and taxi drivers. The most famous of the city’s electric-­chair executions came in 1942, when six Nazi saboteurs were put to death at the District jail. Sent by the Germans to attack targets inside the US, they had arrived via German submarines, carrying large amounts of explosives. But before they could blow anything up, a member of the group got cold feet, took a train to DC, and confessed the whole thing to the FBI. The would-be saboteurs were quickly apprehended and tried by a military tribunal, a controversial decision directed by President Roosevelt himself and upheld by the Supreme Court. On August 8, 1942, four days after being found guilty, six of the Germans were electrocuted in quick succession at the jail. It took just over an hour.

Another case that made national news in the 1940s was the serial killer Jarvis Theodore Roosevelt Catoe, who confessed to raping and choking to death a series of women in various locations near Dupont Circle, as well as other brutal crimes (though he later recanted the confessions). Catoe’s capture was covered by Time and the New York Times, along with more sensationalistic outlets: The pulp magazine Actual Detective Stories promised, for the price of 15 cents, the inside story of Catoe’s “brutal, insensate reign of terror.” After the former undertaker’s assistant was arrested in 1941 and tried for one of the killings, a panel of Washingtonians wasted no time in deciding his fate. “Catoe Doomed By Jury In 18 Minutes,” read the huge headline in the Evening Star.

On the morning of January 15, 1943, Catoe was escorted to the chair that would soon take his life. As he was strapped in, he quietly sang the hymn “Precious Lord Take My Hand.” A handful of newspaper reporters watched through one-way glass as the switch was pulled. Five minutes later, he was pronounced dead. “The execution closed a sensational career of murder,” the Star wrote, though “police probably never learned the full extent of Catoe’s criminal activities.”

THE CHAIR WOULD BE SET UP AT ONE END OF THE PRISON DINING HALL. ONCE THE DEED WAS DONE, IT WOULD GO BACK INTO STORAGE, JUST IN TIME FOR LUNCH.

In 1946, three men were executed in the chair within hours of one another on the same day. Julius Fisher had been a janitor at the National Cathedral; he confessed to murdering the cathedral’s assistant librarian after she complained to his supervisor that he hadn’t swept properly under her desk. Fisher split her skull with a stick of firewood and strangled her, then stashed the body in the library’s subbasement. William Copeland, meanwhile, had been convicted of shooting and killing his sister-in-law. As he made the final walk to the chair, he was allowed to smoke a cigar, a “faint smile on his lips as he entered the death chamber,” according to one account. He took one final puff, then submitted to the 2,000 volts.

But it was the third man, Joseph Medley, who attracted most of the attention that day. Condemned for shooting a woman in a robbery after an all-night poker game at her apartment at 16th Street and Florida Avenue, he had previously escaped from prison in Michigan and was suspected of killing two other women in New Orleans and Chicago. (All three victims reportedly had red hair.)

Following his conviction, the “suave slayer,” as the Post described him, became even more notorious for staging an escape from death row at the District jail. He and another inmate overpowered two guards with whom they’d been playing cards, then fled to the roof through a ventilator shaft and dropped to the ground using bed sheets. Fisher and Copeland, offered the chance to flee death row as well, refused and stayed in their cells. Medley was caught hours later, “wet and bedraggled,” in a sewer pipe near the Anacostia River. “You can’t blame a fellow for trying,” he told police, according to the Star. He found religion in jail; his final moments were spent clutching a rosary in his right hand. The Post’s banner headline ran across the top of page 1: “Killer Medley Dies With Prayer on Lips.”

The death penalty was effectively nullified in DC by a 1972 Supreme Court decision, but it wasn’t officially repealed by the DC Council until 1981. By that point, the electric chair hadn’t been called on for almost 25 years. The last person to die in it was Robert Carter, convicted of killing a police officer and executed at the jail in 1957. Five years later, Congress passed a law eliminating mandatory executions for first-degree murder convictions in DC, and the penalty was never again imposed.

But while the capital punishment didn’t survive here, the electric chair did. It was kept for years in the old DC jail building, then eventually made its way to Lorton, the Virginia penal complex that was once part of the DC corrections system. (It was never actually put to use there.) After Lorton was shuttered in 2001, the DC Archives came and collected a trove of material, including the chair.

Since then, the device has been stashed inside the converted 1883 horse barn that houses much of the DC Archives’ collection. Few people are ever able to see it, in part because the cramped and uninviting building—tucked away in an alley near the convention center—is more of a storage complex than a modern facility serving researchers and the community. “We have to almost discourage people from physically coming into the archives—we don’t have the capacity,” says state archivist and public-records administrator Lopez Matthews Jr., who oversees the DC Archives. The building ran out of space in the 1990s; many records are now stored elsewhere.

That’s why an effort is underway to construct a badly needed new archives building on UDC’s Van Ness campus. The $104 million project, which has already been mostly designed and is planned for a 2026 opening, would be the kind of sleek space that you’d probably assume—incorrectly—already houses the city’s important records (things like birth and death certificates, along with historically significant documents dating back to the 18th century). On top of everything else, the current setup has no special temperature or humidity controls, putting these vital papers at risk.

If the building proceeds as planned, the new archives will include plenty of room for exhibits, something the current facility doesn’t have space for. And that, finally, should provide opportunities for the public to come see the electric chair. Though it likely won’t be on permanent display—“It’s a bit morbid,” Matthews says—it would be brought out as part of relevant exhibitions, such as a history of Washington’s penal system.

Yet Matthews cautions the curious that being in its presence is an experience not easily shaken. When asked if he has ever pulled the handle or even taken a seat, he lets out an uneasy laugh: “Absolutely not. I have not physically touched the chair.” But he certainly has contemplated its history. “It does kind of stick in your mind that [people were] actually killed here,” he says. And he has no doubt the chair is worth preserving. “It’s an example of how we have evolved in terms of our treatment of those who are incarcerated,” he says. “This is the brutality of the past. You know, you can read it in a book, you can read it in the paper, but to actually see a physical relic of that time gives you a different feeling. You understand it better. You’re like, wow, this was real. It makes it real.”

Prior to 1890, most American executions were by hanging, the method that had been inherited from Britain. Many prisoners died slowly by strangulation and even occasionally, if the drop was too long, by decapitation. The administration of the death penalty was in the hands of county sheriffs who individually got very little practice at carrying out hangings.
New York state used the “jerker” method of hanging in the 19th century where the prisoner was hoisted into the air by a falling weight attached to the other end of the rope which rarely resulted in a quick or easy death. This prompted State Governor David B. Hill to look for a more acceptable form of execution. He set up a legislative committee in 1886, including a dentist, Dr. Alfred Southwick, to examine other methods at a time when there was a lot of interest and experimentation with electricity and also deaths from electric shock due to people coming into contact with early poorly insulated and un-guarded high voltage devices.
The first electric chair was designed in 1888 to be a more humane method of execution. In the 1880's, electricity was a new and novel power source. Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse were the two major players in the struggle to control electrical utilities. Edison championed direct current (DC) while Westinghouse pioneered alternating current (AC). Technical and economic circumstances made alternating current superior to direct current for domestic and industrial purposes. Alternating current was soon adopted as the standard for electrical transmission worldwide. Edison had tried to convince everyone that Westinghouse's AC current was unsafe and was delighted when New York State introduced the electric chair, which required alternating current.
After New York, the next state to introduce the electric chair was Ohio in April 1897, with Massachusetts following two years later. New Jersey changed to electrocution in December 1907, Virginia in January 1908, and North Carolina in February 1910. (Dates quoted here and below are first use rather than year of legislation). The introduction of electrocution ended the practice of county hangings in most states and execution facilities and death rows became concentrated at state penitentiaries. Mississippi and Louisiana initially being exceptions as they each had a portable electric chair which was taken by truck to parish (county) prisons when required. Louisiana retained this arrangement until 1957 when they constructed a death chamber at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Mississippi changed to the gas chamber at the end of 1954. There was disquiet about the semi-public execution of Luther Wheeler which was witnessed by some 400 people and took place in the Forrest County courthouse on February 5th 1954. One more man would die in Mississippi’s chair, James Johnson on November 10th 1954, but it not known how many people were allowed to witness the event.
Over time the electric chair came to be used in 26 states plus the District of Columbia, at one time or another and also by the Philippines (between 1926 and 1976) and Ethiopia (introduced in 1948 and used at least once) the only countries outside the USA to use it. Some US states moved directly to lethal injection for post Furman executions (post 1977) and did not reinstate their electric chairs, e.g. Oklahoma and Texas.

Between August 1890 and February 2020, 4,448 people suffered death by electrocution in the USA. 58 of these took place in the 19th century (51 in New York and seven in Ohio), 4,372 in the 20th century and 18 in the 21st century. Electrocutions for Federal crimes were carried out by states and are included in the figures below.

https://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/chair.html

Notes : 26 women are included in the grand totals. Mississippi, North Carolina and New Mexico used both the electric chair and the gas chamber at different times in the 20th century.

New York state - the birth place of the electric chair.
On June 4th, 1888, the New York Legislature passed Chapter 489 of Laws of New York of 1888, providing for the execution by "a current of electricity of sufficient intensity to cause death" for offences committed after January 1st, 1889.
There was one small problem - New York did not possess the means to do this and had to commission Harold Brown, an electrician, to build three electric chairs, one for each of the prisons where executions were to take place - Auburn, Sing Sing and Clinton. Auburn received the first one in December 1888. Brown favored Westinghouse's alternating current for the purpose which made him most unpopular with George Westinghouse who was trying to promote it as a safe form of domestic energy. Westinghouse refused to supply Brown with the necessary generators and he was forced to buy secondhand units.
Three chairs seemed a very generous provision for an average of eight executions per annum statewide. The chairs were solid constructions made from oak and each had two electrodes, one for the head and one for the lower back. A grand total of 695 people died in them up to 1963. Of these 55 were executed at Auburn prison between 1891 and 1916, and 26 at Clinton prison between 1895 and 1913. From 1916 all executions took place at Sing Sing prison at Ossining on the Hudson River which had a new Death House constructed at the huge cost of $268,000. This could accommodate 24 male and three female inmates and had its own kitchen, hospital and autopsy room and was separate from the main prison. It also had its own generator facility to provide the power for executions. 614 men and women were executed here, including such famous cases as Ruth Snyder and Judd grey, the “Lonely Hearts” killers Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez, Albert Fish and the Rosenbergs. Harris A. Smiler became the first to die in Sing Sing’s electric chair on July 7th, 1891, one of four men that day.

New York’s first electrocution - William Kemmler, August 6th, 1890.
William Kemmler was convicted of the ax murder of his lover, Matilda “Tillie” Ziegler, and became the first man to be sentenced to death under the new law.
Kemmler's lawyers appealed citing the 8th and 14th amendments to the American Constitution which prohibit "cruel and unusual punishment." The final appeal was turned down on October 9th, 1889 and the execution date was fixed for August 6th, 1890. It was a strangely casual affair carried out in the presence of 25 witnesses, 14 of them doctors. Kemmler was led into the execution chamber in the basement of Auburn prison and was introduced to the witnesses before taking off his coat and sitting himself into the chair.
The head and spinal electrodes each consisted of a 4-inch diameter wooden cup containing a 3 inch diameter metal plate faced with a layer of sponge which was soaked in brine to improve conductivity.
Kemmler was strapped into the chair by leather straps around his arms, legs and waist. The head electrode in a leather harness was applied and a black cloth was pulled over his face. The warden, Charles Durston, gave the signal to Edwin Davis, the executioner, to throw the switch which caused Kemmler to go completely rigid as some 700 volts flowed through his body.
He remained in this condition for 17 seconds until the current was turned off and then his whole body appeared to relax. He was certified dead but after half a minute, there were a series of spasmodic movements of the chest accompanied by moaning sounds, indicating that he was not in fact dead, and the warden ordered a second charge of electricity which lasted about 70 seconds until vapor and later smoke could be seen rising from the spinal electrode accompanied by the smell of burning flesh.
At this point, the current was again switched off and the body carefully examined. There were no signs of life and Kemmler was dead. Not everyone was impressed by the "humanity" of the new method and an expert interviewed for the New York Times said that the execution was "an awful botch, Kemmler was literally roasted to death". George Westinghouse remarked that they (the executioners) could “have done better with an ax!”

New York’s executioners.
In most states the identity of the executioner and other members of the execution team were and remain shrouded in secrecy, but not so in New York. The first electrician, as the executioner was officially known, was Edwin Davis who held the post from 1891 to 1914 and as mentioned above carried out the first electrocution in the USA. John Hilbert replaced Davis and executed 140 people before resigning in 1926. He was succeeded by Robert G. Elliot who electrocuted 387 people in six states between 1926 up until his death in 1939, including Nicola Sacco, Bartolomeo Vanzetti, Ruth Snyder, Henry Judd Gray, and Bruno Richard Hauptmann. Elliot was the US’s most prolific executioner. Davis, Hilbert and Elliot worked not just in New York but also in adjacent states. A number of women applied for the job but Elliot was succeeded by another man, Joseph P. Francel, who remained in office for 14 years before resigning in August 1954. Francel executed 134 men and three women at Sing Sing and over 100 in other states. His most famous executions being husband and wife, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, on June 19th, 1953 who were electrocuted under Federal authority for espionage.
Dow B. Hoover took over the position in 1953 and was New York’s last executioner, putting 38 men to death at Sing Sing, Eddie Lee Mays being the last on August 15th, 1963.

Juveniles in the chair.
58 juveniles, including one girl, Virginia Christian (Virginia 1912) were electrocuted in the USA between 1897 when Willie Haas was executed in Ohio and 1956 when Roye Norman was put to death in New York. The majority of these were 17 at the time, twelve were 16 but the youngest was George Junius Stinney Jr. who was just 14 when he was put to death in South Carolina’s electric chair on June 16th 1944. He was convicted of murdering two girls, Betty June Binnicker, age 11, and Mary Emma Thames, age 8. He was executed just 81 days after the murder and his case is widely considered to be a miscarriage of justice. Stinney was brought into the execution room around noon. He was a rather small child, 5” 1” and 98 lbs. so the straps on the chair didn't fit and he had to be tied to the chair. When the current started he shook violently causing the face mask to fall off.

Women in the chair.
Twenty five women have been electrocuted in America in the 20th century and one in the 21st century. Click here for list.
Martha Place became the first woman to die in the electric chair when she was executed on March 20th, 1899 at New York's Sing Sing prison for the murder of her stepdaughter, Ida, in February of the same year. An account of the execution in the National Police Gazette said she was guided into the death chamber, clutching a Bible. "Her eyes were closed, she was dressed in a black gown with a few fancy frills at the bosom. She wore russet slippers." A spot had been clipped near the crown of her head to make room for the electrode. Another electrode was fastened to her leg. Edwin Davis threw the switch that sent a current of 1,760 volts went through her body in an execution that was "successful in every way." The physician who pronounced her dead was also a woman.
Ruth Snyder who was executed at Sing Sing at 11pm on January 12th, 1928, aged 33, became the subject of a very famous photograph taken at the moment of her death by New York Daily News photographer, Tom Howard, using a hidden 16-millimeter one-shot camera strapped to his ankle, with the shutter release controlled from his pocket. She and her boyfriend, Henry Judd Gray, had been convicted of murdering her husband. Gray followed her to the chair a few minutes later at 11.14pm. Both executions went without incident.

Judias (Judi) Buenoano was the first woman to have been electrocuted since the resumption of executions in 1977. She went to the electric chair in Florida's Starke prison on March 30th, 1998 for four murders, her execution taking 12 minutes to carry out. She was dubbed the "Black Widow" by the press.

Lynda Lyon Block became the last woman to electrocuted, in Alabama on May 10th, 2002 for the murder of a policeman in Opelika on October 4th, 1993. Her execution was described thus : Wearing a white prison outfit with her shaved head covered by a black hood and wearing light makeup, with mascara and a light shade of pink lipstick she was led into the execution room at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. Witnesses said she appeared to pray with her eyes closed about 11:52 p.m. She made no final statement. An initial 2,050-volt, 20-second shock caused Block to clench her fists, her body tensed and steam came from the sponge on her head and the electrode on her left leg. She then received 250 volts for 100 seconds. The whole execution took just two minutes.

Multiple (consecutive) electrocutions.
Kentucky and New York hold the record for the most electrocutions on a single day with seven men each. Multiple electrocutions were not uncommon in either state. In Kentucky four white and three black murderers were put to death at the State Penitentiary at Eddyville on July 13th, 1928. On August 12th, 1912 seven white males were electrocuted in New York’s Sing Sing prison by Edwin Davis. The next highest number in a single day occurred in the District of Columbia when six men were executed for espionage and spying on August 8th, 1942.

Post Furman electrocutions.
John Arthur Spenkelink had the dubious distinction of becoming the first person to be electrocuted in the post Furman era. He was executed at Florida’s Starke Penitentiary on May 25th, 1979. 144 men and one woman have been electrocuted in the U.S.A. between 1977 and the end of 1999 after the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment. 44 of these executions took place in Florida including those of serial killers Ted Bundy and Judi Buenoano.

Three juveniles, all aged 17 at the time of the offense have been executed in the electric chair between 1977 and 1999. They were: James Terry Roach in South Carolina on January 10th, 1986 for his part in a double murder. Dalton Prejean who was electrocuted in Louisiana on May 18th, 1990 for the murder of a police officer and Christopher Burger was put to death in Georgia on July 12th, 1993 for the robbery murder of cab driver Roger Honeycutt in 1987.

The electric chair in the 21st century.
Electrocution remains a legal method in nine states as at 2013. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. All of these states permit the inmate the choice of lethal injection. On April 26th, 2002, the then state Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, signed a law making lethal injection the primary method of execution from July 1st, 2002, unless the inmate chooses the electric chair.
On January 6th, 2000, the Florida Senate passed a bill by a vote of 102-5 to give death row inmates the option of lethal injection rather than the electric chair. They have all elected lethal injection.
Georgia's highest court struck down the state's use of the electric chair on October 5th, 2001 on the basis that death by electrocution "inflicts purposeless physical violence and needless mutilation that makes no measurable contribution to accepted goals of punishment.''
Kentucky permits electrocution for inmates sentenced before July 1998 and retains facilities for both electrocution and lethal injection at the State Penitentiary at Eddyville.
Ohio moved solely to lethal injection in November 2001.
Nebraska abolished the electric chair in early 2008 and has adopted a lethal injection protocol in 2010.
South Carolina permits inmates sentenced on or after June 8, 1995 the choice between electrocution and injection but if they make no choice, death is by lethal injection. In 1988, a new Capital Punishment Facility was constructed at the Broad River Correctional Institution which has facilities for both execution methods.
Tennessee permits inmates sentenced before December 31, 1998 to choose electrocution but and so far inmates have done so (see below).
Virginia permits all condemned inmates the choice but if they decline to chose, lethal injection is the default method.

17 men and one woman have been electrocuted in the 21st century and in 12 cases they elected to die this way.

Alabama carried out the first electrocution of the new millennium when it put David Ray Duren to death on January 7th, 2000 in the state’s “Yellow Momma” as its chair was known, for the robbery and murder of a young girl named Kathleen Bedsole.

Virginia electrocuted 61 year old Earl Conrad Bramblett on April 9th, 2003. Bramblett, who had been convicted of the murders of a family of four, had elected to die this way as a protest against the death penalty. He was strapped into the oak chair and given an initial burst of 1,800 volts for 30 seconds. Bramblett's body tensed against the leather and nylon straps, his hands were clenched into white knuckled fists, his knees slowly opened and his skin turned bright red around the leather face mask. The first jolt was followed by 240 volts for 60 seconds, and then the entire cycle was repeated. A small stream of smoke wafted up from his right leg during the second cycle. He was certified dead 5 minutes later.

James Neil Tucker elected to die by electrocution in South Carolina on May 29th, 2004 for a double murder committed in 1994. The execution appears to have gone smoothly.

Brandon Wayne Hedrick was put to death in Virginia on July 20th, 2006. He apparently preferred electrocution to lethal injection. The execution commenced at 9.00 pm when Hedrick was led from the holding cell to the death chamber and strapped into the chair. The leg electrode was applied followed by the leather face mask and the head helmet which is a hinged metal device containing the saline soaked sponge to make good contact with the skull. At 9:02 p.m., witnesses observed Hedrick's body straining against the straps, his fists clenched. A small amount of smoke briefly rose from his leg. His body briefly relaxed between the two 90 second cycles of electricity. Each cycle starts with about 1,800 volts at 7.5 amps for 30 seconds and then 60 seconds of about 240 volts at 1.5 amps. His body jumped and leg smoked at the start of the second cycle. A doctor entered, put a stethoscope to Hedrick's chest and pronounced him dead at 9.12 pm.

On September 12th, 2007, Daryl Holton was executed in Tennessee’s electric chair for the murder of his four children in 1997. He had elected to die in this manner and it appears that the execution went smoothly. He received an initial shock of 1,750 volts for 20 seconds, followed by a second shock of the same voltage for 15 seconds.

James Earl Reed chose death in South Carolina’s electric chair and was executed at the River Correctional Institute just after 11.30 p.m. on Friday, June 20th, 2008. Reed died for the shooting murder of a former girlfriend’s parents.

Larry Bill Elliott, at 60, the oldest man on Death Row in Virginia, was electrocuted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia for a double murder. The procedure commenced at 9 pm and he was certified dead at 9.08 after two surges of electricity over a three minute period. An officer in a side room pushed the "execute button", starting an automated cycle that sent 1,800 volts through Elliott's body for 30 seconds, followed by 240 volts for 60 seconds. This was repeated after a short wait. Elliott had elected to die by electrocution.

Paul Warner Powell similarly elected to die in Virginia’s electric chair on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 for the murder of 16 year old Stacie Reed and the rape of her 14 year old sister Kristie in 1999. Kristie witnessed the execution. The execution was described by a media witness as follows : “There was a thump as Powell’s body jerked back into the chair. His hands clenched into tight fists and veins swelled as his arms turned red. Smoke rose from his leg. Officials said 1,800 volts at 7.5 amps (13,500 watts), flowed through his body for 30 seconds. That was followed by 240 volts at 1 amp for 60 seconds.

The cycle repeated. With the high voltage shock, smoke and sparks emanated from Powell’s right leg. His knee appeared to swell and turn purple. His knuckles went white. At 9:03, the electricity stopped. Everyone waited in silence for five minutes. At 9:08, a guard walked up to Powell and opened his shirt. A doctor emerged from a door on the left side of the room and placed a stethoscope on Powell’s chest in search of a heartbeat.” He was declared dead at 9:09 p.m.

Robert Gleason chose the electric chair for his execution at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia on January 13th 2013 for the murder of two fellow inmates. He had concerns about suffering severe pain if given a lethal injection and about dying lying down. With the last push from a button from behind a one-way window, the first cycle of electricity was activated, sending approximately 1,800 volts at 7.5 amps for 30 seconds before it was decreased to 250 volts at 1.5 amps for the next 60 seconds. The cycle was repeated and then after five minutes, a physician checked his heartbeat with a stethoscope. He was certified dead at 9.07 pm, the execution having begun at 9.00 pm.

63 year old Edmund Zagorski chose electrocution over lethal injection. He was executed at the River Bend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee at 7.00 p.m. on November 1st 2018. He received an initial shock of 1,750 volts for 20 seconds, followed by a second shock of the same voltage for 15 seconds. He was pronounced dead at 7.26 p.m. David Earl Miller was similarly executed in Tennessee on December 6th 2018 and again the process went smoothly.

56 year old Stephen West was electrocuted for a double murder and a rape near Knoxville in 1986. He was executed at the River Bend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee at 7.15 p.m. on August 15th 2019. He was pronounced dead at 7:27 p.m.

On Thursday December 5th 2019, Lee Hall, 53, was pronounced dead at 7:26 p.m. at the River Bend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee having been executed for the murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Tennessee executed 58 year old Nicholas Todd Sutton in the electric chair on Thursday February 20th 2020 for the murder of a fellow inmate, Carl Estep in 1985.

Typical execution protocol.
Exact electrocution protocols vary from state to state but the following is an overview of the typical process.
Prior to execution, the inmate’s head and leg is shaved. They are led into the execution chamber and strapped into the chair by the tie down team with leather or webbing straps across the chest, thighs, legs, and arms. A metal or leather helmet is placed on the inmate’s head which contains one or two copper electrodes in direct contact with a brine soaked sponge to improve the contact with the prisoners skull. Natural sea sponge is used and soaking it in brine improves electrical conductivity. This sponge fills the gap between the electrodes and the inmate’s head when the chin strap holding the head piece in place is tightened. Heads are not a regular shape and the sponge takes up the “lumps and bumps” well. The leg electrode which typically forms part of the chair may be coated with gel (Electro-Creme), again to increase conductivity and reduce burning. The back of the inmate’s leg is securely strapped to this. In Virginia, the leg electrode is not part of the chair and is a separate hinged spring loaded metal clamp lined with saline soaked sponge like the head piece.
A leather face mask or black face cloth is applied. The prisoner will also be wearing a diaper. The helmet or head piece is connected to the wiring and at the signal from the Warden, the executioner presses a button on the control panel to deliver the first shock of between 1,700 and 2,400 volts at 7.5 amps, which lasts for between 20 – 30 seconds followed by a 240 volts at 1.5 amps for 30 – 60 seconds. This is automatically timed and controlled. After a short interval, the process is repeated and then the body allowed to remain in the chair with the electricity off for five minutes before being examined by the doctor and pronounced dead. If any heart beat is still found, a further shock cycle can be administered. Smoke frequently emanates from the inmate's leg and head whilst the current is flowing. Witnesses hear a loud and sustained sound like bacon frying, and the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh may permeate the chamber.

How electrocution kills.
The first high voltage shock is designed to destroy the brain and central nervous system functions. The inmate is thought to be rendered unconscious in 1/240th of a second which is less time than they can feel pain. Electrocution causes complete paralysis due to every muscle in the body contracting and staying contracted whilst the current is flowing. This makes heartbeat and respiration impossible. The second shock cycle is administered to ensure heartbeat does not resume. Due to the electrical resistance of the body, its temperature rises to about 138oF and is initially too hot to touch. This heating destroys the body's proteins and "bakes" the organs. According to Robert H. Kirschner, the deputy chief medical examiner of Cook County, Illinois, "The brain appears cooked in most cases."
Physical reactions to electrocution may include burning of the scalp and calf, heaving chest, gurgles, foaming at the mouth, bloody sweat, burning of the skin, shattering of the eye lens and release of urine and/or feces. After electrocution, the body typically turns a bright red color.

There is some debate about what the electrocuted inmate experiences before he dies, some doctors believe that they feel themselves being burned to death and suffocating, since the shock causes respiratory paralysis as well as cardiac arrest, while others believe the shock instantly “scrambles” the brain and nerve functions.

https://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/chair.html

Willie Francis, a 17-year-old who is the only person to have survived electrocution (in 1946) due to Louisiana’s portable electric chair being incorrectly set up. Francis is reported to have said, "My mouth tasted like cold peanut butter. I felt a burning in my head and my left leg, and I jumped against the straps," He was successfully executed a year later.