William Kemmler: Difference between revisions
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William Kemmler (May 9, 1860 - August 6, 1890) was a convicted murderer and the first person in the world to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_%28legal%29 executed] using an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_chair electric chair]. | |||
'''William Kemmler''' (May 9, 1860 - August 6, 1890) was a convicted murderer and the first person in the world to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_%28legal%29 executed] using an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_chair electric chair]. | |||
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
William Kemmler was born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]. Both of his parents were immigrants from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany] and both of them were alcoholics. He was of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheran Lutheran] religion. His father died from an infection that he received after a drunken brawl and his mother died from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism alcoholism]. The young William used to work in his father's butcher shop, after dropping out of school at age ten, learning neither how to read nor write. After his parents died, he went into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peddling peddling] business and earned enough money to buy a horse and cart, but at that point he was becoming a heavy drinker. He spent most of his life in drunken stupors, often leading him into bad situations that were extremely difficult to work out later on. In one episode involving him and his friends after a series of drunken binges, he said he could jump his horse and cart over an 8-foot fence with the cart attached to the horse. The attempt was a failure, which cost him his cart and goods destroyed in the incident. He was known to friends as "Philadelphia Billy" due to his legendary drinking binges that were very well known around the saloons in his Buffalo neighborhood. Kemmler was reportedly slender, with dark brown hair. He spoke both [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language English] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language German], but was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiterate illiterate]. | William Kemmler was born in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]. Both of his parents were immigrants from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany Germany] and both of them were alcoholics. He was of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheran Lutheran] religion. His father died from an infection that he received after a drunken brawl and his mother died from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism alcoholism]. The young William used to work in his father's butcher shop, after dropping out of school at age ten, learning neither how to read nor write. After his parents died, he went into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peddling peddling] business and earned enough money to buy a horse and cart, but at that point he was becoming a heavy drinker. He spent most of his life in drunken stupors, often leading him into bad situations that were extremely difficult to work out later on. In one episode involving him and his friends after a series of drunken binges, he said he could jump his horse and cart over an 8-foot fence with the cart attached to the horse. The attempt was a failure, which cost him his cart and goods destroyed in the incident. He was known to friends as "Philadelphia Billy" due to his legendary drinking binges that were very well known around the saloons in his Buffalo neighborhood. Kemmler was reportedly slender, with dark brown hair. He spoke both [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language English] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language German], but was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illiterate illiterate]. | ||
==Murder and Trial== | ==Murder and Trial== | ||
Kemmler murdered Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common-law_marriage common-law wife], with a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatchet hatchet] on March 29, 1889, and was sentenced to death by electrocution at New York's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Prison Auburn Prison]. His lawyers appealed, arguing that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_chair electrocution] was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruel_and_unusual_punishment cruel and unusual punishment]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Westinghouse George Westinghouse] was the main financial backer of the powerful and potentially deadly [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternating_current alternating current]. After safety measures were taken in the future, AC would become the standard for distribution of main electric power. It powered the electric chair, but Westinghouse actively supported Kemmler's appeal regardless. The appeal failed, partly due to the even greater financial support of the powerful financial tycoon [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pierpont_Morgan John Pierpont Morgan]. Morgan was backing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison Thomas Edison] and wanted to use the execution to show that Edison's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_current direct current] was a much safer way to provide electric power. | |||
==Execution== | ==Execution== | ||
On the morning of his execution, August 6, 1890, Kemmler was awakened at 5:00 a.m. He dressed quickly and put on a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suit_%28clothing%29 suit], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie necktie], and white shirt. After breakfast and some prayer, the top of his head was shaved. At 6:38 a.m., Kemmler entered the execution room and Warden Charles Durston presented Kemmler to the 17 witnesses in attendance. Kemmler looked at the chair and said: "Gentlemen, I wish you all good luck. I believe I am going to a good place, and I am ready to go." | On the morning of his execution, August 6, 1890, Kemmler was awakened at 5:00 a.m. He dressed quickly and put on a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suit_%28clothing%29 suit], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necktie necktie], and white shirt. After breakfast and some prayer, the top of his head was shaved. At 6:38 a.m., Kemmler entered the execution room and Warden Charles Durston presented Kemmler to the 17 witnesses in attendance. Kemmler looked at the chair and said: "Gentlemen, I wish you all good luck. I believe I am going to a good place, and I am ready to go." | ||
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[[Category:Murderer]] | [[Category:Murderer]] | ||
[[Category:Execution]] | [[Category:Execution]] | ||
[[Category:Deceased Villains]] | [[Category:Tragic]] | ||
[[Category:Deceased]] | |||
[[Category:Scapegoat]] | |||
[[Category:Early Modern Villains]] | |||
[[Category:Deaths in prison]] | |||
[[Category:United States of America]] | |||