The History of the Electric Chair

The use of electric chairs for executing prisoners sentenced to death was the result of dissatisfaction over hanging which could be a very slow and painful process. Therefore, in 1886, a legislative Committee was set up in New York to propose a better method.

Thomas Edison, the great inventor, hired Harold P. Brown to study electrocution and the development of electric chair. Brown designed the electric chair based on alternating current (AC). Neither Edison nor his rival Westinghouse liked the idea of using electricity as a means to kill, as it would discourage people from using electricity in their homes. Edison used his cunning and by public demonstrations on animals convinced the Committee and the public that DC was better suited for electric chairs and AC was the safer option for homes.

The first person to be executed by the electric chair was a man called William Kemmler in Auburn Prison, New York on August6, 1890. The execution took nearly 8 minutes and 2000 volts and this came in for a lot stick from the press. The first woman to be executed in the electric chair was Martha M.Place at New York's Sing Sing Prison in March 1899, for murdering her stepdaughter.

A certain procedure is followed for execution by electric chair. The prisoner's chest, thigh, arms, and legs are strapped to the electric chair by leather belts. Two electrodes attached -one to the shaven part of a leg and the other attached to a helmet placed on the shaven head. The electrodes are soaked in brine applied on them for better conductivity and gel applied to lessen the burning. First current of 1700-2400 volts lasting from 20 sec to 1 min is passed .The current must be under six amps, so the body will not cook. A doctor would certify if the prisoner has dead, if not, more shocks would be given. It takes around 2 minutes, 10 seconds, and two shocks for the whole procedure. The body is allowed to cool, and then an autopsy is performed.

The use of electric chair has been criticized. There have been many cases where the prisoners died a slow death. Things can go horribly wrong as was the case of Jesse Joseph Tafero synthetic sponge soaked in Brine was used instead of a natural one. The synthetic sponge was bad conductor of electricity and Tafero suffered a tortured death. Malfunctions of electric chair parts, the helmet, and sponge have all botched up smooth executions. In most of the states in the U.S, the prisoner has the right to chose either the electric chair or lethal injections as a means of death. In Nebraska however, the sole method of execution is the electric chair. In many other U.S states, the trend is towards discontinuing this form of execution.