In New York in 1890, William Kemmler became the first person to be executed by what method?
William Kemmler William Kemmler William Francis Kemmler (May 9, 1860 – August 6, 1890) of Buffalo, New York, was a convicted murderer and the first person in the world to be legally executed using an electric chair. William Kemmler was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both of his parents were immigrants from Germany and both of them were alcoholics. After dropping out of school at age 10, having learned neither how to read nor write, Kemmler worked in his father's butcher shop. His father died from an infection that he received after a drunken brawl and his mother died from complications of alcoholism.
William Kemmler horse had been successfully electrocuted the day before. Current was passed through Kemmler for 17 seconds. The power was turned off and Kemmler was declared dead by Edward Charles Spitzka. However, witnesses noticed Kemmler was still breathing. The attending physicians, Spitzka and Carlos Frederick MacDonald, came forward to examine Kemmler. After confirming Kemmler was still alive, Spitzka reportedly called out, "Have the current turned on again, quick—no delay." In the second attempt, Kemmler was shocked with 2,000 volts. Blood vessels under the skin ruptured and bled and some witnesses erroneously claimed his body caught fire. "The New York Times" reported