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- Newsgroups: sci.electronics
- Path: sparky!uunet!darwin.sura.net!convex!constellation!unx.ucc.okstate.edu!datacomm.ucc.okstate.edu!martin
- From: martin@datacomm.ucc.okstate.edu (Martin McCormick)
- Subject: Re: SHOCKING STORIES
- Message-ID: <1992Jul23.162340.11584@unx.ucc.okstate.edu>
- Sender: news@unx.ucc.okstate.edu (USENET News System)
- Organization: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
- References: <7480@public.BTR.COM> <1992Jul22.195043.28269@unx.ucc.okstate.edu> <1992Jul22.220657.19313@wuecl.wustl.edu>
- Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 16:23:40 GMT
- Lines: 22
-
-
- The question was asked as to how one goes about testing an
- electric chair. Besides the flip answer of "ve--ry
- carefully," I recall reading, in a news magazine, that one of
- the Southern states was having trouble with their chair. It
- seemed that they had to buzz this one guy several times
- before his heart finally stopped. Observers had reported
- seeing dull red flames around the electrodes attached to the
- prisoner's head and opponents of capital punishment were
- saying that the prisoner was suffering cruel and unusual
- punishment. That same state had another convict awaiting the
- same fate and prison officials wanted to be sure the system
- was in working order. They reportedly tested it by using
- a dumby load consisting of a kitchen colander covered with a
- wet sponge.
- The lawyer for the man scheduled to test it for real
- claimed that this wasn't a valid test because all it
- demonstrated was that it worked on a kitchen colander. I
- believe that, a few days later, it worked on the real thing.
-
- Martin McCormick WB5AGZ Stillwater, OK
- O.S.U. Computer Center Data Communications Group
-