William Kemmler, the First Person in the World to Be Executed by Electric Chair in 1890

 

William Kemmler, the First Person in the World to Be Executed by Electric Chair in 1890

 March 14, 2026     1800s, event & history, law & criminal   

William Kemmler (1860–1890) was an American produce merchant and convicted murderer who became the first person in history to be executed by electric chair. His execution took place on August 6, 1890, at Auburn Prison in New York.

In March 1889, Kemmler murdered his common-law wife, Matilda “Tillie” Ziegler, with a hatchet during a drunken argument in Buffalo, New York. He was sentenced to death under a new New York law that replaced hanging with electrocution, which was promoted as a more “humane” and scientific method.

His lawyers appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court (In re Kemmler), arguing that electrocution was “cruel and unusual punishment.” The court rejected the appeal, ruling the method was intended to be more humane.

On the morning of his execution, August 6, 1890, Kemmler was awakened at 5:00 a.m. He dressed quickly and put on a suit, 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.”

Witnesses remarked that Kemmler was composed at his execution; he did not scream, cry, or resist in any way. He sat down on the chair, but was ordered to get up by the warden so a hole could be cut in his suit through which a second electrical lead could be attached. This was done and Kemmler sat down again. He was strapped to the chair, his face was covered and the metal restraint put on his bare head. He said, “Take it easy and do it properly, I’m in no hurry.” Durston replied, “Goodbye, William” and ordered the switch thrown.

The event was a grisly failure that lasted approximately eight minutes. A charge of roughly 700–1,000 volts was applied for 17 seconds. Kemmler was initially declared dead, but witnesses soon noticed he was still breathing and groaning. A second, more powerful jolt of approximately 2,000 volts was applied. This lasted for several minutes, causing smoke to rise from his head and the smell of burning flesh to fill the room. An autopsy revealed that the current had carbonized blood vessels and hardened the top of his brain.

Dr. Alfred Southwick, the dentist who invented the chair, declared, “We live in a higher civilization from this day on.” Witnessing the horrific scene, inventor George Westinghouse remarked, “They would have done better with an axe.”

The execution was a focal point in the rivalry between Thomas Edison (DC) and George Westinghouse (AC). Edison had advocated for the use of Westinghouse’s alternating current (AC) in the chair to demonstrate its lethality and discredit his competitor.

The electric chair in which Kemmler was executed on August 6, 1890.