he one who had the dubious honor of being its first victim was a chap named William Kemmler. They strapped him in and threw the switch, but they had neglected to bolt the chair to the floor. It, and Kemmler, went flying across the room. So, they bolted it down and tried again. He still wasn't dead, so they gave him a third jolt, lasting 70 seconds. That did the job and everybody - except possibly Kemmler - agreed it was more merciful than hanging.
