The Alternating Current

Editor Buffalo Express: — In your comment upon the electrocution of Taylor in The Express of July 31st, you asserted that death by electricity was worse than death by hanging. I will proceed to prove the contrary.

You perhaps have noticed that whenever a person receives a very strong shock from a wire which takes the current to electric arc-lamps, he is always instantly killed. It is because a 1,000 volt continuous current is used. If you will read about the wonderful experiments Tesla has made, you will find that he has received a current of 250,000 volts and that he is not afraid to receive it again. This is because he received the alternating current. This proves conclusively that the continuous current is the one that does the killing. The dynamo which Tesla uses in his experiments can be depended upon not to kill because it alternates the current much more rapidly than the dynamos used in electrocution, which shows that the current used in electrocution ought not to be alternated at all, in which case the continuous current is being used. The failure of electrocution is due entirely to the fact that the alternating and not the continuous current is used.

If you really wish to know what is the best method of executing murderers have some of your reporters investigate this matter. It does not take electricians to understand it.

CONSTANT READER No. 10,001.
Buffalo, Aug. 1st.

(This reader, however, does not show that death by hanging is not less painful than death by any kind of electric current. — Ed. Express.)