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William Kemmler
Portrait of Kemmler
Born
William Francis Kemmler
May 9, 1860
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died
August 6, 1890(1890-08-06) (aged 30)
Auburn, New York
Cause of death
Botched execution by electrocution
Occupation
Produce merchant
Criminal status
Executed
Spouse
Tillie Ziegler (common-law wife)
Conviction(s)
First degree murder
Criminal penalty
Death by electrocution
William Francis Kemmler (May 9, 1860 – August 6, 1890) was an American peddler, alcoholic, and murderer, who, in 1890, became the first person in the world to be executed by electric chair. He was convicted of murdering Matilda "Tillie" Ziegler, his common-law wife, a year earlier.[1] Although electrocution had previously been successfully used to kill a horse, Kemmler's execution did not go smoothly.[2]
^Ruddick, N. (1998). "Life and death by electricity in 1890: the transfiguration of William Kemmler". Journal of American Culture (01911813), 21(4), 79.
^Jonnes, J. (2004). The Horrible Experiment" Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World. New York: Random House, 206–39.[ISBN missing]
William Francis Kemmler (May 9, 1860 – August 6, 1890) was an American peddler, alcoholic, and murderer, who, in 1890, became the first person in the...
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to be executed in the electric chair was WilliamKemmler, on August 6, 1890. Current was passed through Kemmler for 17 seconds and he was declared dead...
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New York's first state electrician. He carried out the execution of WilliamKemmler, the first man executed with the electric chair, and that of Martha...
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Sundance Film Festival in 2019. He recently earned praise as axe murderer WilliamKemmler in the 2020 Sundance film Tesla, by Michael Almereyda. Notable stage...
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