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THE LOS AMIGOS FIASCO。
I used to be the leading practitioner of Los Amigos。 Of course；
everyone has heard of the great electrical generating gear there。 The
town is wide spread； and there are dozens of little townlets and villages all
round； which receive their supply from the same centre； so that the works
are on a very large scale。 The Los Amigos folk say that they are the
largest upon earth； but then we claim that for everything in Los Amigos
except the gaol and the death…rate。 Those are said to be the smallest。
Now； with so fine an electrical supply； it seemed to be a sinful waste of
hemp that the Los Amigos criminals should perish in the old…fashioned
manner。 And then came the news of the eleotrocutions in the East； and
how the results had not after all been so instantaneous as had been hoped。
The Western Engineers raised their eyebrows when they read of the puny
shocks by which these men had perished； and they vowed in Los Amigos
that when an irreclaimable came their way he should be dealt handsomely
by； and have the run of all the big dynamos。 There should be no reserve；
said the engineers； but he should have all that they had got。 And what the
result of that would be none could predict； save that it must be absolutely
blasting and deadly。 Never before had a man been so charged with
electricity as they would charge him。 He was to be smitten by the
essence of ten thunderbolts。 Some prophesied combustion； and some
disintegration and disappearance。 They were waiting eagerly to settle
the question by actual demonstration； and it was just at that moment that
Duncan Warner came that way。
Warner had been wanted by the law； and by nobody else； for many
years。 Desperado； murderer； train robber and road agent； he was a man
beyond the pale of human pity。 He had deserved a dozen deaths； and the
Los Amigos folk grudged him so gaudy a one as that。 He seemed to feel
himself to be unworthy of it； for he made two frenzied attempts at escape。
He was a powerful； muscular man； with a lion head； tangled black locks；
and a sweeping beard which covered his broad chest。 When he was tried；
there was no finer head in all the crowded court。 It's no new thing to find
the best face looking from the dock。 But his good looks could not
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balance his bad deeds。 His advocate did all he knew； but the cards lay
against him； and Duncan Warner was handed over to the mercy of the big
Los Amigos dynamos。
I was there at the committee meeting when the matter was discussed。
The town council had chosen four experts to look after the arrangements。
Three of them were admirable。 There was Joseph M‘Conner； the very
man who had designed the dynamos； and there was Joshua Westmacott；
the chairman of the Los Amigos Electrical Supply Company； Limited。
Then there was myself as the chief medical man； and lastly an old German
of the name of Peter Stulpnagel。 The Germans were a strong body at Los
Amigos； and they all voted for their man。 That was how he got on the
committee。 It was said that he had been a wonderful electrician at home；
and he was eternally working with wires and insulators and Leyden jars；
but； as he never seemed to get any further； or to have any results worth
publishing he came at last to be regarded as a harmless crank； who had
made science his hobby。 We three practical men smiled when we heard
that he had been elected as our colleague； and at the meeting we fixed it all
up very nicely among ourselves without much thought of the old fellow
who sat with his ears scooped forward in his hands； for he was a trifle hard
of hearing； taking no more part in the proceedings than the gentlemen of
the press who scribbled their notes on the back benches。
We did not take long to settle it all。 In New York a strength of some
two thousand volts had been used； and death had not been instantaneous。
Evidently their shock had been too weak。 Los Amigos should not fall
into that error。 The charge should be six times greater； and therefore； of
course； it would be six times more effective。 Nothing could possibly be
more logical。 The whole concentrated force of the great dynamos should
be employed on Duncan Warner。
So we three settled it； and had already risen to break up the meeting；
when our silent companion opened his month for the first time。
〃Gentlemen；〃 said he； 〃you appear to me to show an extraordinary
ignorance upon the subject of electricity。 You have not mastered the first
principles of its actions upon a human being。〃
The committee was about to break into an angry reply to this brusque
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comment； but the chairman of the Electrical Company tapped his forehead
to claim its indulgence for the crankiness of the speaker。
〃Pray tell us； sir；〃 said he； with an ironical smile； 〃what is there in our
conclusions with which you find fault？〃
〃With your assumption that a large dose of electricity will merely
increase the effect of a small dose。 Do you not think it possible that it
might have an entirely different result？ Do you know anything； by actual
experiment； of the effect of such powerful shocks？〃
〃We know it by analogy；〃 said the chairman； pompously。 〃All drugs
increase their effect when they increase their dose； for examplefor
example〃
〃Whisky；〃 said Joseph M‘Connor。
〃Quite so。 Whisky。 You see it there。〃
Peter Stulpnagel smiled and shook his head。
〃Your argument is not very good；〃 said he。 〃When I used to take
whisky； I used to find that one glass would excite me； but that six would
send me to sleep； which is just the opposite。 Now； suppose that
electricity were to act in just the opposite way also； what then？〃
We three practical men burst out laughing。 We had known that our
colleague was queer； but we never had thought that he would be as queer
as this。
〃What then？〃 repeated Philip Stulpnagel。
〃We'll take our chances；〃 said the chairman。
〃Pray consider；〃 said Peter； 〃that workmen who have touched the wires；
and who have received shocks of only a few hundred volts； have died
instantly。 The fact is well known。 And yet when a much greater force
was used upon a criminal at New York； the man struggled for some little
time。 Do you not clearly see that the smaller dose is the more deadly？〃
〃I think； gentlemen； that this discussion has been carried on quite long
enough；〃 said the chairman； rising again。 〃The point； I take it； has
already been decided by the majority of the committee； and Duncan
Warner shall be electrocuted on Tuesday by the full strength of the Los
Amigos dynamos。 Is it not so？〃
〃I agree；〃 said Joseph M‘Connor。
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〃I agree；〃 said I。
〃And I protest；〃 said Peter Stulpnagel。
〃Then the motion is carried； and your protest will be duly entered in
the minutes；〃 said the chairman； and so the sitting was dissolved。
The attendance at the electrocution was a very small one。 We four
members of the committee were； of course； present with the executioner；
who was to act under their orders。 The others were the United States
Marshal； the governor of the gaol； the chaplain； and three members of the
press。 The room was a small brick chamber； forming an outhouse to the
Central Electrical station。 It had been used as a laundry； and had an oven
and copper at one side； but no other furniture save a single chair for the
condemned man。 A metal plate for his feet was placed in front of it； to
which ran a thick； insulated wire。 Above； another wire depended from
the ceiling； which could be connected with a small metallic rod