Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 341 The American who provided the assist!
In late April, springtime was in full bloom in Paris, but a rather strange news story began to appear in some newspapers.

An American dentist named Alfred Southwick arrived in Paris.

He wasn't there for academic exchange, but rather to bring a "humanitarian device" he invented—primarily for efficiently euthanizing stray dogs.

Dr. Southwick chose to give a public demonstration in front of Paris municipal health officials and several journalists.

The location was an open space near the outskirts of the city.

Many idle people in Paris saw the announcement in newspapers such as Le Petit Parisien and Le Petit Les ...

So on the day of the demonstration, a large crowd gathered, including municipal officials, reporters, and of course, mostly onlookers.

In the center of the open space, there was a simple wooden frame that looked like a miniature version of some kind of torture device.

A buzzing generator stood nearby, with heavy cables connecting to metal plates on a wooden frame.

Alfred Southwick was a middle-aged man with a full beard, and his expression carried the confidence typical of Americans.

He directed his assistant to drag a shivering stray dog ​​out of the cage, secure it to the wooden frame, and ensure that the metal plate was in full contact with the dog's body.

Alfred Southwick exclaimed, “Gentlemen! The stray animal problem in Paris is getting worse, but the traditional methods of culling are both inefficient and bloody.”

My "Dog Must Die" utilizes the great power of modern science—electricity!
It can end their lives instantly, without any pain—this is progress in civilization!

He waved his hand, and his assistant switched off the power.

A more intense "humming" sound rang out, accompanied by crackling arcs of electricity.

The dog on the wooden frame suddenly stiffened and convulsed violently, then suddenly went limp and stopped moving.

A faint smell of burning filled the air.

The entire process takes no more than 20 seconds.

A low gasp rippled through the crowd. Some looked on with pity and turned away, while others seemed quite interested, discussing the matter with great relish.

Municipal officials whispered among themselves, seemingly satisfied with the device's "efficiency."

Dr. Southwick was quite pleased with himself. He turned off the generator, picked up the dead dog, and walked up to the officials, reporters, and citizens, showing it to them triumphantly.

"Look how fast! There's almost no struggle or pain! This is definitely something that can be promoted!"
Not only can it be used to solve your city's stray dog ​​problem! It can even be used in slaughterhouses..."

Onlookers nodded in agreement; the stray cats and dogs in Paris were indeed excessive, and traditional slaughtering methods were too inefficient and frequently met with protests.

At this point, a reporter from the Morning Post squeezed forward and asked, "Dr. Southwick, you claim that this process is 'humane' and 'painless,' what is your basis for that?"

Furthermore, what would happen if such an intense current were used on larger animals, or even...humans?

Perhaps blinded by the success of the demonstration, Dr. Southwick blurted out without thinking: "Evidence? Results are the best evidence!"

Its swift death speaks volumes, doesn't it? As for its use on humans…

He paused, a look of excitement spreading across his face, and gestured as he said, "Theoretically, of course! We just need to scale up the device proportionally."
—A sturdy enough chair, a more powerful generator, electrodes fixed to the head and legs…

I believe it can also be a highly efficient and humane method of execution! Far more civilized than hanging and beheading! This will be the future of justice!

His words were like a spell cast on the crowd.

The people who were discussing the stray dog ​​issue fell silent instantly, and all eyes were focused on the eloquent American dentist.

A citizen muttered to himself, "Execution...for people?" Fear was evident on his face.

Another onlooker's voice trembled: "My God, he's experimenting on dogs, and ultimately intends to use them on humans?"

Reporters immediately swarmed around, pressing for more detailed information about the "electric chair" concept.

Electricity, it turns out, is not only an angel that brings light, but also a death god that can take lives in an instant!

……

Both Le Petit Parisien and Le Monde devoted considerable space to the demonstration the following day. However, the focus of their coverage completely shifted away from the stray dog ​​issue, concentrating instead on Dr. Southwick's horrifying remarks about "electrocution."

The Dark Side of Electricity! American Dentist Claims He Can Invent an "Electric Chair" to Execute Humans!

Light and Death: The Two Faces of Electricity!

The report detailed the demonstration and quoted extensively from Southwick's vision of the "electric chair," its tone filled with unease.

They even invited power experts to popularize knowledge about electricity to the public.

The public reaction in Paris was intense!
For ordinary citizens, "electricity" has always been associated with light and the dazzling effects that will soon appear in the comedy theater.

Electricity represents progress, safety, and modern civilization.

However, Southwick's demonstrations and statements revealed the destructive power of electricity.

In the café, people began to discuss the dangers of electricity with great concern.

"Have you seen the news? That American said electricity can kill people!"

"That's terrifying! I thought electric lights were much safer than gas lamps yesterday..."

"The newspaper said that the electricity from a light bulb won't kill you!"

"If those electrical wires in the theater were to leak electricity... God, just thinking about it sends chills down my spine!"

"Hey, you're right about that. Apparently, the reaction after being shocked is 'numbness all over the body'!"

"That's still better than gas lamps, which cause fires every year due to gas leaks."

"Have you forgotten the fire at the Nice theater? My God, more than 60 people died, and that's just the number of bodies..."

……

In the study of his apartment at 117 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Lionel spread several newspapers with Southwick news on his desk and laughed.

Unexpectedly, this American actually did a large-scale popular science education on "electricity" for himself.

After the fire at the Nice theater, electric lights were portrayed as a symbol of safety, and he had to painstakingly revise the ending of "Thunderstorm".

He changed the manner of Antoine and Fanny's deaths from accidentally touching a faulty wire in the original story to being crushed to death by a collapsing manor pillar on a stormy night.

This is the kind of news you see in newspapers these days.

While this modification avoids the jarring effect of "electrocution" in the context of "safety lights," it feels too abrupt.

Compared to the more symbolic electrocution death in the original work, the sense of tragic inevitability of fate has been greatly weakened.

Lionel has already planned to change the ending again, this time to have the character die from electrocution, once electricity becomes widespread.

Now, the situation is different.

Southwick's demonstration and remarks effectively gave Parisians a forced lesson on the dangers of electricity.

Despite the unpleasant process, one objective outcome is that the public is now able to understand and believe that "electricity" is deadly enough.

The reasons given for revising the script before no longer apply.

Moreover, Lionel astutely realized that the electrocution of "Antoine" and "Fanny" would inevitably spark another round of heated discussions, essentially riding the wave of popularity.

He had to revise the script again and change the ending back!
The premiere on May 5th was destined to be anything but peaceful...

　Alfred Porter Southwick (May 18, 1826 – June 11, 1898) was a steamship engineer, dentist, and inventor from Buffalo, New York. He is celebrated for inventing the electric chair as a legal method of execution. He was also a professor at the University at Buffalo School of Dentistry (now the State University of New York at Buffalo).

　　In 1881, Alfred Southwick conceived the idea of ​​electrocution after hearing a story of a drunken man touching an electrified generator. Given how quickly the man died, the Quaker Southwick concluded that electricity could serve as a more humane alternative to hanging. His first application of this phenomenon was helping to invent a method for euthanizing stray dogs at the Buffalo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, but less than a year later, he published his ideas for using this method for execution in a scientific journal. Because Southwick was a dentist and accustomed to performing surgery on subjects in a chair, his electric execution device took the form of the "electric chair."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)