A flip of a switch, a blink of an eye… death can come that quickly. As mortals, we all wish for that to be our case, blissfully devoid of our own suffering or the suffering of others who will painfully watch our final days.

Death by electrocution is usually quick, but not necessarily painless. The muscles of the body contract in wracking spasms and control of bodily functions is lost. The smell of singed flesh and burning hair permeate the room – certainly unpleasant for those the deceased left behind.

In the United States, the process of electrification took several decades. Its proponents believed it was imminently safer and more reliable than oil lanterns and gaslights. Its opponents questioned its safety, and newspaper accounts were rife with stories of accidental electrocutions as well as intentional executions.

Archibald “Sparky” Thompson was involved in electrifying homes and businesses across broad swaths of Pennsylvania and Maryland. At one time, he worked for Thomas Edison, but was dismissed after a series of pranks backfired. Venturing out on his own, death seemed to follow his work from city to city. Was Sparky responsible, or was he an unwitting accomplice to someone else’s evil deeds?

“I have read what happens to men who are sent to the electric chair. It is supposed to be quick and painless. One flip of a switch and ‘zap!’ it’s done.”

“It’s not quite that glamorous, young man. First, the man is strapped to the chair at the chest, wrist, and ankles. He’s already had a monk’s tonsure shaven into his head; a wet sponge is placed over the shaved area and a metal cap is strapped over that. Then his bare feet are put in a shallow metal pan with just enough warm water to cover his feet. The warm water usually results in a yellow puddle forming under the chair.”

“You’re scaring me… please stop.”

“That flip of a switch you described… when it happens, the man received a jolt of a thousand lightning bolts all at once. He’s dead in less than thirty seconds. I will spare you the rest of the details on what happens to a person’s body when it is electrocuted. I've seen that happen often enough... It should be enough to tell you to be careful around electricity and never allow water and electricity within a yard of each other.”

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