Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!software.mitel.com!grayt
From: grayt@Software.Mitel.COM (Tom Gray)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: HELP!
Keywords: AC, DC
Message-ID: <6151@healey>
Date: 23 Jan 91 13:14:40 GMT
References: <1991Jan19.075940.26652@zoo.toronto.edu> <55124@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> <230@bug.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada.
Lines: 35

In article <230@bug.UUCP> stevef@bug.UUCP (Steven R Fordyce) writes:
}In article <55124@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> visjames@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu writes:
}>In article <1991Jan19.075940.26652@zoo.toronto.edu>, henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) writes...
}...
}>>charged with assault is a much more serious nuisance.  Laying physically
}>>dangerous traps for trespassers -- which is more or less what you're
}>>proposing, with the nature of the trespass being a little unusual -- is
}>>highly illegal, regardless of provocation.  Use of deadly or potentially
}>>deadly force in self-defence is legal only when you have immediate reason
}>>to fear death or maiming.  We're talking years in prison here.
}>
}>   Wrong-o.  If it's wired properly it should severly shock the person and
}>throw them back from the window.  These are AC systems.  The onces that kill
}>are DC systems.
}
}Guess again.  It is current through the body that kills.  It makes no
}difference whether it is AC or DC, just that there is enough voltage to get
}the current to flow through the body.
}

The first electric chair was used in New York state. At the time there were
competeing electric distribution systems AC (George Westinghouse) and
DC (Thomas Edison). Neither company wanted to discredit their system
by supplying the equipment for the executon device. Edison lobbied hard
for the use of the AC system and not his DC system. Westinghouse
refused to supply the AC system even though New York had selected it.
Eventually New York was able to obtained used Westinghouse AC
equipment and performed the execution.

AC kills.

The only person who showed any dignity in the whole affair was the
executee. The loobying to show up the opponents equipment as
dangerous was to say the least disingenuous. By the way, the
executee was an axe murderer.