Encore: Electric Chair | Power to the People | 1

On August 6, 1890, a prisoner named William Kemmler became the first man executed in the electric chair. It was designed to be a more humane form of execution, but the gruesome scene in the death chamber that day revealed the device to be anything but.  Behind the story of the electric chair lies another story, involving three titans of innovation—Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse — locked in a desperate fight for control of the future of electricity. Their conflict would take lives, spark scientific advances and revolutionize human existence. Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/innovations. Support us by supporting our sponsors! Pitney Bowes - Go to pb.com/AI to get this special offer for a FREE 30-day trial PLUS a FREE 10 - pound scale to get started. Experience a savings in your shipping costs with a FREE trial of SendPro Online from Pitney Bowes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.