"The Electric Executioner" by H.P. Lovecraft with Adolphe de Castro

This story was written by Adolphe de Castro in 1891 and subsequently revised by Lovecraft in 1930 before being published in Weird Tales.

Some racial language in this one that was in common use a century ago but not so nice to use now. Ah well, it's a historical text, and I am not going to modify it, just know that the language used is the author's own and naught to do with me.

The reference to the president's private car makes the modern reader initially think of a limousine or Rolls Royce similar luxury vehicle. But you need to remember the story is set in 1889, and was written in the 1890s, so no, by "car", the author means train car, not an automobile. Funny thing how use of words changes over time like that!

The picture used is the interior of a Pullman train car, from the Chicago Historical Society. Upholstered seats that face each other, in a first class train car, as described in the text. Fancy! Of course, the Pullman Company was an American company, not a European one, but clearly they made "European style" train cars, so that's what you get. It was hard enough finding pics of old-time first class train cars with upholstered back-to-back seats, so just gotta go with whatever can be found.

To follow along: https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/ee.aspx