New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-02-05
Cnpitnl Punishment.

The feeling of opposition TO Capital Punishment
is extending-a fact OF which our exchanges
daily bring US evidence. The Long-1sland Farmer
and Advertiser has the following FOR a leader
There is lust now very strong feeling in favor of try
ing The experiment Of doing without the uao"s, ehu
seeing If get along better win some otner
amusement for capital offences we tnlns tnat HI mus
sgree that something should be done in the matter II
man steals loaf OF bread feed starving child ne Is
purish1d and properly is secETe cr season oJ ms con-
nnement: hut in murderers are not Only IN
punished, but are lett at large TO repeat Tue oIsGce
tbev please We told that the fault IS with Jures
who will not convict, Grant il, but II u not true OF Of
fences when the punishmeut is not death TGey 90 not
hesitate when the punishment is imprisonment for a
month or for life The difficulty then Is. that they VIII
not convict while the punishment Is DEATH let 1t pc
changed to imprisonment for life without the power to
srdon We take human nature as II Is and Jures
rs thew are drawn All that It is more safe
for society that murderers be confined than that he run
at large rs At present. We think that the conservative
portion OF the people the friends of law and order should
favor the change that lava may ne observed and the
guilty punished If public opinion is opposed to taxing
human life punishment and murderers thus get
c,aar common prudence and the well being of society
REQUIRES that that opinion should be observed II Is rs
unwse to be too far behind the spirit OF the age as to be
too far in advance.
To US il seems that tie question il not whether the
death penalty is RICH. or wrong but whether the muir
derers shall be punished at all Those who have studied
with attention the subject agree that society Will I've
more safe by aboshng the Gallows and NJ any rate
will safe the experiment anu II II npt
with the desired result will be easy TO restore II
should be remembered TINT several governments OF cu-
rome have abolished Capital Punishment and mat II has
uniformly been followed by decrease OF murders we
COW not word n the sacredness of the right TO take
human life because various opinions are entertained
upon those subjects, and think the question may be
settled By the simple one OF expectancy ana Pocy.
CURIOUS EFFECTS OF WATER.-A late number
of the Water Journal among variety OF interest
ing matter contains article on the Effects OF water
in Intoxcaiop founded very remarkable case re-
lated by Dr. Curre in his Narrative published hty years
apo The facts ascertaned 10 be thorough ex-
animation occurred at Barbados and thus stated
I" A gentleman of this island whose name was Weeks.
prea yoarv of Bacchus in the practice FROM fifteen
TO twenty years. of punglng into cold water Wheu ne
rose from HE bottle, and actually going 70 sleep IN
trough full of with his head supported on Hnu
of wooden pillow made for the purpose, above the sur
face When he dined abroad, and had not me convent
cnce of his trough he used TO strip OH ns coat
wastcoa and shirt and SIT exposed IN the open ' ana
in that situation to sleep whether 1t raned or not
And sometimes he and bathed in the nearest ad-
Joining pond to which he generally required assistance
to be conveyed. The effect of this practice was thst IN
stead of experiencing debility, lassliude heao.ache ana
nausea be found himself awaking, cheerful snd re-
fcshed and free from a the effects OF intoXlcetion In
tho year 1852 dining Gay abroad he got alternately
drunk and sober tnree several times before midnight
each time recovering his aobriey by mmcrsing himself
and sleeping in cold and on awakening returning
&c the comY any The last nlc alter supper he was so
immoderately intoxicated that he insisted on his COM
napiops undressing him and carrying him themselves to
the pond. They carried him accordingly IN CHAR. and
set him up the chin in water where he continued up.
wards of an hour. person supporting h'n han ths
last circumstance from gentleman. one vi the party
whose veracily may be entirely depended on.
AT home however. he used, as have already men,
toned trough made for the purpose with bench in
it as pillow having been nearly drowned when sleep
ing in his pond from tho negro. who was appointed 10
watch him. having himself feilen asleep In this watery
bed he would Sleep one, two three even more hours
experiencing always the greatest rereshment His wife
and family when they wished him to change his quar-
ters used draw the plug and let the wafer run OIL
when he awoke and humorously complained oil the loss
of mis- bed clothcs. AZ length this expedient began to
lose its effects III rousing him. and one tune he continued
to sleep in his empty trough In consequence OF this he
seized with extreme rgors aud ch!s followed by
fever attack of rheumatism, which affected him long
time AID made rim Gcsist from the practice IN future
But to the end Of his life he in The habit Of sitting
when intoxicated wG his clothes open aud sometimes
quite naked, exposed to the wind ana RAIN This extra
ordinary character died OF apopeSy ubout three weeks
ago, aged sxty-threc.
On this remarkable case Dr. Shew makes some obscr-
vations which would copy length but fox want
of room He defines intoXicaton considered in refer
ence 10 its effects the body state of fever caused
by the stimulus drank and maintains that water s the
greatest cbrifugc cooling agent in nature In many
cases of drunkenness where man cannot walk or re-
member long enough to speak sentence through
remedy may be found in good shower BATH The man
above referred enabled to endure the cod pain
in OF the unnatural heat generated by the
alcohol but he was thereby enabled to endure IA
tigue on the contrary he was disposed to sleep Ioa
well man it would have been exceedingly dangerous to
lie thus in water but the drunkard able to endure
on accoun, the extraordinary amount OF heat in his
system Such in substance is Dr.. Shew theory. The
facts are certainly very curious.