Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-10-29
A mournt,l record.

In the Report Of The physician Of the Stlte
Prison, Or. En-. +. PHELPs, which may be
found in the Annual Report of orr excellent
Auditor, made at the opening Of oar present ses-
sion of the Legislature, we tini the subjoined
thrilling and painful record. We commend it.,
with serious earnostncss, TO the notice of those
who deem themselves especially called to the
work OF procuring the abolition of Capital Pun
i'hmert. In our Judgment it furnishes sim.
pie yet solemn argument, that is calculated to
overthrow volume of humlne and philan,hrop-
&c thcorizIng and 10 establish the kuliaAilg and
wisdom, 10 less than the Justice. of the Divine
law that certain modern relormcrs are in such
hot haste 10 amend. 1t is impossible, we i'm
agine, to read the uuprctcndipg yet impressive
aud eloquent o0iria} narrative below. and resist
the conviction that the law upon our Statute
book to which we are indebted for it. so far from
being an enactment of true humanity and JUS
tce, is refinement Of cruelty and TORTURE
1t is idle, and worse,t than idle, to say that we
have no right to take the life of IA human be.
ing; the reply of DR.. PHELrs, which his mel
anchoy record supplies, is conclusive we
have no right to DESTROY HIS INTELLECT. and
send him at length into 4" eternity an idiot or a
maniac" And it is equally idle 10 say tia, tbq
case Of the miserable fellow, Clifford. i. an
anomalous one, 1t evolves no new princinle
" Examination after death -. saws his able pbv,
stefan, "revcalcd tuberclcs in the LUNGS. and
in almost all the abdominal viscera in fact ms
Tie me Paiio'ogirai condition ,cas f5mla To eris
as is seen in he riM animals that die.Rtheir ca
ges after tong conGHemem." Is this humanity
The following is the extract alluded to -
One other death includes the whole catalorne Of
mortality Tor thr past year. Elgcue Clifford under
sentence OF DEATH expired on the liIh of April 1877
| The cas- oi tins man BEING peculiar requires some
remark. Tie had been IN confinement nearly ton,
years, excluded Tor the whole ct that period from So
cirty, exercise, and nearly from light Thus stunned
both body anl mind sunk together; he came to nri
SON stout, athletic man, in the prime of life, nil hi.
activities in iuil exercise from strong passions an,
impulses, and from thr day that the door OF hs ciyl
grave closed upon him, his course was directly down
wards to that phl slcul one, the lot of ALL Ills ras,
furnishes an exception to man in general of whom,
is said it is given 10 him 10 die but the rItnr
unate Clifford met with double death an n,.lIectna
and a physical death.
| Ii has been my duty 10 watch the hrnlth If tl,i
lm1u for the whole period of his sooum in this nnrr
and can speak without any hesitation of I'm. rI,nu,,
he underwent his intellect, when he came bri,.
was unnpalred he grncmily admitted ms quill !,
me- but thought himself Justified lie even sought a
uneS, tor lew months, To get some influence, from
abroad used in his behalf Ii was then sunno.,l ,h"
by the law Inc would 81 necessity be cxeciit,d ~, ii,
end OF the year from The passing OF his scnlrn,e In,
'"'l an interpretation was given to the law i,n 10
Gently passed. That the Governor did not feel hinIscl