The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-01-28
Chlorofotrn in IinnItin;ts.

Chloroform or ether is used to relieve
pain in almost every operation where It can
be Of service. not alone in surgery, dentist.
ry, but even in burglary, where the appli.
cation of sponge to the nose spares the
victim the unavailing anguish Of witnessing
the loss OF his property. But one Of the
most sensible applications Of an1thetic
agents, and one which would save the com.
lnunity from such terrible exhibitions Of
the fear Of death us characterized the exc.
cution of Donnelly, is here suggested in the
Musical World, a paper edited by R. s..
Willis:
"AIl the music We can hear will not BAN
ish from our minds the horrible conscious
ness that the hangman's work 10 busiIy going
on just now--it will not stfe in our ear the
death.rattleof strangled men who are per-
ishing on the scAffold. The day appointed
for the execution Of human being 10 al
ways bitter one to us-chieAy. perhaps
because the execution seems so very cold~
blOoded. OF course, executions must be.
We cannot all be garroted and shot and
mangled in the public streets. But our
mind; while admitting the Necessity oil
blood for blood, and declining It fortunate,
withal, for the public veal that the Gov
ernor's par6oning power is not invested in
ourselves, cherished kind of fixed idea as
to possible thitigation Of physical suffer
ing, which shall be quite compatible with
the strictest exactions OF justice.
What the community requires 10 the l.tt
of the culprit-is it not! 1t does not de-
mand O certain amount of accompanying
agony and torment. We are not Spanish
nquisiters, nor sepoys. We wish simply
to put poor wretch aside; in order that Ior
this world, and to the view, and to the det
riment OF his fellow creatures, he may be
mo more.
But why not do this mercifuHyl VIII
couple with the taking of life an amount o
tormen, in the life taking not nj eessaryiy in
volved in the sentence nor required for TIT
ends of Justice! Modern science had dis
covered blessed opiate for physical suf-
fering-even for that prolonged strangin!
when the knot unfortunately slips arount
to the back Of the nesk, or the cord catcher
The w.etch SboVe Instead Of below tn
AudW oPPie'
For ali such contingencies. as fof an
coningenGS, chlorotorm and ether are o
hand. Let the black cap be an ether cap
Torment not the poor wretch even with
sight Of his scufold. Let him, in the de.
cent privacy OF his cell, murmur his las
prayer and bid 6nal adieu to the light O
this world-let him there receive the conso
lations of ab-olhtibh, or heur the last wor
Of prayed for forgiveness Then, on hi
couch let this image Of his Maker find shel
ter rott1 inpending suffering in the fore
shsdowed uarknesl Of teath, and let his frs
consciousness; after the black cap is draw
over him. be in that dread Hereafter int
which he has been painlessly ushered.
But If not IN his celh and il dyin
speeches al~a5s mu:! be trade. AID the bit
ter cold of winter, w!!ic!t vvidly anticipate
to the wtetch his dea,licliill, tiost often b
endured--at least when tho 'lime is up le
chair support him, whiis the bldtk ca
brings to him that Blessed oblivion, whic
will last him through the dark passaEe.
No longer, then, let us, Shylock lik'
practically insist upon the blood and tn
pound OF flesh both-let us be content wit
the forfeited life, and mercifully remit tn
agony" ,'-ae,