New-York daily tribune., 1858-06-29
FROM BOSTON.

From Our Own ConespooGent
BOsToN June 26, 1883.
James Mckee, OF MeGee-it matters not which
was banged yesterday in the large octagona ares in
the center of Boston jail. Some three or four hun
dred people witnessed the cruel and bnbarous
spectacle, and the prisoners in the jsi though not
witnesses, were within bearing of the drop. 1t Is
difficult to understand the prn ;ips upon which
these affairs are managed in Massachusetts.
good mary years sgo the Legislature, having so Tar
progressed ID the path of civiizaton IS to come 10
the conclusion that public executions made many
more criminals than they frightened or converted
abolished them and they have for several years past
taken place in the jail.yards. But in most cases
there have been opportunities to witness Inc pro-
ceediDps from houses in the nclghD0rh0od SO,
Sheriff Clark, in making his arrangements Tor tne
execution of McKee, excluded altogether tue pun
lie and confined the pleasures and the Dement'S VI
the occasion to as many invited guests as ne couiu
accommodate If he has occasion to hang another
man it is to he hoped that he will admit
only the legal witnesses required by law, and so
MANY Others as are needed for the proper carrying
out of the sentence aud warrant The reporters OF
the press ought also 10 be excluded. 1t might per-
hans be well for the Sheriff and the physicians 10
give official notice the next morning that the cup1
had been duly disposed of, but there should DC no
!
To carry out the purpose of the Legislature If tue
other theory that OF the benefits Oi publicity Is To
! prevail then of course the execution should De
! upon the Common, where the greatest numoer OF
spectators could be- accommodated. One Principie
or the other should prevail, and not compromise
| between the two. 1t Is OF but little USE however
TO demand consistency On this subject The Whole
system of capital punishment is a budget OF ncon-
sistencies. The chief prop of the gaows Is the
Bible argument in its favor. But for this, II would
have been chopped down aud burned long ago. But
this argument wOu.d require every man who com
mils murder 10 be hanged for 1t. In ttct, not
one 10 ten suffers the extreme penalty. ne hu-
manty and common sense OF The people VIII not
tolerate more than hanging IN two or three years
And the worst of il is the yllest and most danger
Gus criminals ottentlmes spared While the hss
dangerous ones executed IL IS sometimes
| matter of luck sometimes of compromise, and
sometimes of Difference 10 a supposed popular or
Individual demand in some quarter or other sup
pose that JOKES, who murdered the Jew-peddler at
| Westfeld deserves hanging quite as much as Nc
Kee did. Probably both were insane when they
committed the crime for which they were convicted
Yet il will hardly do TO hang both. Public opinion
in Hampden demanded JOness conviction, but II
does not demand his executions: but pubhc oplhion
among the officers at the State Prison demanded
that Mckee should suier anu suppose that II Was
in Difference 10 Mr.. Warden Hsynes's absurd opln-
ion that he should not be safe if there was com
mutation of the sentence, that the Council aud the
Governor decided upon the issuing ot Warrant IN
McKee's case A coed excuse for delaying the
warrant in Joness case is found IN the state OF his
health. He is said 70 be- fact relapsng into ldiocy
and soon about to die. But this ought to be rea-
son. as between him and Mckee, why they snouid
change places. The comforting example OF an ex'
ecution might be had upon the useless culpnt,
while the stout, strong. hauded might be made TO
serve the State twenty years longer. In the uilli-
tartan view, grea, bunder has been made. Per
haps. however, tie difference in locality has been
the main question considered. Boston, II may De,
needs moral example more than Springfield does,
though the latter has the name OF oeing rather q
"hard" place in some respects, ahd II would seem
that under the prevalent theory, man might be
adyantageOusly hanged there.
Mckee showed nO signs Of confriton, bu. was
wholly Indifferent as 10 his fate. You Will recolect
that be had once been confined in the Insane Hos
pi;al. and that on his first trial the Jury did not
apree-one Of tn .m, Mr. John Fenno OF Chelsea,
not being prepared to pronounce him sane. Al tais
tine there was good deal Of excitement; the
eleven Jurors and Acknowledgement Clifford held
improper Communications With each other, and the
l,tter, teing tlro5n III temporarily from tbe scent