Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-10-27
Public ExecutiOns.

jail It has been proved that public executions have bad effect In England when hanging was the penalty for theft, pickpockets took ad- vantage of the crowds assembled to witness ex- cautions, to pursue their vocation. The scene is often disgusting and always brutalizing. It hardens instead of intimidating those who wit ness it; is often made the subject of jokes and is productive of evil. Such scenes when ren- dered necessary should be witnessed only by few, and all opportunities for theatrical dis play on the part of the criminal should be care- fully avoided The sheriff, clergyman, the necessary guards and few persons as witnes- ses, these and none others should be permitted to be present.
 There is another feature about puuic exe- cutions that is getting quite common. We al- Jude to the religious professions of the culprits on the gallows. We hope and believe that these men die pentent, that they have sincere ly repented of their crimes, and perhaps, God, in His infinite mercy, may have pardoned them; but there is no necessity for public declara- ton of this, no need for feverish, eager avow- al of their pety. We have noticed, lately, that the criminals remarked to the persons present that they felt their sins forgiven, were assured of place in Heaven and died, not like men executed for atrocious crimes, but like martyrs, or good men who were put to death because too righteous to live in this wicked world
 The execution of P. s. Hurley, of Kanawha Va. latel y, caps the climax. He was a preacher. The crime for which he was executed was for murdering his wife, who was a quiet, loving woman, whose only crime was loving such a monster. Hurley confesses that she never gave him cause of offence, yet he murdered her and sunk her body in the river. The stone or rock with which he sunk her. was found to be notch- ed so as to prevent the rope from slipping One end of the rope was tied around her neck. For this he was tried, convicted and sentenced to be hung. On the day of execution the con- demned seemed resolved to have scene of dramatic interest. He insisted upon all his family going to the place of execution, and be- cause his two eldest children, who were girls, were not permitted to go to the scaifold, he whined that 1t was hard that he could not have his last wish gratified. There were 5000 per sons present at the gallows. Here commenced a scene at once solemn and disgusting. Hurley spoke for three quarters of an hour in self laudatory style. He forgvae everybody and asked every body to forgive him, went through the usual statement that his sins were forgiven and that he expected to go at once to Heaven, and in fact, demonstrated that he was too good a man to live. He then requested that pop ular hymn should be sung, joined in it, and while singing commenced shaking hands and embracing his relatives, only pausng once to say "farewel'' to his aged father and mother After the singing, he very melo- dramatically told the sheriff that he was ready to die. Just as the sheriff descended the steps, Hurley ex- claimed "Cut the rope quick aud let me go to Jesus"
 Now, all this may have been very earnest and very solemn, the repentance may have been very sincere and Hurley may have gone to a better world But we doubt the morality of these displays--doubt the result of their teach ings. Here was man who, for no reason whatever, but from a depraved heart, deliberate ly murders his own wife; who confesses to a catalogue of crimes which he says would have been longer but he could not remember those that ha committad ,vhan drupk ,ybicb u,ao ,,or,, often; who was a professed minister of God and whose whole life had been one of hypocrcv dying triumphantly, in the certainty of immor- tai happiness, while the honest man, whose life has been unstained by crime, whose record has been clear, approaches the portals of the tomb with dread and feels that his salvation will not be due to any merit of his but to the goodness of the all-merciful God
 If these things are to be received as true, people will begin to think that the surest road to heaven is to start from the gallows, and to be happy hereafter it will be necessary to cut somebody's throat, drown wife or commit some other terrible crime.
 We write this in no irreverent spirit--we are willing to believe that these men are ip earnest, but we deprecate these public exhibi tions of them. When it becomes necessary for the law to take the life of a fellow mortal, let it be done quietly--give him time for repen- tance, benefit of clergy, and do away with these feverish meo- dramatic exhibitions that are productive of so much evil and calculated to bring religion into contempt.