New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-08
METHODS or EXECUTION.

Their, are six men awaiting execution IN the
! State Of Mainc-a circumstance which naturally
gives rise there To considerable discussion OF
the spccdicst easiest, and most gcnteel methods
of uniting n convict to death according 10 law
! The gallows, il is admitted, is a me-honored
institution, and the halter is sure to kill, II not
by cervical fracture, ut least by strangulation,
unless it happens to break, ms sometimes it will
in spite of every precaution on the part of
| Mr.. Ketch; but it has dawned upon the Down
East mind. in view of half-a-dozen Approximate
| ing executions that death by beheading may
be pcasantcr thnn death 10y congestion of the
BRAIN 10y snffocation, or by dislocation of the
upper ycrtebral joints. Speculation upon this
interesting question is naturally pursued ut n
great disadvantage. for the reason that death
dcpriycs rs of the testimony of those who could
speak tn the point from personal experience.
Fontenellc. a French writer of good authority.
tells the story of Il man who was hall-hung III
his time; the rope broke, and there was talk,
according to some old custom, of pardoning
the criminal. To the establishment of every
body, he insisted upon being instantly suspend
ed again. IIo avcued that the sensation was
delicious, and that he never enjoyed himself
half so much in living as he did in the dying
which accident iudcly interrupted. We repeat
the tale for the benefit of the Mime philoso-
pliers, who are in favor of substituting the
guillotine for the gallows. The idea is that de-
capitaton is not a painful process, and "A gull
| lotne might also be worked by steam after the
manner of pile-driver. The last-namtd adj
vantage we cheerfully admit, if we may be
allowed to he cheerful while writing upon the
subject at all but who knows how much u be-
headed man suffers after he becomes acepba-
lous When the executioncr slapped the check
of poor Charlotte Corday, as he held her head
up to be seen of the people, the legend is that
the check blushed; and the French surgeons
we believe, are by no means sure that the head
does not suffer after it has been severed from
the body. These facts must be embarrassing
to mild minded admirers of capital punish
ment The garrote, however, is still left. We
have never conversed with any person who had
been garroted, and can offer, therefore, no
available testimony upon the subject, but we
can conceive of no specdier method of destroy
ing the nerves Qf sensation. There are various
WAYS of putting criminals to death practiced in
the East, and perhaps it would be well for the
Government to send commission to that part
of the world, to make observations, and to re-
turn with valuable practical suggestions
Since the doctrine of hanging for the sake Of
example has been exploded rs % moral fallacy,
and the main object of executions now is TO
rid society of those members of whom it is
afraid, it is question whether it would not be
more humane, and what is of greater impor-
lance, more convenient, to employ some of the
most active and virulent poisOns which might
bo secretly administered in the prisoners soup
care being taken to have n clergyman present
to say grace over thei pottage before it is car
ried into the cell. If this plan were adopted
strychnia and morphine would become excel
| lent auxiliaries of justice 1t may be urged
that this would be taking of the victim un-
prepared, butldoesl 1.-THE gallows now wait for
the regeneration of the fclon7 When Barna-
dine in the play is requested "to rise and be
"put to DEATH" he pleads that a. he has been
drinking all night. and is not fit for it - and
the Duke allows that
- transport him in the mind hois.
We're damnable."
Such may have been the opinion at that
time in Vienna, but such is by no means the
present opinion in the United States. The
Governor fixes the day, and however behind
hand the culprit may be in his spiritual cult
tyation, he must leave all unfinished, and 40
mt the supreme hour fixed upon. Moreover, il
il life that the law wants, not days Of agOn-
izing apprehension, not nights of distempered
drcams, not despair tlazily clutching at the