The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-13
The Hanging Question = The other Side

To the Editor Of The Evening Telegraph:
In the article headed "MaHklsh Sensibihty
for Murderers,7 in your issue OF yesterday, you
ask, "Do either the records of the case or the
state of society authorize Executive clemency'
in the case OF George s. Twitchell, Jr.? As one
who claims TO be one of 'the law-abiding people
of Philadelphia" l answer Yes, both the
records Of the case and the state OF society
demand the exercise OF Executive clemency in
the Of Twitchell as well as in that OF Gerald
Eaton. In the latter case, am told there are
grave doubts that he killed Heenan; doubts
entertained by those who labored hardest to
convict him. If so, you surely would not urge
that he be executed while one reasonable doubt
was entertained of his guilt by those who pro
secuted him7 With the facts in the case of
Twitchell 1 am familiar and in this case
desire 10 sustain the action OF those ministers
you so strongly condemn. You say "the gentle
and harm less are asking for the respite of their
own enemies !" that ''there is no Christianity in
this.n No Christianity In doing good to ones
enemies; striving to save the life OF Que doomed
to ole Christ said, 'Love your enemes,n and
to me 1t seems these clergymen are carrying out
the precepts Of their Divine Master by dong
ju.twh you call the most 'preseminent of all
their misjudged actions."
l appeal to you as a pubic teacher-re-
sronsible to large extent Tor the mighty
power called public sent,nent--does the record
of this case show that "wilful, deliberate, and
premed,tated killing" which is necessary to con-
stitute murder OF the first degree? II TWltchell
did 1t in sudden passions; that after hard
words, in which Mrs. Hill told him sue
had lost all confidence in him, he struck her
the fatal blow, without really designing to kill
stuIg by remorse and halt frightened out OF bis
wits, he srove by those wounds and bruises
! to conceal his guilt. In my opinion.
he ad nss N this 80 vea nSt f00% avn sassnSea
teme OF the Oldest and abest lawyers of the
| Philadelphia Bar. Again, there is bare posi-
| billty that he did not kill MIR. Hill. True, you
have the opinion of twelve men; but juries and
JUDGES have often been mistaken. ana innocent
| men have been put to death in consequence.
We are told that Twitchell spends much of mis-
time in pray er, reading The Blole, and in reli-
gious exercises; that through the efforts of his
spiritual adviser he is a Christian man nov.
whether he did or did not kill Mrs. Hill; that he
Is prepared for the soc ETY. of saints, etc. Yet
crime tor which he is about TO suffer
death. II he is prepared to die-lf he is truly
converted, as is claimed-he not only
tells the truth, but he ought to be let out OF
prison by Governor Geary at once. THIS city,
according to your own sho wing, needs the
living example OF Christian men more than ever
before; and If lie ls a Christian man, we need
him as missionary, aud the Governor should
not permit his execution. You say the "old
Mosaic doctrine" sis not obsolete" but its
practical necessity is daily felt;" that 'any
relaxation OF IL would endanger the innocent
| Yet under this Mosaic dispensation you admit
| that "Never before have so great a number Of
murders been committed" !" and that it seems 10
| you "as though ou lived in London one hum
dred years ago." Is 1t not time Tor us to fGrsake
| Moses and turn our attention to Christ? Is 1t
OF best to be guided by the lamp OF experience? |?
| am satisfied that so long as clergymen Qike
| the OIL who, in to-day's TELEGRAPH, endorsed
| yonr editorial which am crltlclzng) and edi.
tors will teach the people the superiority of the
laws OF Moses 10 those of Jesns, CRIME will
continue to increase and murders will much
| more abound. But statistics. philosophy, aud
| Christianity all agree that while we should pro-
| tect society. we should not destroy human
| lie; that criminals should be reformed, not
killed: and that in proportion as the law oflove
| supersedes the law of retaliation will society
| become wiser and better, and crimes of all
grades be diminished. Yours, verv truly,
DAMON Y. KILaoRE.
Philadelphia, March 10, 1869.