Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-11-16
MUSIC AT THE soAFroLp.

Public executions in q portion Of this
country are becoming luxurious. It is
not very long since o murderer, in the
State of New York, we believe, who
was condemned to suffer tho most ex-
IRENE penalty Of the law, was assisted,
by a humane Sheriff, to leave this tran.
STORY scene whilst be was in a delirium
of intoxication, produced by the admin.
istration of chloroform. 1t was urged,
in favor of this sympathetic movement,
that the law merely directed that the
criminal should lose his life in expiation
Of his o~ffeuse, but that it was not or
dered that he should be keeuly sensitive
TO the terrible realities Of his situation
up to the moment of execution. We
believe that the example Of the humane
Sheriff, who executed his duties by The
anas,he,ic process, was not approved
by the Governor Of the State, and pos
,ibly the practice of making criminals
drunk before they are executed will be
discontinued.
A New Hampshire convict, who was
to be executed at Concord or the 9th of
November, had harmonious tastes. An
exchange paper says that che desires
that his execution shall be accompanied
With strains of sweet music. He ex-
poets tina, the solace Of melody will
| soothe his last moments; that while
standing in dreadful suspense upon the
scsrold, ~piuioued, blindfolded, and
ready for the last act of the drama,
sweet voices will cheer him in the dread
moment, and that his last sensation will
be pleasant. Perhaps no one will blame
this man for the exhibition of such de-
sires. The satisfaction of his will, the
qualification OF his passions, have been
the moving principles of his life. lie
perpetrated a bloody and terrible muir
der in satisfaction of his W desires.
| Since the soul Of his victim was sent
prematurely to his Maker, without no.
ticc, without time for preparation for
eternity, and without the accompanying
solace Of soft strains OF music, the muir
derer has been the recipient of mary
favors."
The fact that he was a remorseless
monster has commended him particu-
larl, to the interested attentions Of
many persons who consider themselves
benevolent and just. His physical wants
have been attended to. He was assisted
in making the best defense that could
be adopted in order to relieve him from
liabilit, to tho penalties Of the law.
His prison hours were soothsd by SYM
pathetic visits from humane persons.
| Delicacies have been at his command,
daintiss have been conveyed to him,
bouquets, and perhaps %wreaths, have
lent grace to his cell, and psrfumed the
atmosphere which he breathed. A
quartette Of young ladies has, with un-
releutin. care, mingled its voices in
pleasing accord, so that distressing
thoughts might be banishcd from his
breast. In short, to use q phrase quite
as significant in New Hampshire as any
whore else, everything has been dono
to render him comfortable" His prison
hours have been among the most cheer
full Of his life, and he only goes a little
further than other criminals in asking
that his closing moment, may be like
those Of a babe, sang to sleep by q
pleasing lullaby. tits a mistaken idea
that methods like this can be beneficial
to society. Punishment is Intended to
make crime detestable and to deter is
commissions by every means calculated
to affect the mind. When we render
punishment attractive by compliments,
by attention, by flowers and by music,
we cease to make tho perpetratiou OF
crime terrible. We encourage its COM
mission because we teach the viciously
inclined that crime has its reward in
sympathy, succor, and such ministra-
tons as make the consequences Of sin
seem to be pleasant.