New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-08-14

| ing strangled at intervals till death. That
it is SO is even more reprehensible than
incredible, and we are of those who think
that business had better be abandoned
than not we'll followed It is the only
calling in which practice seems never to
make perfect, and there must be some in
applicable wrong about it when such is
the case. -L
The difficulty, as we see it, lies IN the
fact that hanging is not pursued as a hne
art. There is hardly any act the proper
performance of which does not involve
the principles of art. Murder in the
hands of innumerable amateurs has been
in this respect greatly refined. Yet,
much awkwardness still remains in that
as an exercise of skill. Its improvement,
however, has almost kept pace with its
increase, while the most advanced class Of
these artists is the .felo de Sc. We are at a
loss to determine when SO many are found
who choke themselves to death by means
Of rope, no better probably than that in
the public use, with undeniable capacity,
so few become proficient in choking
other people. 1t may be that
the felon who proposes to execute
only himself has opportunities for ex-
pertinent which are not attainable by
others. There are other considerations,
as if man hang himself he has right
to indulge in as much torture as he may
think wholesome, or as his taste ap-
proves; while the unwilling victim, whose
death is not his own contribution to So
ciety, has right to be choked under rules
that embrace the highest principles Of
which the act is susceptible, considered
as fine art. The evils of incapable Jack
Ketches are as many and grieyous as Of
incapable Executives, By both are juries,
always incompetent in the nature of
things, rendered more incompetent by
tasking their ignorance with considera-
tons that do not concern them, and in
viting caprice. to join with their other
melancholy vices.
The late instance of the bungling and
inartistic strangling Of Reynolds at the
Toon,Js in New York, few weeks ago,
gave rise to some sign Of improvement in
one branch, we are happy to say, of the
execution of John Real on the fifth in
slant It was confined, however, to the
mere choking; Johns neck was broken,
as it had right to be, and his death was
instantaneous, in which the real efficacy
of hanging consists. The Sheriff, having
been measuredly ashamed of his work in
the Reynolds case, changed his hangman,
Rosenburg for Robert Simpson, in the
work of stopping Reals unlawful breath
ing. But, as whole, improvement in
the work was questionable owing, to an
excess of bungling in the matter Of the
cap, which, to relieve the choking from
the quality of murder and make it law
full, should have covered Reals face, as it
did not, rendering the spectacle horrible
and shocking to the last degree; the
details being too disgusting to relate. AS
the gallows where this performance took
place was the venerable one in use during
the past twenty years in that famous Jail
yard, and the still more venerable Robert
Simpson answered, as to age, to about
seventy years, one can hardly see why
this choking was not pleasantly and cred
itably done. 1t must be difficult calling
in which so many advantages are sunk in
so shameful a denoament. The whole
trouble, however, will be found, as we have
described, in the lack of measures re-
quired to pursue hanging strictly as an
art, under State auspices. 1t should be
so done or abandoned. With this view
we recommend extending this pleasing
ceremony to the whole calendar Of Grim
inal offenses, constituting school, to be
under the control of artists provided by
law. Let US have the highest skill and
the utmost proficiency in putting men to
death by all means If SO done, every
one must approve it.