New-York tribune., 1873-06-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
ELECTRICITY As A MEANS or.ExEcUuoy.

| ELECTRICITY AS A MEANS oF.EXECUIION.
! To the EdftOr OF The Tribune.
| SIR Since the discussion OF the question OF
capital punishment and its methods has thoroughly
aroused your constituency OF readers 10 the SUBJECT per-
NIT to again TO a method proposed and adYo-
| Gated by me in The TRIBUNE in 1861 Every argument
for the use OF chlOrOOrm which was so ably presented
by Prof wilder In your issue Of May 81 applies to the
method propose, and submit that capital punish
men is TO be confined, every interest OF humanity ana
Of" artistic effect" is better subserged by this method
than by any other Among all the methods used or pro-
posed IN civilized nations for the putting to death OF
criminals Il is astonishing that this has not in-
stanty occurred TO all who have ever regarded the
question in the light Of humanity instead OF saYagery
II simply death by electricity. In practical apphca
| ton, there be nothing more simple ana nOthihg
more certain. Many OF careful experiments have
proved yond the shadow Of "A doubt that death by
this means is absolutely instantaneous and absolutely
painless Ii IS simply the killing OF man Dya stroke OF
lightning, only the lightning IA generated aud contI0Hed
by scientific methods. man who dies by this means
does not stir muscle, and does not feel sensation
The nervous system is instantly and completely para
lyzed and every vital function IA an instant ended
There is an entire absence Of every one OF the revolving
| and ghastlv mutilatous and distortions inseparaby
connected with other modes Of execution IL Is not
deued that death by hanging may De lhhcted III suGn
manner be nearly instantaneous. but the rnth Is
tna criminal IN twenty tnus executed without
wrthng for minutes IN torture Whlch no words u any
| language describe The reason y plain The Shern
Cltlest 10 seldom Idlls
10 tho OF to Oicate az more thau one exc
cution and he has no practice Add 70 thiS tne Iact
the nature ~ the awful duty the law c9mpcs MN 10
perform. He cannot help bunglug, ana ms Ncum IN
stead OF being Launched into eternity l. simply
launched into the air, and LETT to slow stranguaOn
The latest Of this sort IS lhe execution Ol Lew
Souls, who hanged at Marion Courthouse, ;. g.
NAV 5. His struggles distressing, and the details,
though not whit more terrible than hundreds OF others
| case alone. horrible enough TO demand legislative
action for The prevention Of similar scenes 2ee qn or e
itl punishment will not deny that such cases are simply
Infamous Yet be it remembered that "a long as the
present method praCtced suck scenes must OF ncces
sity nearly every execution. By tho method
| The matter worth attention For those VINO stiil be-
eve the State has right TO inlct torture ana VINO de-
1t 50 inflicted, OF course these words are not
Ne,c- York June 10, 1873.
SECRET BUREAUS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT.
| To the Editor OF The Tribune
SIR: In your issue of to-day you give a de-
tailed account Of tho attempt Of two lawyers bride
the keeper of records the Bureau Of Assessments 10
give them access to those records, in order TO obtain
transcripts therefrous The propuety o such
am not disposed vndcate but it seems to queer
that IL should be necessary for any one 10 resort TO
bribery in order to gain TO public records setting
| forth the proceedings Of the corporate authorities,
whereby private property Is charged to the extent Of
millions for assessments, and for which 1t Is liable TO he
sold Why are those books carefully withheld from
public inspectou Aud why should transcripts there
from be forbidden 10 any Onel II properyowners are
charged with those assessments, they certainly have
! the right TO examine the proceedings by which
! they are made debtors and TO determine whether
those charges Just and lawful II everything is
rich, and honest there certainly s necessity for
ccaImeut and il prUpertyOwners know that they
uuiusty charged for tae work for which those assess
ments are laid they certainly would have less excuse
and doubtless less hcstancy IN making payments. But
the Bureau OF IA not the only secret depart
ment of the CITY Government How - 1t in tho office Of
| the County Clerky What opportunity has either a
lawyer his client 20 examine the books OF record IN
that Office for judgments or equity proceedings begun
And apprehend there are few, II any, real estate
lawyers who have not been and are not now, Obliged to
! pay more than Is duo 10 obtain a search through
that Office I'm reasonable time. Yet these same law
yers would scorn the idea OF Offering brbes When pub
than /, due Instances OF bribery will certainly be less
| frequent and less eNcusabh. }. c. ;.
| Nele- York, June 8, 1873.
| A SUGGESTION FOR STREET LETTERBONES.
| To the Edttor OF The TrtbUHe.
| SIR: How shall | know ut what time a letter
| dropped into lamppost box will he taken out By the
coecori IL true it is announced on the box that
collection will be made for instance, between g45 and
1913 What evidence have that the collector will real
| Iy empty the box at the time stated, or that he
will not Ind u more convenient 10 empty it hour
ateri desire to mail letter for Europe by Saturdays
steamer the mail closes at IL a. M at the postOfice
NV letter ready $3.50. BY putting the same into the
myself good deal OF time butls IL safe To do III Will
the letter be collected In tmei TO remove this uncer
tauty IL would be we'll 10 adopt the arrangement here
tnat exists In many places In Europe There Is sign
| ON eacn box regulated by the collector, which SAYS:
Next collection between 95 and 1918 The cost would
surely be trnng In comparison with the great
which the pubic and the service would derive there
| from Nm.
Ee,o. York, June 70, 1873
| THE TRIBUNE sCuooL~HoUsE.
| To the Editor OF The Trt6Une.
| SIR Do you know that it brings kind of
twmge of regret TO learn that the old TRIBUNE Build
ngr Is denolshedf good many OF us country people
look upon that old building a little We do upon
old school houses We know they must be replaced by
larger ones, but there many memories connected
with them which seem be disturbed by the pickaxe
crowbar OF the demolishing brigade 50 us with
TRIBUNE Building, which was the Dest schOOhOuse
ever built America. i have read 1iiH TRIBUNE since
was able to read newspaper at all and must say
that an attempt to separate the learning nave received
from ts from that acquired IN school respecting
All those things which make up the sum OF mans
knowledge, is n failure. L do not know what have
learned FROM other distinction from what
have learned from THE TRIBUNE. expect 10 read
long 4 al able 10 read ANYTHING A. D.
D0yesOI Pa, June 10, 1873.
sMMoNs's TRIAL.
To me Edfior OF The Tribune.
SIR: VIII you kindly inform me why the
trial OF summons for the murder Of his former confed-
crate i'm the lottery swndes. not prosecuted by the
District Attorney. SimmOns committed most out
rageous crime, utterly without defense, but being
wealthy man. his trial Is not prosecuted while Nixon
who was "A poor man, committed crime. was arrested,
tried condemned, sentenced and hung since Simmons
attended the law. Is TINS delay In consequence OF Mr..
simmons. wealth His notorious political assUcinous
having selected counsel tue of a others who
about the ecCrCtS OF the DslEylAttornoyB