New-York tribune., 1876-02-12

Otsero living some 20 miles from Albany. expressed
determination witness the execution OF srang' au
onrneyed TO that place for the sole purpose OF oehs
present at so highly moral spectacle aud to witness
the enforcement of penalty which, 1t Is assumed oy IT'S
so ecacious in repressng crime III others
In less than fortnight after this man Kelly had VII
messed the execution sraDg, he killed nelghbor py
the name OF spaford by shooting him through .he VIII"
dow in his own house. Here was case where tne spec
taor fresh from execution, has'ehed "
commit the same ofense and with inc saino
weapon for which he had Just the terrible punish
mept O. death inflicted Kelly was then trled Nr the
murder of Stafford convicted and hanged On the even
ing of the day OF the execution OF Kelly man oy 'no
name OF Cook living Cooperstown, who was preSeh'
at tho execution committed suicide ny hanging himself
May not the philosophical inquirer Dc perml'te" W
dulrc the conjecture that the execution OF strahs' III
stead OF tending preserve c led to the DESTRUCTION Vi
three other lives viz Kelly spaford and Cook Edward
Livingston one Of Americas greatest Juriss, who ~hiio
living did much to modify tho harsher features OF our
psnal codes relates the following example, when wen
illustrates the point under discussion:
John Iechler was executed ut Lancaster, Penn.; ana
while one ofeDse atoned for. more thah uol,n
new ones committed, and some or raPItal gIau, ,
persons were committed to jail on Friday
night The day the execution. for divers onenss AT
IIncast,r-elch murder larceny assault ana Datlu3
&c and many gentlemen lost their pocketbooks though
the pckpOckets escaped or the Jail wond nave over
flowed In the evening, rs one Thomas BURNS VINO Was
cmployed as weaver In the factory near Lancaster,
going home, he was met by one Ws9n VIII % mVi Wi
he had had some previous misunderstanding When WI
son drew kufo and gave him divers stabs in Sundty
places, which considered moril wilson Was ap
pretended and committed 10 JAIL aud had the same iiols
put on him which had scarcely been laid on long enouSh
by Iechler TO get cold on inquiry IL was ascef'iieu
that " lsCn had attended Lechler's execution.
Douglas Jerrod has excellent story called " Inc
Lesson OF Life" in which he gives striking view the
subject Of capal punishment II IL dialogue between
n common hangInan and priest who had visited tue
prson ON an crrand Of mercy. The hangman says:
why know the Of my audience as well as Dom
nl1r. did. can show hundred " no never fall ht
nc gallows foot to and gather good example DO
you think holy father that the MOB of Pals come
10 "a hanging as to n sermon-t0 hmrhi their yves NJ
eIbbet. No. many to fellow man act scene
which they must one UNDERGO But. Tor exa'hhpc, h
WHY holy rather, am an honest eNecntloner htNe
in my day done my office upon 20 all OF whom were con,
stant visitors OF years standing at my morning levers
This Is the csseucc OF powerful argument against the
death penalty rcpresser OF crime, and sustalns Tue
idea which becoming quite prevalent that every exc
cuon only bloody instincts OF mans nature
and prcdsposcs him to the commission OF those very
crimes which the capital penalty ia supposed to relress
Public teachers may incucate deep reverence Tor u
man life but Government, while destroying HE as
punishment for crime is ncutrdlizng the moral effect OF
,ls Wholesome prccept. Like bcgcts Ike The
father who cruelty punshcs his sons by brus'nS and
beating them for their dsobedeuce need not he sur
prscd lind the home treatment transferred TO their
comrades on tho street by the very SOUS
whom the parent s endcavoring TO WHIP
into cccncy at home II, then, We desire to inleS. nc
youthiul mind Wh the sIcTcdncss of human me- IL "
Shall we succeed without the moral influence 0f the
government under which liNef How are we to con
vince our children that murder 10 crime III ti' iti
vitual man. when The state, hy Judicial practice,
declares II virtuous act IN the Govern Hcnt.
The teaches TO Kill Every execution lowers
tie moral standard and lcschs the respect for human
lie Tie galows ,ducatrs the people IN brutality AMI
violence Is lesson. Inhnly and ll az Wlchcdltss,
and II Government ever expects To fcetrln men rom
killing Hnotrcr. n must rt rprrs- ~ own vrnsIul
action. and r. ne" To punish clme ny ihhtauns
il; for II seems 10 many that Government 10
gully ~ stupid wicked hhnd'r when II Juic ct1kes 10
illustrate ihc taricdncsH ~ human life by muricling the
criminal A. well undertake o. lllust ate the value ol
property hy burning every thing cOnhl'tibe Govern
mrii. ihrl being the great public eicmplar of tie
people, action should be ever guided by vi uOh'
nl.cr and MODERATION IT. powers should be neither
poatlyc- nor aggressive, hut simply negative an re
-trrNc II should exercise its functions uoi in urbu-
lcncc aud passion. Ike the mountain tOlr"ut Nhlch
DESTROYS by the Srhtucncr of IT, power but Ike IN"
placid -tlram which impar;s hc.tth and Nsor IN ~
calm, siill h0w, yielding an uhG.n'e silent lrt,elu'
hl.~s.d hAKNIS III. BOyEE.
ChicdgO Jan - l~1G.