The New York herald., 1879-11-30
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
Objections to Electricity as a Substitute
for the Rope.
Il 90 u N @ f r T Al N.
An Improvement on the Garote and vari-
Gus Poisons Discussed

While the class Of people who favor the total abol,
ton of capital punishment is by no means larg.
those who desire reform in the present method OF
public executions make very considerable represen-
tation The HERALD reporter, in prosecuting his
interviews among the physicians on the subject Of
the best substitute for hanging, met Surgeon Gen.
erai Hammond at his house Fifty-fourth street.
and asked him what he thought of electricity as an
agent for giving criminals condemned to die an
euthanasia.
II don't think" said DR.. Hammond, "thst ele,-
trcity would answer. You must have an sgeucy
that will make death certain and entirely beyond
peradventure. The rope does that. though it may
do 1t oftentimes in = bunglng and barbarous fash.
ion, but still II s done. and you seldom hear of any.
body executed in the old fashioned way escaping BY
of defect In the machinery. With cleo.
tricty the would be different. No two men are
affected precisely alike by it; while heavy dis
charge might kill man 1t would be harmless in
the OF another. See the instances of people
struck by lightning; person is killed outright.
another receives merely nervous shock and third
perhaps has his nair clothes burned of. while his
body remains untouched, and all from the same
stroke of lightning"
"Eut could there not be constructed battery %
powerful that all chances Of failure would be en-.
tirely discou,ted?'
THAT might be. but see what risk. trouble and
expense would be involved. The battery would
probably be large this table he Doctor sat
fore table covering cubic equal to about
half dozen Saratoga trunks; 1t would need from
fifteen to twenty Bunsen jars and an unlimited
quantity of wire It's expense would probably bs
about $4,000. II the machinery had to be moved
about from one county to another 1t would bS
most apt to get out of order, and over
il kept in place rust is likely to col
lect on the wires. It collects on the wra
of my alarm here in the house and sometimes ]
have found 1t imperative on this account. ThA
machinery would be elaborate to need the
greatest and this the average sheriff would b
unlikely to bestow."
What plan would you suggest yourselfy'
IAN IMPROVEMENT ON THE GARRoTE."
"well. thought over the matter at time and
drew up paper. which to be read before the
medical society. recommending method of execu-
tion for criminals which would be an improvement
on the Spanish garrote. but was apprehensive
that the idea might be actually adopted
desire to have my name linked like that
OF the unfortunate DR.. Guillotine with an instru-
ment for criminal executions The paper never
read. but the design 1t embraced was this:-The
cplacing OF the criminal in . seat like BARRIERS
ahair. his legs and being bound to the sides,
round his neck an iron collar would be placed.
fitting easily. At the rear of the chair would be
erected wheel Ike what is used for letter presses.
time. would drive forward through whole in the
back of the iron collar nne steel blade two inches
long which would reach the of life In instant
and make death not alone immediate but sure and
painless"
rotor
mo; the Spanish garrote is an iron collar which
duce strangulation NY process would be quicker
and more mcrciful; but then am not ambitious in
the matter and certainly don't coyet the distinction
Hsmmondzed in this city or that. in the future
OTHER MEANS.
'Have you any other idea in tho way of despatch.
''wel Of course various ways would suggest
themselves. such as powerful posons narcotics,
but it to that the Anglo saxon instinct il
to the taking of human life forfeited to the laws
in this fashion. Why, Assistant Dr. Morton has sent
q letter to tho HERALD this subject suggesting .
sponge stepped in chloroform and placed in . bag
Death would be rapid ana pleasant under such cir.
cumstanccs-in fact 1t might offer . premium ON
murder by being tribe too agreeable way of shut
"Are you opposed TO capital punishment Doctorrs
"By no means. l believe in capital punishment
the great crime of murder. which would be tenfold
greater II capital punishment were abolished. II
man bad only the prospect OF imprisonment for life
before him he would pause less quickly in the com.
mission OF . homicide. because his hope would ba
to get pardoned after few years in jail as the
tom has been. No. capital punishment must re-
main among the barbarisms,' but we may be able
to improve upon the method of carrying it out"
DIR. cLARKs VIEWS
DR.. Alonzo CLARK, president Of the College Of
Physicians and Surgeons was called on by the re.
porter and asked what he thought the best substi-
tute for the present old fashioned of execut.
ing capital punishment.
You have heard OF socratesy' said the venerable
disciple OF Galen. "He drank the hcmlock."
And II finished him." added the reporter I'm
pulsively.
effective end to life. There are many more poisons
than hcmlock in the materis medica that will insure
easy aud certain death. bat it question IL t be ho
to employ thcm in the way indicated"
"wbat would you say to electricityr
down lightning on . man you may and il an uncer.
tain business. You cannot get 1t to work a. you
would want M It. and your ar man up for execution may
kill him. 1t is decidedly uncertain Possibly such
Q machine might be constructed would never
fail to kill its victim with galvanc shock but that
has to be tried. Experiments have to be made on
animals. oxen and kindred beasts before nnaily
deciding on accepting electricity"
'Do you believe in capital punishments r'
81 do. Capital punishments are necessary 70 the
fashioned style Of execution is quite 30 bad After an
1t is simple. cheap easily learned and IL generally
manages to accomp piish ITS end-thst is. to put an
end to whoever comes its way. ! don't Know q
electricity would be as sure"
WHAT ARNOLD THINKS.
DIR. Arnold, Professor OF Physiology in the New
York University said, In reply to . question - "a
what he thought tho proper substitute for hanging -:
which hanging s one. would lead to endless sur
gestions. There are thousand ways Of ending life
expeditiously ana surely. and. in some instances,
agrceably. There's prussc acid. II will do the
work quick almost as fash Opium will be much
slower. but II will fetch . man taken in the right
strength. Then there II q mode Of terminating
existence by crushing in tho head suddenly with Z
heavy weight oblteratine the brain ct once and ex.
tinguishing life. Oxen treated mercifuiy bv
being stunned and made unconscious before having
their throats cut. There 10 still another way, by
taking short. sharp baded instrument and sever.
ing the connection between the brain and spinal
core. which stops respiration instantly"
what enicacy do you think there is In elec-
tricityy"
"Ii you give tremendous shock from battery
OF Leydcn jars which is st.ticsl electricity i viii
kill like the lightning itself. In the Bunsen bat
tories there Is great quantity OF electricity de-
veoped, but the striking power is lmited-thss fs.
the distance through which the spark will act is
brief, but in the Leydcn Jars the quantity, though
small, has greater striking distance consequently
the destroying effect is instantaneous. have killed
q cat and dog instantly by discharge from Ley
den lar IL would be good suggestion to bring this
whole aubiect before the American Medical Asso-
~t.t IN York va Vct