The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-06
PUBLIC EXECUTIONS.


PUBLIC EXECUTIONS.
An attempt is being made In France X
abolish tho custom OF having the execution
or malefaetors take place Ii public, and th,
reasons urged for the change are eminantiJ
worthy Ut consideration.
The standing idea has been that the retribu
tive net Of justice ID depriying the condemned
OF his iifeshonId take place Id presence 81 Til
public In order that the horror Of the expiG
tion might serve as warning 10 evil-doert
and impress tho world 81 large with tht
awful consequence OF crime 30, when Justice
demanded and merclless law lmpoeed tht
supreme penalty. the execution took place n
presence Of d multitude, and TO the scene ri
horror locked thousands Of morbid men ant
women, eager to see fellow-being Launched
To death by legal and necessary process
Exactly how fur the original Idea was carried
out IL was ensy To note. Az Tor back
as history traces the custom Of public execu-
tions the record is the same. The crowds
that tbronged about the places Ut exhibition
were callous to the moral lesson conveyed Ivy
The terrible sight, md were but joetling
crowd 81 sight-seers, testing cparsely IL the
very presence of death, impatient Ut the
slight delays occurring Ill the proceeding. a1id
finding much the same amusement III wit
messing the sickeIing spectacle that filled
them at the theatre Or the circus. Atexecutions
LIN this country to-day the sumo spirit may be
seen among the curious who are allowed 70 be
present at the tragedy which characterized
the multItudes ut r. yburn or La Place de la
Greve. When the day for the execution has
been liked tho sheriff 10 usually besleged by
applicants for the two or three hundred ''in-
vitationsY he intends TO Issue for the ntfair,
and theimportunitiesar generally 30 harass-
i ing ag to conf pei that official, In many cases,
III keep himself hidden until the fatal day
has arrived. On Che morning fixed for the
carrying out of the sentence II Ia found
that the full number invited" are
present long before The hour fxed. struggling
for choice places nearest the instrument OF
death, and regarding The rope, the trap and
other paraphernalia with idle curiosity, often
making them the subject vi Jest and laugh
tor. Through rain Or sun they wait cheer
fully. Not one could be induced to leave The
spot BY ncernency Of the weather. No, the
promised excitement will repay oil trouble.
vexation and fatigue. At last the tardy hour
arrives, Footsteps echo along the cor
rldors Of tho prison. The little
procession appeArs--the civil officers,
jailer. turnkeys. priest, and, lastly, the oon-
demned. He has already been pinioned. Ills
aeeiBeeither ashen with terror or settled In
the sneer Of bravado. At the scaffold they
halt. The death warrant is read. All listen
curiously---even the condemned seems TO at
tend earnestly tosit 1t is soon over. The
condemned III asked II he has anything toaay
Usually he has not. Alta beck from the hang
man he stops upon the trap. Ills feet
are bound together--and he Idly
watches the tying ot the knot. The
1atal moose, Shiny with soap. ID put
around his neck and adjusted. Then Che
cap ID drawn down, shutting out the worlds
light forever. The sheriff and minister leave
the trap. The minister begins to pray lii o
loud clear voice. In the midst Of prayer the
sheriff drops his handkerchief In signal. The
rope supporting the trap Ii cut. The doomed
man drops. There Is dull thud. a quick CON
tortion Of every limb, o long tremor shoots
through the swaying body, and then ceases
1T liz ovcr The brenthless silence which has |
reigned ID now supplanted by buzz of ex-
cited comments; and the crowd stated with l
what they have seen, dispense to toll less for
tunate friends how Ii ''went off," 10 them IL |
was nothing mtre nor less than species Of
theatrical display, to be Viewed In the same
light as any Of tAe mock tragedies on the
stage.
New are such spectacles lit for the eyes 81
civilized men, and should the morbid taste OF
those who delight III them be pandered TOT
Do they not, In place Of inspiring whole
some horror Of crime, rather tend TO brutal
lie and degrade beholder2 And then again,
In familiarizing l1e public with tho mode
and process Of the punishment, do they not
rob 1t OF half Its terror For any fearful
thing which becomes o common spectacle
soon loses Its strength and power to impress
Were the criminal to be executed In secrecy,
the horror to him would be increased four
fold. and the ends OF justice thus better met.
10 know that he was to be choked to death
with ne one near but his executioner, no one
Eo note how .'gnmely" he died no one TO pity
biz sufferings, or mark the time OF his exit
from the world, would be to most condemned
the bitterest part Ut the expiatory
sentence.
There IS every reason why civilization
should revolt from such harbarous exhibitions |
as public hangings, exhibitions which do no |
good and only tend to vitiate the taste OF the !
people, horrtfy the right-minded. and prove
that even In the age Of enlightenment. bar !
oario tastes and practices flourish. c
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THE CANE FOR LOUISIANA. IL
AT the meeting on Thursday night "a full /
account OF the proceedings Of which were .