Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-10-04

4 SUBSTITUTE FOR CAPITAL PUNISH
MENT,-Contrast with capital punshmpn
All is results and incidents the punish
am proposed by Mr.. Edward Living
son, justly charac!crzod rs the greatest
Irg. genius OF the IL oicrn lines In hi,
code OF reform and prison discipline he
pruvldes that those convicted of murder
withon' ans aggravatln9 circumst, Hc' ;
sloi be 4tric',y conf irl 10 then tcSp t.
'e,' nt t. and iiiplnIng co nrts. in VIII ia
la, they ma be p rmiltel TO labor except
ion two months consecutive in every year,
comm ncing on the anniversary Of thler
crime curing which period they shall ouy
come TO court during the time necessary
TO c.ean ,ne cell, on the anniversary of
their crime they shall ave no allowance
of food for twonty-four hours, during
which perio they shall receive the visit
of the chaplain ,,who shall endeavor by ex,
hortation and prayer to bring them to re-
pentance. Longer terms ofsolitary confine.
ment. without labor. are provided for in
fanticide and parricide, respectively. No
murderers in any degree are to have any
communication with persons outside the
prison other than the inspectors or official
visitors; they are to be considered dead to
the world. Their cells are to be plined
black within and without and on the out
side is to be the following sentence:
''In this cell is confined, to pass his life
in solitude and sorrow, A. b., convicted
of the murder of c. d. (by assassination
poison ETC., describing the offence If of an
aggravating kind ibis food is bread of the
coarsest kind, his drink Is water mingled
with his tears he is dead to the world;
this cell is his grave; his existence is
prolonged that he may remember his
crime and repent it, and that the continu.
ance of his punishment may deter Others
from the indulgence of hatred. avarice,
sensuality and the passions which lead to
the crime he has committed. When the
Almighty in His due time. shall exercise
toward him that dispensation which be
himself arrogantly and wickedly usurped
toward another, his body is to be dissected
and his soul will abide that judgment
which divine justice shall decree"
n The same inscription. changing only The
words "this cell' for the words SOLITARY
cell in this prison." is 10 be made on the
outside of the prison wall, in large, white
letters on black ground. The inscrip-
lions are to be removed upon the death of
the convicts to which they relate.
tCan there be any question as to which
punishment is likely to have the greatest
effect in lettering othersP One change in
the law should certainly be made at once
After sentence for murder has been
imRsed, the convict should be cut off from
with the outside world.
His spiritual adviser. and possibly his
nearest relatives should be tho only per-
sons other than the prison Officials allow.
ID to have an interview with him. There
was no incident connected with the trial
If Guiteau 80 unseemly and disgraceful as
,he mode Of his Imprisonment. This man
whose crime had called upon him the ex-
,rations of the civilized world, was allow
ID to hold receptions in his cell, write and
lend letters to dispose of his autographs to
curiosity hunters at % cents each. Pro
lessor johnson T. Plat in Tho New HqUen