Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-11-09
The Hanging.

/ Nh. EprTcR: I fear that the interest and
J excitement occasioned by the election to-
day may cause you to overlook that other
event which takes place here on Friday
next--the hanging of the Mcfarland muir
derers- This is, therefore. to call attention
| to that matter and to present few thoughts
touching public executions, which, doubt
less occur to every rejecting mind
The hanging of Webb, some years ago,
brought to the scene from this city and
surrounding country, several thousand per-
sons, and it is notorious that wherever
been present curious crowd of men,
women and children to view the hor-
rible sight. If our people we're
| ignorant and brutal the gath
gathering of such crowds to witness such
spectacles would not be so strange. but the
presence of cultivated and professedly chris
tan people on such occasions is astounding
and past comprehension. When Webb was
hung, there were ladies from this city to see,
and some of them afterwards seemed to de-
light IN describing the scene. Men looked
upon the wicked man dangling at the end of
the rope, without emotion, with as much
oomposure as they would look upon hog
butchered. Women who would cry over a
sick pet or dead canary, had no thought
of tears and suffered no snock at the sight of
a human life takenl | do not understand
it. There is something radically wrong
somewhere. That the man may be criminal
of the worst class, and deserving the extreme
penalty of the law, ought not make US for
get that he is a man; ought not destroy
within us a proper sense of the value of a
human life and human soul True heart
culture makes one look upon all suffering
with pain. We should not even tread upon
worm without remembering that it ''in
corporal sufferance finds pang as great as
when giant dies" How keen, then, must
be the pain of true and tender heart (such
as the Christian religion creates) when
compelled to witness a mans life go violent
ly out. This is no sickly sentiment it is a
healthy sentiment, q sentiment evidencing a
and the terribleness of human suf-
fering. But who can doubt
that this sentiment which ought
to be cultivated, is repressed and in great
measure, destroyed by public executions.
Do not these brutal scenes make harder the
heart by familiarizing those who witness
them with suffering and death? Some may
be shocked and turn their eyes away, but
the greater number will look unmoved and
without realizing it, perhaps, viii go away
more callous, and more careless OF human
life. 1t is a sad commentary upon our civ
ihzation that such unfeehng curiosity as
carries people to such scenes does still find
place in SO many hearts. 1 do not say
there should be no capital punishment, but
do say that the public infiction of it re-
suits in vast evil to the State and society
and the individual citizen. 1t demoralizes
and brutalizes; and consequently, instead
of lettering others from crime which, GER
certainly, is the chief practical end of all
punishment, it only fits others crimes.
There is nothing in the law of our State
to prevent private executions. The fact that
the custom has been to have them public
ought no longer to govern our executive
officers in carrying out the sentence of
death. Sheriff Gilmore would do wise
and proper thing if he should execute the
condemned men in his charge, in the yard
of the jail. He would be supported in this
course by right public sentiment.
For myself and for all others who con-
slider aud lament the Generalization attend
ing public execution, 1 protest against
another such exhibition as that made when
Webb was hung -