Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-03-12
THE DEATH PENALTY.
gScxperfen ces OF European Countries Which
Have Abolished II as q PunIshment.


capitai punishment which a few years
ago threatened to prove successful in
every civilized state, has met with a
setback not only ia this country, but
all over Europe. Two of the Swiss
cantons which had swept the death
penalty from their judicial system re-
adopted it within the past few weeks,
and il is more than likely that the 9TH
ers will speedily follow their example.
In Belgium the refusal of the present
rants is the only obstacle to its inflic-
tion, and his obstinacy in the mat
ter became more and more sharply
criticised, the Peitzer murder having
especially irritated the public. In
France but few executions have taken
place since M. Grevy's accession to the
presidency, and the complaint is gener-
al that murders are vastly more fire.
quent in consequence.
In the Swiss cantons life sentences
were abolished after 1t was found that
their substitution for the death penalty
led to an increase of murders in the
prisons, and for some time past the
penalty for this crime has been u maxi
mum of twenty or twenty-five years
imprisonment, shortened by good be-
havior often TO twelve or fifteen yeals.
IL was argued that man who had no
hope of getting out of jail unless he
could make his escape by killing his
keepers, and who knew that his pun
ishment would not be more severe
even if he failed to make his escape
after having killed his keepers, was al
together too dangerous n character to
deal with. The limited Imprisonment
plan, with the hope of an earlier re-
lease than the sentence called for, on
the score of good conduct, was sup
posed to be solution of the difficulty,
but in its results it has been found that
it is much worse than the other. 1t
possesses no terrors whatever for the
criminal.
In Italy capital punishment, although
still on the statute books, has been
practically abolished, and this country
IS still pointed at as one where the
abolition has been followed by good re-
suits. The truth, however,. is-and
Italian would-be murderers are aware
thereof-that Imprisonment for life is
by far the worst punishment of the two.
A. few weeks ago, says The London
Times in. q recent article, an Italian
newspaper published an account of
visit paid by one of its correspondence
Co the prison of Porto Ferraio, in the
island of Elba, where Passanante, who
tried to kill King Humbert in 1873 is
confined. Passanante's life was spared,
but the existence he leads is no better
than living death. He is secured to
the wall of an almost dark cell by Il
chain five feet in length, which is
riveted to an iron ring around his
ankle, and which does not allow him
20 take more than one step in any direc-
ton. During the first two years of his
imprisonment the wretched man lay all
day upon his mattress; since then he
has been released once n day for half
an hour to walk about his cell but he
never goes into the open air. He is
watched night and day by three war
dens, who survey his movements
through peep hole in the door, but
who are forbidden to speak to him or
answer his questions He has become
imbecile. In cells adjoining that of
Passanante are two astrocious crimi-
nails Rossignol, Frenchman, who
committed fifteen murders in Turin by
way-laying people at night stabbing
them and throwing their bodies into
the river Po, after riiling their clothes;
and Cipriano Ia Gala, formerly the chief
OF q gang or brigands. Rossignol,
who is described as colossus, was
first sentenced to death; but Victor
Emmanuel committed the sentence, and
s, the murder showed his sense of this favor
I by killing the two carabineers who were
, conveying him to Porto Ferraio, after
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