The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-10-10
DOES HANGING PREVENT
MuRDERq

~
A recent address delivered by Pro
lessor Wayland before the American
Socis1 Science Association, treating
on the subject of capital punishment,
has given rise to a spirited discussion
of this highly interesting topic
Heretofore the greatest stress of the
opponents of the death penalty has
been laid upon the moral aspect OF
the practice, and incidentally only
upon its effect, or rather want of eff
feet, in checking murder Professor
Wayland deals the advocates of ju-
dicial murder a stunning blow by ad.
ducing facts and figures in proof of
the truth that hanging does not only
fail to diminish capital crime, but
what is a far stronger argument,
causes many criminals to escape en-
tirely unpublished, who would other
wise be rendered harmless behind
the prison bars. Taking the States
of Massachusetts and Connecticut,
which the Professor says are ''tair
specimens of our best civilization"
he finds that in the former, from 1860
to 1882, there were one hundred and
seventy persons tried for murder in
the first degree. OF these only 20
YER CONVICTED as charged.
Twelve of these had their
sentences COMMITTED to inn
prisonment for life; of the seventeen
whose sentences were not committed
were hung and one commit
ted suicide. In twenty-six cases YER
diets of murder in the second degree
we're rendered. In Connecticut, be-
tween 1850 and 1889, ninety-seven
persons were tried for murder in the
first degree; thirteen were convicted
of this ~offense; in six of the cases the
sentence was committed to impris-
onment for life; seven were hung;
were convicted of murder
the second degree; sever were &C.
quilted on the sole ground of in
To make his illustration still more
pointed, Professor Wayland selects a
county, the county of New
Haven, where during the thirty
years from 1850 to 1880, the number
If trials for murder in the first de-
gree was twenty-three. In one case
The sentence was commuted to inn
orisonmsnt for life; two were hung +; |
:hree were acquitted on the ground of
insanity; nine were convicted of
murder in the second degree.
But in those thirty years the trials in
hat comfy for the crime OF burgla-
y were three hundred. Of course,
his crime is not punishable by death.
)ut of these three hundred trials,
hundred and seventy-three re-
ulted in conviction. Only three
Of insanity were discovered
,Eaong all these burglars. From this
triking contrast, Professor Wayland
rgues with incontrovertible force,
hat If the crime of murder were pun
'hable with Imprisonment for life,
he proportion of convictions to trials
you'd be greatly increased, and the
pidemic of insanity much reduced.
AS the concluding part of his mas
erly argument the Professor turns to
he state of Rhode Island, which in
$50 substituted Imprisonment for
fe for hanging. In its most popu-
JUS county, in the thirty years be-
ween 1852 and 1882, out of twenty
even trials for murder in the first de-
rec, there were seventeen convic-
than fifty per cent.
The conclusion from all this is that
the community shrinks from hang
,g murderers, and that in conse.
uence of this general feeling, courts
nd ~juries, aud governors, will resort
} all sorts of shifts and devices to
.scue criminals from the gallows.
T the punishment were milder it
'ould be enforced"
That such is the a S daily expert
ice is the most infallible proof.
nature is fortunately not SO
as to execute a death
enalty upon a fellow being without
lrinking from the responsibility,
I'd therefore murderers are often
emitted to escape the arm OF justice
no otherwise would be sentenced
lifelong Imprisonment were this
le extent of the law for the commit
! of capital crime.