The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-05
EXECUTION OF CRIMINALS.

In San Francisco, last Wednesday,
Judge Murphy sentenced DR.. J. Milton
Bowers to be hanged. Last November
Bowers wife died under circumstances
to excite suspicion, and this suspicion
was intensified by the fact that her life
was insured for a considerable sum, and
the husband was known to be in bad
financial circumstances. The coroner
held an inquest and caused an examin-
alton OF the remains to be made, when
the presence of considerable quantities
Of PHOSPHORUS was discovered. The
husband was arrested. and after ex-I
hausting the power of the law TO OBJ
tain delay, was finally tried and
convicted. He maintained and still
maintains his innocence, -emphatically
denying that he killed his wife,
and basing his claim of innocence
largely on the fact, that his knowledge
Of phosphorus as poison, and the
readiness with which il could be dis
covered when so used, would have made
il impossible for him te be so simple |
and reckless as to commit a crime
which could be so readily traced home.
However. he seems to have had a fair
trial, and there is little If any doubt as
10 his guilt. He is in fair way to re.
,eive the punishment which his terri
De crime so richly merits.
But it was another matter about
which we wished to speak. When
isked if he had anything TO say before
entence was pronounced, he delivered
himself of 4 short address to the court,
Isserting his innocence, declaring he
vas not afraid to die, and closing with
equest that he be executed with
The coart, however,
lad no discretion in the matter,
nd designated hanging as the
node of execution. II society
Tould reflect intelligently and coolly on
bis matter Of legal executions it seems
D US it would abolish hanging and sub
titute q method that is farther re- !
loved from bsrbarism. 1t is difficult !
D conceive Of anything more horrible
han hanging. It is not only cruel to =
he victim, but is brutal and horrifying {
} the living. It seems malicious and q
indictive on the part of the common
ealth. and is q relic of an age from I
hich we have far advanced in every o
hing save in our reverence for certain 0
gal forms and institutions that have {
ome down from barbarism to aflict.
llgsriEe and degrade civilization. 1t is .
he murderer's death that society de-
lands, and that alone. which is the q
ighest punishment that can be devised; U
is the fear Of death which society g
ms TO impress on its members to res .
ain them from committing murder. ie
hen anything more than death is in u
cted it is excited by malice and is vim =.
Give: the restraining effect on indi-
duals is not increased by making. the a
ecution more brutal than Is absolutely e.
As death itself is the 10
N of all punishments the execution 1e
ould be performed in the least often ri
re manner TO the victim as well as TO ~
ciety. In some places where it has N
en- decreed that ownerless, annoying 70
gs shall be killed, society has de- So
inded and enforced the demand, that %
: killing shall be done In the least re
lnful way. to the cur, and the least "
ensive 70 humanity: but while COM
-
mites have CO. idsfs$;ea fos worth IN
5 dogs and respect Tor their own SEN 70
yeness, they still apparently glory in rs
Dir brutality towards criminals, and In
producing hoTrifying spectacles for IN
mselves. %
We sincerely believe the time viii 'n
ne when the execution OF criminals ca
be attended by as little of the ele- nc
Mt of the horrible as possible, and IN
sooner that time arrives the sooner ire
society show that civilization has IN
good effect on it. I'M
wi
Utah Invention. ANi
he HOreee' rrfand GnIky pfauv II ser