Wichita eagle., 1888-03-22
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
VARIOUS METHODS OF EXECUTION
PRACTICED IN THE WORLD.

A Serious Matter of Consideration fol
the Gallows aud the Gun-Silent Death
by Electricity.
The execution Of malefactors has been a
serious matter of consideration for lawgivers
in all nations and in all times. The more
barbarous the people the more barbarous the
method. Torture was considered a wise ad-
junct to capital punishment for centuries.
The rack, the cauldron, the gridiron, the
scavenger's daughter, tho pincers iron mask
and scourge were employed. Breaking one
on the wheel was popular for long time
the felon being fastened, with his arms and
legs apart, to a huge wheel, his bones were
broken by blows from an iron bar Male
factors were torn asunder by teams of horses;
they were burned at the stake hanged, drawn
and quartered, hayed alive, boiled, broiled
and roasted, served up to death in a thousand
ways, each as revolving and terrible as
skilled ingenuity could devise.
Torture is no longer employed, but means
which shall be swift, and as nearly as possible
painless, Is employed. In France the guillo-
tine, in Spain the garrote, in England and
the United States the gallows-three alltera-
tions-menace the malefactor. A fourth,
the gun, is used In military executions.
The sguillotine was designed as labor
saving machine during the Reign of Terror
by DR.. Guillotine, who was member Of the
Constituent assembly in 1850. There were
too many heads to be removed by the over
worked public e1ecutioner, and this device
resulted.
The apparatus is very simple Between
two uprights slides a triangular knife,
weighted at the upper edge. 1t is held in
position by catch The victim is laid upon
a sliding or fitting board, securely strapped
and placed face downward, with his neck in
line with the groove. A narrow board, with
a semi-circular notch, slides down and secures
him, then the trigger is sprung and the
descending knife does the work. Death is
necessarily instantaneous.
l saw an execution by the guillotine In
Marseillcs some Years ago The victim was
young Italian, a wife murderer was sum-
moned to be at the jail at daybreak In
France the condemned feIon does not know
the day nor the hour appointed This man
was aroused from sleep, pinioned, half
dragged, half pushed, shrieking and moan
ing, into the yard, bound to the fitting plank
thrust forward and klled-all in four min
utes. There was . great deal Of blood, a
little tremor of the limbs, one convulsive
movement Of the eyelids In ten minutes
from the time the man Ind been aroused
from his sleep the orecutioner was taking
the apparatus Of death apart.
Beheading by the sword has been favorite
method in almost all countries | saw
head struck of by the two handed sword in
village near Nagasski, Japan. Both the exc
cutioner and his victim were deliberate and
cool. The latter knelt and bowed his head.
The former drew his long and elittering
weapon, keen as a razor, wiped it with a bit
Of gaudy silk, took his stand, raised the
sword, and with quick drawing stroke
severed the head, giving vent to loud.
Kissing aspirate as rs did 80. The point Of
the weapon did not reach the ground. The
executioner then removed the stains with
some pieces Of tissue paper, wiped the blade
again with the silk, sheathed it and strobe
proudly away, followed by envous eyes The
offender had. believe. testified falsely in An
examination by the tax collector.
The garrote Is worse TO nv notion than
the guillotine. though but little blood is shed
The felon sits in q chair. To stout post be-
hind him are affixed two clasps Of iron.
which when joined encircle his neck
Through the post and the back Of the collar
passes screw. When this is turned by the
executioner the collar is frightened. and an
iron wedge enters the neck at the base OF the
brain, disloc.tins the axis, piercing the spi-
nal cord and producing instant dssth. Isw
q hri-and TINS kiiIej ar Vaic>-;.
rs cap over the fsce. When the fatal mo-
n,ent came heard, or fancied | heard N.
snap OF the bone, and the eontortion Of the
face WAS ghas.ly. The head fell forward and
the criminal was dead but the grisly horror
OF the manner OF bis taking OF haunted me
for years
Electricity is the swiftest and most certain
OF ali possible ns-by which death NAV b.