Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-02-24


in a torture not contemplated by the
law is another evil Of the present system.
Ropes break, men are strangled or mu-
tilated, the community il shocked,
justice is upbraided and sympathy goes
to the malefactor To hang a man and
produce instant death is shown TO be a
matter OF both skill and experience,
and to find an executioner who is ex.
pert is o always an easy matter.
again, the r%esponsib lily for the
mechanism Of death should n tfall upon
the sheriff. 1t is a penal affair and be-
longs properly to a penal institution. II
is wronging a public official TO thrust
upon him the task of executing a felon,
when by a hitch in a mechanism OF
which he knows nothing the execution
may be bungled and the anger OF the
community raised against him
For these and for "A score of reasons
the proposed system should he adopted.
Electricity is the swiftest and most
certain Of all possible means by which
death may be inflicted. Ninetv-five feet
a second is the estimated speed OF nerve
~sensibllity. Electricity travels 10000
miles in a like space of time. The
brain is paralyzed before it can feel the
shock, the wet IN of the current passes
from life to death without knowing the
blow. Obviously, there is "A two.fold
gain in this method. First, { entirely
prevents a mishap. The current passes
when the fatal joining of the wires
occurs. and death is given. The
distant dynamo gives 10 sound the
condemned man may hear. He is led
e. d. oIa.- - .,o. ~. ....l.-
conductor is placed against the nap OF
the neck, salt water being applied to
the hair to enable il to transmit the
current. The other conductor is placed
on the top OF the head, the hair being
wet, or on either temple or both. The
connect on is then made and the man is
dead on the instant.
To send the current from head TO
foot, as proposed, is obviously a bad
method. A powerful CONFUSION would
inevitably result; the muscles would
still be in action after death. Passed
through the brain, the full effect on the
life centres would be felt and no con
vulsion would follow. 10 have this
occur NJ the state prison is IN eminent
ly good feature. There il ntly belongs
and the rigid dis :iplinc of such iustitu-
tons would prevent the influx of visit
ors common TO city prisons. Pesides,
the moral effect upon the other convicts
would be good.
To have the day and the hour con.
cealed from the dead an would rob
his last days of the melOdramatic IN.
terest they possess for his fellows In
crime and make the fate more terrible.
There would be no halo about the head
of a felon who journeys IT, state prison
merely TO be hurled on some inspect.
fed day and unknown hour by a swift
and silent agent from the world he has
offended. No boasts of diving game"
no incidents of his last day and last
hours; nothing but his being swallowed
up living by the grim walls of the
penitentiary and cast forth again some
day, dead.
As to the e ecution beng secret,
viewed only by the coroucr's jury,
there is nothing to BE- said III q sfavor.
The legal taking of life is at best revolt
ing, and the more in privacy the better.
Besides, this robbing the murderer of
his last swagger and of his sensational
last appearance will divest crime of M
of its chief glories.
Commodore Gerry's report is full OF
good points and is commendable for
good taste and good judgment. Civil
ilation demands the life of murdercrs
as a measure Of prevention. Most
states which have abol shed it have had
to return to it. 1t is a public necessity
that muruerers should die. but humanity
demands that the method shall not be
barbarous. the spectacle public nor the
Grim nal apotheosized in his taking off.
Electricity, applied in a state prison,
meets these requirements exactly
New York World.