The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-02-01

ISLANDERS occasioned bypeculiar personal
circumstances of the condemned and
complication of the process of execu-
ton by the supposed necessity of hang
ing more than one person at time.
Again, the objection to hanging women
is so strong and widespread that it often
secures verdict of acquittal. 1t in
duces pardons in cases where pardons
are without proper grounds. 1t feeds
and keeps alive for years a spirit of
hostility to the law which commends so
unseemly sacrifice" The commission
maintains that death should be painless,
and that the testimony of ages shows
that to aggravate the deprivation of
life of the condemned by any method
which augments the pain of dissolution
does not produce deterrent effect. A
bill is therefore submitted substituting
death by electricity for hanging, with
provisions for strict privacy in execu-
tons and forbidding any religious or
other services to be held over the re-
mains, or the publication in any news
paper of any account of the execution
beyond the statement of the fact that
such convict was on the day in ques-
ton duly executed, according to law,
in the prison where he was confined.
AS for the instrument of death, the
commission says that chair with a
head and foot-rest should be used, in
which the condemned man could be
seated in half-reclining position. One
wire could be connected with the head
rest and the other with the foot-rest,
which would be a metal plate. The
electric current could be supplied by
electric light wires. An Independent
line from the electric light plant could
be constructed if desired.
The old and steadfast advocates of
hanging are not pleased with the re-
port. Thus the New York Observer
says: elf this change is effected it
ought to be followed by the appoint
ment of another committee to secure a
more humane method on the part of
murderers in Staying their victims"
A writer in Harper'S Weekly discourses
in this ronical vein:
understand that the death-spark can be
applied with minimum of official nterven-
ton and without even arousing the victim
or say patient, from his sleep on the morn
ing fixed for the execution of the sentence
One journal has drawn an interesting pic
ture of the simple process and / have
fancied the executions throughout the state
taking place from the governors office,
where his private secretary, or the governor
himself, might touch little annunciation
button and dismiss murderer to the pres
ence of his Maker with the lightest pressure
of the finger. In cases of unusual interest
the executive might invite a company of
distinguished persons to be present and
might ask some lady of the party to touch
the button. Or, as when torpedoes are ex-
ploded or mining blasts fired in the compile
ton of a great public work, a little child
might be allowed to discharge the ex-
emplary office.
On the other hand, it is urged that the
old-fashioned considerations about in
creasing the deterrent influence of the
penalty by making the infliction of the
capital penalty as terrible as possible
has comparatively little force. The
Tribune has this to say: If taking a
mans life, no matter in what way, does
not deter from the crime to which the
death penalty is affixed, then nothing
can do so. The punishment consists in
the taking of life. That is the most
and according to the general opinion)
the worst that man can do to man.
Humanity and justice alike counsel the
execution of so tremendous sentence
in the most swift and painless manner
and also in the most certain manner.
This is what the proposed adoption of
electricity as the agent signifies, and if
it is carefully and scientifically applied
there can be little doubt that the ex-
ample of New York state will be fol-
lowed by all civilized communities"