Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-21
CAPITAL PUNlSHMENT.
Shall che GalIOvys be Superced ed by
Electrieity7

Shall the GallOws be Superced ed by
Electrieity7
DIFFERENT METHODS or ExEcur1ox-rn HrYRcr or
| HANGING ON THE CRIMINAL CLAssEs-rn DISTRICT
| GALLows-cRMINALs WHO PRETEND TO BIZ RKLI-
| GIoUs-roo MUCH DEFEKRNCE AND CERKNoNY.
| The question Of the best method Of executing q
condemned criminal is just now occupying public
| attention. People who are opposed to capital
punishment, and many others who are advocates
OF it. think that some means should be devised TO
carry out the oath sentence that Ia less revolving
| than hanging by the neck. The report made by
the commission to the New York state legislature
| on the subject OF capital punishment, suggests
that the use Of electricity would be more humane
| than the galiows, for BY It the brain is par
| alyzed and the subject is dead before the
| The commission gives q list Of countries
| showing that the gallows Is used In but three,
the guiIlottne In ten, muSket two, axe one, cord
one and swSrd - nineteen, and IN
In this country the gallows is the Universal instru
ment, nd for murder and rape the rope Is often
provided, too. In arly all the states that the
| executions shall not be public, and the law re-
| stricts the number Ct spectators
THE sCAFFOLD.
There is no particular pattern Of scaffod In use,
bLs most Of them have the drop supported on
| bolts, and worked by trigger pulled by cord OF
pressed by button under foot. In all cases the
preparations are made with the greatest care tn
hs 70 ne
| smoothly. and the rope is carefully stretched to
get all the kink out, so that when the culprit Is at
country places the gallows are very primitive
affairs few years ago one was used where the
drop was plank 6y foot, worked precisely
lie the leaf OF table. In another place some
brcklayers erected sca1old for four on their own
plan, and II aid It's work we'll That which is al
as model one no accident or hitch ever having
occurred In the ten times 1t has been brought into
service.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF HANGING,
1t Is claimed, is that II the rope is properly ad-
Justed-that is, the slip-knot placed behind the
left ear and drawn so as the small finger can be
squeezed bene ath it, that when the drop Is sprung
and the culprit fails the knot Will tighten and
lodge directly on the spinal column, forcing the
head quickly forward. In this way the neck is
disocated, or strong pressure is brought to bear
on the medlla obtong0te, and causing instant
death. While it is true that in some cases
In the executions here the neck has not been
the physicians were Of the opinion that the cut
prt suffered, and the general opinion among them
was that when the rope was stretched they were
subtle agent can do its work cleaner and with
more expedition than the ld-time gallows; but
tne Questions an open one wnetherh Jack ketcn
Knob the execution" will have the same effect
on the criminal classes as II the mortal coil was
ouuiuCu vi w ucdIlS vi udugmdn'S uOOSc
THE THEORY or THE LAW
is that punishment Is not inflicted ON the individ-
ual solely his account, but to deter others from
the commission OF crime. Many people think 1t is
somewhat difficult to conjecture on this theory
why, In most OF the states, executions take place
hold that the scaffoid should be BULL out in an
open field, where all might see who wished. But
to have executions conducted In private, and car
addresses from the condemned, who, II their words
are 10 be believed regard the drop the threshold
OF heaven, and ali details published in tine papers,
not attained, especially II the culprit goes OF in
paroxysm OF praying and shouting.
AN INSTANCE.
Indeed, II is known an execution In the old jail
yard (4th and G streets northweSD was witnessed
by colored man in q tree on the outside, who
only the week after, committed a similar crime
murder and rObDery-ln Alexandria, and was hung
Tor 1t. 1t Is thought that some OF the lower order
Of criminals regard the culprits who are hung as
noble examples, because OF the preparations made
and the difference usually shown him IN his last
days IL cannot be said however, that hanging
mas no good effect beyond Kidding the cOmmuniL "
Of q dangerous character but the question whether
means can be adopted that would have still more
effect upon the criminal classes Is TO be decided.
A STAR reporter talked with a number OF persons
who have been intimately connected with execu-
tons, and Instances were cited showing the public
effect OF hanging.
GOOD EFFECT.
About ten years ago Judge Lynch presided over
case In Maryland Within space OF less than
20 by 10 miles there had been some ten dozen
outrages committed within year. brute was
arrested for one OF the crimes, made confession,
small band OF citizens, impatient at the laws de-
lays attacked the JAIL rode him out OF the capital
OF ae state hand and placed him on
started and he soon eXpiated his crime, for the
other end OF the rope mad been made fast to the
hibitlon OF Judge Lynchs law has been very per-
cepuble, for since that time no such cases have
occurred within double That extent OF the territory
LYNCHER's ADDRESS.
How the private citizen often regards the slow
course OF the law and the execution OF q criminal
Is shown by the following address made at q
lynchtng at the Point OF Rocks some eight years
ago. Ihe subject was cOlOred boy OF nineteen
erick County, was arrested In West Washington
and taken TO Frederick by two police officers. AS
the train neared the Point of Rocks the ofiicers
were Overpowered, the prisoner seized and carried
TO small tree and hung. The crowd OF 90 or 20
men stood In rain storm In q circle watching the
a few yards OF the body and said: "There you
hang, you wicked rascal. You thought that you
were going TO Frederick. didn't you? But you
they would have put you In house and kept you
till the day OF trial Then they would have put
twelve men In a box, the lawyers would have
talked TO the jury, and they would have just said
one word. Then they would have taken you back
see you and pray over you, the ladies' would have
sent 10 you nice juicy beefsteaks, eggs, oysters
and fruit and rattened you. Then on an appointed
day the judge would have sentenced you to be
hanged, and the people would nave taken holiday
and the soldiers turned out and you would be
dressed In a long white shroud and placed on a
platform, and after they had sung and prayed over
you you would finally be hung by the neck You
didn't get there, did YOU and you now know that
God Almighty makes just as good trees to hang
men on as any Scaffold the state OF Maryland can
build"
THE RELIGIOUS CRIMINAL.
It Is question, too, whether in some instances
when the culpr1t makes a loud profession OF re-
l1gion, II 1t is not all animal emotion THE STAR
reporter was told OF the case OF Brce, who was
convicted or the murder OF a cOmrade at the Batl-
more and Potomac depot, and sentenced to be
hung. On what he supposed TO be his last night
On earth he was singing and praying till past
O'Clock, but when the news came half hour later
that he would have his sentence commuted the
JOY on his prospect OF living longer on earth ex-
ceeded that shown when he had a prospect OF
heaven. The next morning he was all SMILES, and
laughed at those who came down to see him Drop
and when he started for Albany he met at the
depot one OF the witnesses, toward whom ne
showed that he had no kind feelings II Is the
opinion OF many here that the less science used
and the more hide0uS the gallOwS Is made to look
and the suppression Of all talk which would tend
TO make the culprit look heroic the better would
be the effect.
Help One Another.
Help one another" the snowfakes said,
As they cuddled down in their heecy bed;
'One vi Us here would not be felt
One OF us here would quickly melt:
But I'll help you lid you'll help me-
And then what big white drift well see"
Help one another" the maple spray
Qai IN it's fell la lenvaa od.xr.