Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-03-07
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
TIE NEW YORK ELECTRIC METHOD
COMPARED WITH HANGING.

Noonnn Relieves in tae Rope.
Tire electric method Of executing criminals
adopted by the state Of New York is attract
ing attention in every part Of Tie country
One Of its warmegt advocates Il ST. Louis Is
Judge G. Eorrnie, Judge Of the criminal
court AS the one Judicial oaicar Of f;t. I.o,,is
who tries men for their lives, his study Of The
execution subject has not alone been b.,
books, but by observation. Io is member
Of the New York Medico-Lesel society. an
association Of doctors and lawyers. which has
correspondents in Europe aad throughout
America. Judge Norlnile Is vice president 81
the society for Missouri
SAYS HANGING Is BRUTAL.
at has been alie1od that electricity s,ss
not lill quickly, said the JUDGE 'eTais is The
view Of Dr. Hammond Wen, Go ret con.
slider his statement as Of great weight. His
inaccuracies have been too many on other
matters. However, am led to think that
before New York adopted the electrical pro
cess there was a conviction ia favor Of the
wire rather than Of the barbaric rope. II Il
a step in the direction Ct humanity. uenq
ing is disgrace to our ese. Il is brutal 10
an extreme, and every brutal act bcnot5 il.
self It has dabasing influence On Ell who
witness il. III my experience as prosecutor
and judge, ! have, in eighteen vars. noticed
a constantly increasing prejudice ia the Jury
box against capital punishment Jurors can
not serve because they are opposed to it."
Are you committed to its cboltion.n
Opposition to every form Of death punish
ment is growing As member Of tho lied.
ico-Iegal society, have been requested TO
use my influence in favor Of the enactment Of
a law in Missouri resembling tho New York
electrical statute While may not bs r5le
to do all that would wish to, / win cornrlu.
nicate with members Of the legislature in be-
half Of it to the extent Of my ability"
The judge is in favor, as be has always
been, Of privacy in executions and less news
paper notice of the event. &c dcprecates the
show features Of hsngings. and approves the
Ohio and Missouri enactrnents for few spec.
tators and rapid work. lie has had czpe-
rienee in sentencing, and, as prosecuting
attorney, il securing the conviction Of crilli-
nails as circuit attorney he prosecuted
and convicted ten men who were executed.
and as judge be has sentenced three to be
hung
Il have seen but one Of them executed, and
that was when serving as circuit attorney.
It was against my wishes to see It, but it was
my purpose to see justice done decently and
as the law directed"
THE guillotine is worse than tho rope"
said the judge. "There is an intoxicstion in
the sight of blood with some depraved nat
ures The Spanish garrote system Of execu-
ton, which once saw in Cuba, is less obiec-
tionablc, as it insures speedy if not instanta-
neous DEATH
The judge became discuTsive On the topic.
His examination into the legal and physical
aspects Of the subject caused him to say.
"Our Anglo-Saxon ancestors, from whom we
have derived our notions Of crimes and nun
ishments, were brutal Only $50 years a-o
there were upon English statute books 20
ofenses for which the death penalty was
prescribed The hanging, drawing and quar-
tering process bespeaks a sense Of humanity
below the level Of Comanche Indian. Tho
student Of criminal jurisprudence in investi-
cation Of ancient notions is appalled, Nor
have we altogether outgrown the brutality Of
our ancestors For poaching or shooting a
rabbit or for trivial offenses Of any sort the
carnival of blood went on, and there was a
terrific slaughter of humanity which our
later civilization is slowly rehuking."
JUDGE EooNAN's VIEWS.
Judge E. A. Noonan, Of the court Of Grim
inol correction, submitted very pleasantly to
an interview on the subject in the interval Of
judicial dispensation His views are directly
opposed to those of his colleague. Although
in his court mercy tempers justice and he is
personally and at heart kindly generous, he
believes in the most rigid punishment Of
murderers as necessary protection to society.
Il do not believe in the electricity propoai-
ton, he said. 1T tends to make death easy
and digniaed. We want our murderers 70
realize the horrors of the rope and the ral-
lows. In my long experience as prosecutor
and judge have met many murderers, and
in every ease these men were efraid Of the
rope. They do not know how painful it is
They DO not knew how long they may hang
and struggle, especially il the hangman is
nervous and makes mistake. Every man
always asks the sheriff to do a good job and
to do it quickly
Continuing, Judge Noonan said: 1--WE do
not in this advanced age look upon hanging
as rejecting the eye for en- eye or tooth for a
tooth idea Of our ancient law makers. We
must protect society by fear when dealing
with the animal natures Of SO many men.
The fear Of hell or hope Of heaven hes no cf-
feet upon murderer, the burglar, the gar
roter and midnight assassin. The burglar who
knew that be was to be burnt at the stake II
he went into house would rather risk being.
cGughs and risls death by more painless
system than eternal FIRE and torture. These
dangerous foes Of hlo and property must be
taught severe Lessons by example. ] an,
therefore, Ggainst the New York method. It
is pleasure to die in that manner 1t is no
matter OF fear to the criminal, while the dis
graceful ignominy Of the rope has horror
even to the most depraved. For example.
men who pray 70 be shot. and, as they say, to
die 'hononbly,' or men who suicide rather
than face tho moose. Nc, sir; you can quote
me as in favor q hanging, and more Of it. /
Ny idea would be to have the wretch suffer
fifteen minutes rather than be killed in
stantly.n
OF course Judge Nooann believes in privacy
and in the proper administration OF such
events, but lie insists upon the galloEs as a
proper punishment end preventive Of crime
st. Louis Republic.
A Floridinn states that 4 e. inst hart rs