The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-25
Kemmler and tho Death Chair.

KEMMIER is to be killed by electricity II
the early part Of August and, there being
no longer any hope OF escape for him, he II
described as Frustrated with terror.
He will be the first murderer executed by
the new method though tho law substitute
ing electricity for hanging as the means Of
inficting the death penalty was made ap
| plicable to all convictions of murders com.
mitted after Jan. /, 1889, and since then the
| crime has been frequent in this State, and
several OF the murderers have been actually
sentenced to death. In other words MUIR
ders perpetrated during the last eighteen
months have gone unavenged by capital
punishment Browns death chair has not
been brought to the test. and his term as
| State executioner has expired without his
having had the opportunity to exercise the
function he craved. The experiment Is yet
to be made.
1t is probable that 1t will be entirely suc-
cessful, and that KEMMLER will be killed In
short order, unless a new executioner shall
get nervous over the Job and bungle with
the apparatus. A laboratory experiment
may work capitally, and yet when it comes
to the trial OF the machine In actual practice
there may be vexatious bitches, If not abso-
Lutte failure. But we do not doubt that
KEMMLER will be killed surely enough the
week after next He must be killed, and
killed by electricity, for his sentence so
commands.
Nor Is there any occasion for expanding
sympathy on him because the prospect Of
certain death brushes him with terror. He
is brutal murderer and was justly con-
victed. II anybody is to be subjected to
judicial murder he, the cowardly slayer
Of q woman, should by no means escape.
He was n wild beast, and he Is to be
killed like one, except that the philan-
thropists who got up the new law
so far considered his humanity as to devise
method of slaughter which they supposed
would give him least moral and physical
agony. AS a matter Of fact, they would have
been moro successful In their object if they
had fallen back on the method Of the sham
bles. and provided that he should be hit over
the head with an axe, as an OK is slaughtered.
But the preferences Of KRMMLER as to how
he shall be killed do not deserve considera-
tion. The only proper subjects for consid-
GRAFTON are the people Of New York, some
six millions in number. Will the slaughter
Of the cowardly wretch by the cruel applica-
ton Of modern science tend to increase the
safety Of human life in the State by fright
ening the murderously disposed2 VIII it
lessen murder and will it enhance the pub
Lie respect for lifep II it does not have such
an effect, OF course the execution will be
useless. It will be horrible moral failure.
AS we have before said, murder has not de-
creased In the State since the passage OF tho
Electric Execution law brought the subject
of the death penalty under renewed discus
sion The Senate refused to vote for the
abolition Of capital punishment, thus send
ing forth what was regarded as terrible
warning to evildoers, and yet the number
of murders has since kept up to the full aver
age Juries are no more ready to convict for
murder than before, though the evidence of
guilt be conclusive, and excursions have
practically ceased.
Therefore. let US wait and see whether the
result will be different after the killing of
KEA1AlLER by the new method. The effect
produced on thepublic mind will be striking.
for capital punishment 80 administered will
appear in new light. People had become
accustomed to the gallows, but the death
chair, tho cold-blooded application of a
agent, the secrecy, the gloom,
the scientific manipulation, will make a pro-
found impression throughout the civilized
world. Men more generally may begin to
agree with Gen. CURTIS that the savage de- |
mand Of blood for blood Is not consistent |
with civilization and not conservative of it.