Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-08
KEmMLgR,s EXECUTION.
Or. George F. shrady Speaks EditOrially
on the subject.

AUBURN, N. Y, Aug. 8.-Dr. George
F. Shrady, editor of The Medical Record
of New York, telegraphed an editorial
to his paper, in which he says:
Although science has triumphed the
humanity of the act is still an open one.
But shall we call it triumph when the
object was to kill fellow-being? Here
tofore the proudest claim of science has
been to save, or at least to prolong,
human life and to insure for its pos
SCISSOR the greatest enjoyment OF its
many bountics.
In this instance it has been plainly di-
verted from its course under para
doxical plea of high humanity. And
vet men Of science have lent their best
efforts III this direction to humor the
whilns of few cranks and world bet
terers," who imagined they could make
legal murder a fine art and enforce into
it an element of seutimcntality which
might rob it of its atrocity. While we
allow that electricity has been a success
as far as the killing is concerned, we
must also admit that we have gained
little if anything over the ordinary
method of execution by hanging.
The preliminaIies of electro-thanesia
are far from pleasant to contemplate.
Alongside of those for hanging they are
pretentiously horrible. There is some
thing more than weird in the prepara-
ton of the machine the deliberate fixa-
ton of the victim, the adjustment Of the
| electrode and the Thousand deaths in
contemplating one, which more than off
sets the quick. though damnable, tax
| ing off. The horrors, though hidden,
are nevertheless felt.
There is something else to be thought
| of than the mere quickness Of death.
| While the latter might have been tri-
umphantly done, the agony of the Grim
| inal during the preparations must be
terrible as compared with that of hang
| ing. 1t becomes serious question il
humanity Is not paying too dear price
| for instantaneous demolition. The awe
and mystery of death are intensified q
thousand fold in anticipation of what
This instrument of subtle power may dc
As compared with either the moose OF
the rope, the grip of the garroter, the
smart of the knOut, the bore of the bul
let. or the chop of the ak,
And yet to harness the lightning and
bolt it through human body is thought
to be one of the advances of the
ninetceth century. The experiences
in the Kemmler case, in spite of all The
precautions taken, have shown many
difficulties in the way of general adop
ton CT the method. 1t is far from simple
i'll its application. 1t requires elaboratt
and careful preparations, it multiple
machinery, which. without expert ma
nipulation. is liable to fail in its workin;
and bring about disastrous results: i
may be source Of danger to the exc
cutioners and spectators: it increase
the expense of executions: but wors
than all, in the necessary preparation o
the victim there is crowded upon him il
few seconds IN amount of horror AM
suspense which has No comparison wit
any other forms of rapid demolition
save those of being thrust in the muzzl
of q loaded cannon or tied to dynamit
bomb.
When it is assumed that the ends O
justice and humanity are reached by tn
contrivance in question, and when
must be admitted that even this metho
can not be divested either Of cruelty q
barbarity, the way seems to be open fo
the discussion of the abolition of cap
tai punishment altogether.