Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-14
THE MODE OF DEATH
Merits of Electrocution and Hanging
Tested by a Vote.
AT THE EXPOSITION YESTERDAY.
Puplic Opinion is Drifting Toward q
Change in This State.
BYFAR THE LARGEST DAT AT THE POINT

Last nights crowd was the largest that
has attended the Exposition. The out-of-
town people came in the after
noon mostly, and in the evening
the city folks swelled the number.
Manager Johnston says the electric foun-
| tain will be ready for operation Monday.
The oil well machinery is all in place and
operations will be commenced Monday.
Yesterdays popular voting topic at The
DISPATCH headquarters was one Of vital i'm
portance to the citizens of Pennsylvania, and
big vote was called out. The subject was:
"Should Electrocution be Substituted for
Hanging in Pennsylvania" The adoption
of this method of disposing of murderers
by the State of New York
and the kemmler execution are
fresh in the minds of the public.
During the time intervening since the
first test, everyone has had opportunity to
pass on the merits of electricity as destroy
For this reason people were quick to vote,
and voted with perfect knowledge of the
question.
FAIR COUNT.
No voting could have been managed more
conscientiously and with, the one view
of obtaining an honest expression on
one subject. Children and all not
Of legal voting age were barred.
The result of the count was: For electro
cution, 170; against electrocution be-
ing substituted for hanging, 1O1. The
poll-books showed that citizens of
municipalities all over the State had voted.
To further test the subject, half page of
the poll book was headed at the top, 'Your
reason for voting as you do.''
Some of the afiirmat1ve's reasons were:
Quickest route" ''The best way" ''The
most humane" "The most artistic"
"Less painful" Hanging is bar
barous, "It is in accordance
with the natural progress of science"
because science has demonstrated that the
nerve system is instantly destroyed, ""More
merciful than hanging" "Quick and sure,"
cause it is the only humane way next to the
Lethel chamber" "No ropes tol break"
Quicker DEATH" "Better than hanging
Reminders execution bungled." "Because
it is instant"
ON THE OTHER SIDE.
Some of the negative reasons were "Too
inhumane, Because no person understands
the art, =" "Cause it hurts,' "Too painful"
Because one who deserves hanging cannot
get too much punishment" Remember
Kemmler,' ''Too much sentiment wasted on
murderers," "FIat failure" "Inhumane.
One prominent Pittsburger said: ST don't
care how they dispose of murderers-I
would be more solicitous to find a way to
have murderers kill their victims with less
pain"
Among those who voted we're:
d. c. Herbst, r. M. Hamilton, W. D. Lari-
mer, Samuel McKim, A. M. Eiler, Charles W.
Fisher. w. II. Frederick William
Irving Evans, A. M. Ferguson. George
D.: Layton. George Harris, W. J. Cochran,
Albert Dunlap. Sam F. Luhr. Mark Guskey. |
Charles Reynolds, Elizabeth McNeill, M. Will |
son Stewart. Russell NcNeill, Sophie Mellow
ell, Roberta Alexander, Josephine Robinson, |
]. A. Clark, ]. w. Haney R. N. Hamilton,
Charles NJ Clark. Charles Blonde John c.
Thornton, Harry shallenberger John II.
E. B. Bennett, G. A: Ferguson. John 6. Ash. |
baugh, John A. Kennedy, w. f. Jordon, |
Thomas P. Roberts. w. NJ Roberts, Jr.. ]. r. |
King, Geo. Simpson, II. L. Chadwick, E.V. Bab- |
cock, c. e. Robingsen. George Atkin, George |
Rapp. G. Schults, James D. Rhodes, |
s Ben, B '0nes' 6 W 1a'9Ss Issr j. w. Walkers Walkers
5. c. Over, Grant E. Reed, George Snyder. seraJ' +
]. s. Unger. E. M. Barclay, William G. Ander- |
son. Andy Ripley, BENZ. F. Prirchard. John
Elliott, c. E. Oliver. c. H. Oliver, ]. Jones, |
Fl. Durbin. F. C. McGonigle, William ].
bunker. l. n. Ingham, George L. Neff, |
2. /. Dawson. w: F. Kennedy, ]. P. Adams,
Clellan. William Z. Richardson, T. B. Mccain.
z: B. Dix, Z. S Duncan. F. A. Wolk, L. G.
Bihler, W. W. Bradshaw.
Future topics for voting and the next prize
essay contest will be found on the fourth page
If this issue.