The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-08-10

New York's electrocution law seems to have
been sngularly unfortunate in those intrusted
with carrying out its provisions for the first
time. The electrical experts selected to exc
cute KEMMLER somehow succeeded in turning
what was intended to be tragedy of chilling
solemnity into sickening horror, while War
den DURsToN turned the provision of the law
intended to keep the details of the affair from
the public into farce. Perhaps the latter re-
suit was unavoidable, as every legislator at AL
bany who voted for the law must have known
that down to the last detail every incident OF
the execution would in some way be obtained
by the press and laid before the public. Never
theless if any one is to be molested for the gen
ersl violation of that section of the law which
forbids the publication of details of the iniiic-
ton of the death penalty by electricity, Warden
DuRsToN would seem to be the first who should
receive the attention of the prosecuting Oh
fcers. But this phase of the affair is OF rela'
lively slight Importance. What is OF most con-
cern is the bungling manner in which, after the
most elaborate preparations, the execution was
carried out by the electrical experts, IL 'eX-
perts" they were, and the horrible scene whlch
resulted from this bunglng described with such
narrowing sensationasm by the newspaper men
whom Warden DURsToN had invited 30 be pres
ent or course, it is said with truth that the
execution an experiment. But 1t was an
experiment of such grave Importance that IN
the hands of competent men anxious for It's
| success none of the easily avoidable mistakes
| in handling the machinery which actually oc-
Cured would have been possible. The careless
adjustment of the electrodes, the failure to
properly dampen the sponges, the stoppage OF
the engine after the first shock, the consequent
delay of two or three minutes in generating a
sufficient current when the apparent return OF
animation called for another shock, and the
neglect to note precisely how many volts were
used at any, stage of the CHASTITY process
what an array of blunders where so much was
involved of humanitarian and scientific in
terest
1t is likely that an immediate result of the
| experiment on KEM1ILER will be more wide
spread and determined agitation than ever be-
fore in favor of the abolition of capital punish
ment. Certainly those who oppose the intlictior
of the death penalty could not by their utmost
endeavors have brought about anything better
calculated to make converts to their views thai
that horrible scene in Auburn prison on Wed
nesday morning last. No one with ordinary hu
man feeling can read the printed accounts of i
without praying that civilization may speedil.
be rid of the horrors of capital punishment il
any form. Fortunately for society," it is in nc
> such mood as this that laws made. Societ.
must be governed in the main by reason and no
by emotion. There can be little question tha
r the fear of the death penalty has paralyzed man
an arm that tingled with the impulse of murder
+ If the execution of KEMMLER by electrcit
, had been carried out, as it seems reasonable t
suppose it might have been, with speedy an
terrible effectiveness, the awe Of the death pei
atty would have been increased among those di'
posed to crime, while the arguments of thos
who oppose its inhiction would have been robbie
j of much of their force. But the bungling whic
made of this first electrocution sickening ho
ror will turn thousands against capital punisl
- | ment in any form.