Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-07
KommInr the Pioneer.

rerson 20 suffer death by electricity at the
hands Of the law.
He was a commonplace murderer. and
lad he been hanged IN few months would
have been heard of no more. AS II IS he
was the unwilling and unhappy pioneer in
unique field Of public enterprise, and
his name will live not only in the records
of the courts Of justice. but have place
in the repositories of science. Some OF
the most learned men of our times
Judges, lawyers, statesmen, electricians
surgeons. and others-haye contributed to
his notoriety. He has set a precedent,
and marked a course in which, may be,
many Others will be doomed TO follow.
OF modern modes of execution the gal
lows and tho guillotine have been most
generally used.
No date can be fixed when men first
adopted the rope as cheap and handy IN
sirument of riddingthe world of criminals,
hut in the olden times, when the death
punishment was inflicted for theft as well
IA murder, the custom was 10 attach anoose
20 n limb of some stout tree, stand the VIC
tim up in q cart. adjust the knot. drive the
cart of. and let death do its work.
Later on the gallows. the trap-door, ana
"the dull thud" came into vogue but
there have been so many bungling hang
iprs. SO many revolving scenes about the
scahold. that humane men have taxed their
ingenuity for the invention of q mode OF
death that would be certain and instanta-
neous, and therefore more merciful.
The guillotine has found no favor with
Tnglish-speaking peoples. though our mo-
ther country used the axe very freely IN
one period of her history and II often hap
pened that the excited and trembling exc
cutioneer had to make more than one
stroke. This is alleged to have been the
case at the decapitation of MARY Queen OF
Scots. The first blow but barely touched
the flesh: the second sent her head rolling
into the basket placed there to receive IT.
The French used the same clumsy method
dor the execution of "a certain class OF
criminals until DR.. GUnLoTIN secured
the adoption of the machine which bears
his name, but of which he was not the In
Ventor.
The gullotine is better than tie axe or
sword-better possibly than hanging; but
the shedding of blood is so repugnant to
our people that the gallows has been re-
tanned in preference to any system OF be-
heading.
Our New York friends. progressive and
aggressive in nearly everything, a few years
ago resolved to abandon the rope, as the
sword and axe had been aforetlme done
- = 4 trta
II was their belief that the death penalty
could be made instantaneous; that there
would be no bloodshed. and that the body
would suffer no great Disagreement. SO
they adopted electricizing as the process,
and to prevent the public press from re-
ralingn their readers upon the scenes In
the last hours of the condemned they
made il crime to publish the details OF
an execution. As the New York General
Assembly, great as il is, cannot legisiate
for any other State, this restriction would
work to the disadvantage of the New York
papers if the latter suffered themselves to
be governed by it; but we suppose they
will not, as the theory is an absurd one,
and moreover is in restraint of that liberty
OF the press which is the bulwark of our
liberties.
The greatest difficulty in KEMMLEI' s
case arose from an unexpected source.
The company manufacturing the electri-
cal machine proposed to be used entered
most violent objection against the EN-
ployment of their appliances for this
odious purpose. They wanted no such adj
vertisement. They feared that the public
would turn in horror from dynamo
Known to be capable Of such deadly work
1t is true that scores of men have been
killed by accidental contact with electrl.
cal wires, but the inquests and investiga-
tions in these eases were generally so be-
,louded in technicalities as 10 leave IL
doubt whether the victim or the wires
were in fault. In the case of lawful ex.
ecution no such observation could prevail
So the patcntees fought the State. Expe-
dent after expedient. device after device
was exhausted to undo the law and the
sentence. but yesterday morning KEMMEI
was seated IN the fatal chair, and then and
there put todeath.
The accounts of the execution are lit.
ell that in the first use of electricity fol-
this object the most desirable and potent
results would be obtained. So far as the
scientific world is concerned il was but az
sxperiment, and the observations made
yesterday will be instructive to those who
may be called upon hereafter to visit the
laws dread penalty upon those who COM
NIT deliberate murder
No doubt tue Auburn officers were ner
yous and excited. In common with the
rest of the world they were without expe
Yience. When electrocution comes to bt
as common as hanging very likely it will
be done Just as well-and that is not sayins
much~-and perhaps a great deal better
The law TO which its origin is due was die
tated by merciful spirit. IL it effects
that object il will be generally adopted; 4
not it should be rejected.