New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-08
THE ELEc1RICAL METHOD At SING SING

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There Is no reasonable doubt that the four
men who were put 30 death by electricity yester-
day in Sing Sing Prison lost consciousness 40
the instant the electric fluid touched them, ana
died without sensation. IL is unlikely that any
question as TO this fact would be raised but Tor
the worse than foolish provision OF the law that
attempts to make a mysterious secret OF a mat
ter which is in the largest degree OF public IN
tereSt II after to-day there is any formidable
prejudice against the new law il will be chiefly
dine to this provision. The only motive the
Legislature entertained in changing the method
of administering death was ono OF mercy 1t
was 10 be assumed that allihumane people would
he profoundly Interested to know whether that
motive had been satisfied and that no practical
wav of informing them was available except
by enabling the newspapers to report every
detail of the affair with such fulneSs as seemed
70 each newspaper desirable But the law has
abslrdly undertaken to prescribe form ac-
cordlng to which the newspapers must announce
executions and from which, under penalties,
they are not permitted to stray. 1t is held that
"no account of the details OF any such execu-
tion bevond the statement Of the fact that such
convict was, on the day in question, duly exc
cuted according to law, shall be published in
any newspaper Without pTusing TO consider
the legal quality Of this provision our opinion
of which is quite obvious, it is beyond doubt re-
sponsible for all the mistaken notions that have
been formed Of the nature OF electrical eXecu-
tons Instead of enabling the reporters to OBJ
tain the true facts as to each of the executions,
the prison authorities have ofllciOuSly const-
tuted themselves the judges of the laws valid
itv. and have resorted to all kinds of deceptonl
to misead the reporters.
Undoubtedly the execution of Kemmlcr at
Auburn last year was msmanaged, and it IS
even now impossible to say who was at fault,
The probability is that he died painless death
at Che very second of time when the first cur
rent entered his body, that the second current
was unnecessary, and that most of the " horrors
which were so infinitely described as attending
the execution occurred only in the Imagination
Of those who furnished the accounts OF them
10 the neWspaper-men. But tho public, IN
reaching its judgment as TO the wisdom OF the
new law. should not be dependent upon prob
abilities. 1t Is entitled to know what the facts
are. 10 know at once, and to know through the
newspapers which have no motive to misrepre-
sent. 1t is foolish to pretend in these days that
the publics ends can be as well served by the
official reports One of the chief functions of
a free press is to ascertain for the people
whether official reports" are what they should
be or not. If it be enough to depend on the
official report of an execution, it may justly be
required that all other official statements shall
be accepted at their face value, and that it
shall be a criminal offence to question anything
that comes down to the people impressed with
the seal of authority. If there are evils con-
nected with the publication OF the details of
judicial tragedies, and VIC do not deny that
there are, all this mystery, all this hide-and-
seek business which has been going on at Sing
Sing, immeasurably increases and heightens
them 1t is no way to secure the publication
Of calm and dispassionate story to pretend
that there are highly sensational facts fOrcibly
withheld from the public by their servants.
In this matter as in all others, the ways of
common-sense should be the ways Of the law.
The facts concerning these executions should
be as open and as easily Obtainable as any other
facts appertaining to matter done on the pub
lie behalf. Those newspapers which are so con-
stituted as to delight in sensation will pursue
their policy. Those that prefer to tell the truth
viii tell the truth. The public appreciates each
sort at its proper value The press no more
than the public is to DO improved'by law. Its
Improvement cOnres as the result of the same
moral forces that work continually for the re-
generation Of the community.
The new law win gain many friends IN con-
sequence Of these last executions The time
within which they were accomplished is of itself
telling proof that the electrical method is
great advance upon the method of the past.
At the same time there is a growing prejudice
against that feature Of the law which sets the
date of the killing indefinitely and leaves it
within the limits of a full week at Che option
of jaileH. 1t is felt With good reason that this
is a cruel provision, and that nothing Is gained
for justice OF mercy by extending the hoTors
and terrois Of the last struggle through a week
when they might be confined within few
hours of a single day.
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