The sun., 1891-07-11
LET rHE CoRoNKB ACE
Roger NJ. Sherman Suggests that the eirs
Sing KMllng be Legally InyestlEateA.


Sing killing be Legally Investigated.
To THE EDITOR OF The suN-Sir. The ap-
pearances reported upon inspection OF the
body OF smiler indicate that there is no more
reason to accept the statements Of the packed
body Of witnesses at Sing Sing than their ss-
surances that the execution Of Kemmler pro-
duced instantaneous and painless death. The
repetition OF the current, upon any preteDce.
il In direct conflict with the statute. which re-
quires that 1t shall be continued until death.
Tho surface burns upon Smiler's body show
that the execution was substantially like
Kemmler's.
1t 10 almost inconceivable that under o system
OF popular government under such conditions
OF secrecy this innovation should be tolerated.
We have merely the bald assurances OF PER-
sons chosen to form favorable opinion. who
confessedly forgot their manhood by taking an
illegal oath not to tell anything but what Is
favorable. as n condition OF being allowed to
witness these violent deatha thus describe
their oath because they have themselves thus
construed II. The appearance OF Smler's body
contradicts their assurances.
Tho Court OF Appeas said in the case OF
Cancemi: Tho State. the public. have an in
torest In the preservation OF theliberties and
the lives OF the citizens. and will not allow
them to be taken away without due process Of
law The natural life. being the immediate
donation Of the great Creator, cannot be legally
disposed OF or destroyed by any individual.
neither by the person himself nor BY any other
OF his fellow creatures. merely upon their own
authority"
1t Is evident that II Smiler was killed in de-
flance OF tho statute: H. in other words. tho
plain prescription OF the statute requiring .
continued current was found inadequate. and
was supplemented by repeated shocks, the
death was not lawfully inflicted.
Can 1t be that matter OF such transcendent
importance must rest upon the word OF irre-
sponsible witnesses selected for their favor
able opinion OF the new death penalty or their
personal relations TO the official charged with
the workp What weight can attach to tho
testimony Of physician who Is unaware Of
the contradiction iu terms involved in The
statement. attributed to DIR. Ward. that after
:" instantaneous death" the current was re.
peated for the purpose of stopping tho mus.
euar action Of the heart and lungs" &c. II
Or; Ward vii! read the tr atee "Des Signes de
Ia Mort" bv Bourhut work crowned by tho
Institute OF france. he will learn that the pro-
lonyed cessation OF til. heart beat ascertainel
by the, ,stethoscope is one Of the Indications
and thai. conversely. the rersistent heart beat
is Uni Yni;.,rsa,.y ,,n accepted as tho proof Il ife
noyai ion has been inrodMced. % and. f thus , far an
tested. must some timo yield to true scientific
methods. Why not now
Here is man who has beon killed by an
other: his body lies within the jur sdiction Of
the Coronera Of this county. Code Grim. Pro-,
sec. 773D The Electrical Execution law has
not abroGated the functions OF the Coroners.
ton. 1t is the plain duty Of the Coroner to in-
Quire Into the cause Of death. and in case 1t Rp-
pears thnt even an oilicer OF tho law Eas taken
authorized by law. it is the duty OF tho Cor
oner's jury to find and the Coroner to act ac-
cor'iirRly. This Is the MODE prescribed by tho
common law to form the community whether
even The Sheriff has or has not taken lie ac-
cordinR to law. and no obstacle can exist to
prevent the Corr oner from securing full state
ment under oath from oyery witness OF the ex-
ecutions at Sing Sing. ROGER NJ. SHERMAN.
NEW YORK, July y.