The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1891-02-02
THE EXECUTION OF CRIMINALS.

THE EXECUTION OF CRIMINALS.
The bill of Senator Crandall providing
that the execution of a criminal shall take
place within the walls of one of the State
Prisons is worthy of all commentator.
The RECORD UNION years ago urged the
passage of such a measure, and very fire.
quently this journal has set out in detail
the reasons underlying and maintaining
that policy.
New York is the. first State in the
Union, we believe, At has adopted the
policy and abolished public executions.
This recent example of the Empire State
ought to have much weight with the
present Legislature in considering this
matter. We apprehend that outside of a
few newspaper men who wish to cater to
morbid if not a depraved taste for SEN
sationalism. there are no people who will
attempt to defend public executions, ex
cept few who believe that they are terri
flying and therefore greatly deterrent in
their influence.
AS matter of fact, all experience
proves that county executions are bad in
their influence; to witness the agonies of
the condemned upon the scaffold is not
deterrent. The belief of the best in
formed upon the subject is that the sem
sationalism, notorioty and publicity of
public executions-and county execu-
tons are nothing less-actually stimulate
the criminal class to take human life for
the brief personal importance that re-
suits in case of conviction for murder.
Men actually seek through crime grim
and CHASTITY publicity and newspaper ex-
altation of the name of the victim of the
law.
The effect of sensational executions
upon the public is immeasurably harm
full. They numb the sensibilities, dull
the edge of conscience and cater to taste
that is brutalizing. Every man of obser-
walton knows this to be true. We have
but to note the effect of an execution at
any one of the county seats to be con-
WINGED of this. People will throng into
the town from all the surrounding coun-
try and hover about the walls of the Jail
within which the legal taking off is to be
accomplished, though they know that
they will not be permitted to witness the
execution. Half of the population of the
town will desert business and fill the
streets in the vicinity of the prison;
youths and men and even women and
children will seek high points of vantage
upon housetops and in trees in the hope
to catch even the faintest glimpse of the
are demoralizing, such eXcitation of the
brutal taste debasing, goes without say
ing.
But there are other reasons why Sena-
tor Crandalrs. bill should pass. It pro-
vides that the execution shall take place
within one of the State prisons, and be
ney-General and physician, and shall
take place in the presence of twelve repu-
table citizens of the State, and in the
presence Of any two clergymen the con-
demned may select, and any five of his
friends he may name, together with such
peace officers as the Warden may choose
as additional witnesses. The condemned
must be removed to the State prison at
least ten days prior to the day named in
the warrant of execution. The law, the
faculty and the people are thus repro
scented at the execution by sufficient
number of witnesses.
The week of agonizing preparation
usual at county jails is thus avoided;
sickly sentimentalists are deprived of the
opportunity to moan over the soul of the
condemned, and against weak-minded
women is closed the privilege of fawn-
ing upon the murderer, and showering
him with tears and attentions that
make the gorge of the decent man rise in
disgust. The counties are saved the ex-
pense of executive preparations, of the
erection OF scaTolds and the employment
of guards and the like. Instead of fifty
three scaffolds barring their CHASTITY arms
in the State, there will be but two; in
stead of the work of bungling execution
ers and horrifying scenes like that en-
acted at Martinez few years
ago, the executions will be skillfully per-
formed by men who are taught just
how to discharge the disagreeable office
with tho least possible suffering to tic