Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-04-24

persisted in saying she was not guilty.
On March 81, 1884. two men were ex-
ecuted at Cation Jail, Edinburgh for
shooting three game-keepers. On the
Saturday before their execution the two
wives each with five or six children,
paid them last visit to say "Good-by."
The wife of one was so overcome that
she went out of her mind and was taken
to a lunatic asylum. There was such
frantic crying and calling for daddy"
that l could not help crying myself,
and the prison warders who were stand
ing about all shed tears.
In 1886 young man was executed In
Lester Castle. This man was OF weak
mind; he was nearly insane from fright
Il was with great difficulty that he
was brought to the scaffold, four ward
ers having TO carry him the whole OF the
way; and by his confused aud wander
ing talk it was evident that his mind
was completely unbalanced.
THEY PREFERRED DEATH TO PENAL
sERvITUDE.
Three men were hanged at Carlisle
for burglary and murder, and they
begged the Judge to sentence them 10
death, as they would rather go through
the death penalty than the ordeal OF
penal servitude for life, having served
twenty wears each before, so that send
ing a criminal for life into penal servl-
tude is far more terrible than hanging.
Then, in the case of three men at
Worcester, eighteen months ago, SEN
fenced to death for numbering two
gamekee pers, one was reprieved at the
last moment and only two hanged, and
the man reprieved actually acknowl-
edged that he himself was the murder
err. This is another case for the aooli-
tion of capital punishment. II one was
reprieved all three should have been re-
proved. Why should one get of with
penal seryitude and two be hanged?
Because influence was brought TO bear
upon the case by the Bishop of Worces-
ter. therefore the two gipsies had to be
hanged because they had no influence.
1874 EXECUTED OUT OF 672 ACCUSED.
Now in a few sentences let me give
you two reasons which appear to me
convincingly in favor of the abolition of
the death penalty: FIRST, it would give
greater security TO human life. Con-
victions in crimes punishable with
death are less certain than in those for
which other punishments are glyeL.
During ten years, from 1879 TO 1855, In
England and Wales 672 persons were
committed for trial for wilful murder;
OF these 231 were acquitted, li2 we're
found insane, and 300 were sentenced
TO death. OF this number li5 had
their sentences committed and l54 were
executed. Thus only a. per cent. OF
those charged were convicted and % per
cent. OF those condemned actually suf-
fered death. So that persons charged
with murder have many more chances
OF escaping than any other class OF
offenders, and this is well known TO the
criminal classes.
Secondly. / believe there are far more
murders committed by persons who are
really insane than is known or &C
knowled ged, aud while the number l
have mentioned were found insane at
the time OF their trial, there are
many others in whom insanity Is not
fully developed until after their con-
viction.
Jack Ketch, ID may be remembered,
hanged his men TO the gallows-tree and
sat on their shoulders to make sure OF
them. Calcraft, who otficiated In those
busy times at the beginning Of this CEN
fury, attracted much attention by the
excellence OF his drop system. Mar
wood, who followed him, introduced the
thin rope, which obviated many mis-
haps that the thick one caused. Berry
surpassed him by the science he showed
in adapting the length OF the rope to
the height, weight and general makeup
OF the dropee.
At one of his early affairs he used
Marwood's 1O-foot drop and pulled the
mans head right of. Then he expert
mented with private gallows in gar
ret and brought out his own system.
He never allowed a drop OF more than
6 feet, and seldom of more than ) feet 6
inches. A red neck he found was
strong neck, and required long drop.
To DR.. Cross, an old man OF seventy,
who murdered his wife and daughter,
and was hanged in Cork, Berry only al
lowed drop of feet 6 inches.
He also invented new strap to De
used for pinioning the felon's arms on
his way from his cell to the scaffold.
Another of his ad mirable inventions
was leather washer which prevented
the knot destined to fit under the sub
ject's left ear from slipping. He also
advocated an alteration of the trap-door
the two sides Of which ratified on the
head of the man after he had dropped
with unnecessary brutality.