The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-20
CnnitaI Punishment.

The rather discouraging results reached
by the authorities OF New York in the
execution OF criminals by electricity have
greatly encouraged the opponents of the
death penalty to a removed attempt to in
fuence the members of the legislature,
now in session in Albany, to abolish capt.
tai punishment.
A measure looking to this end was dis
cussed at Albany two years ago, and the
proposition obtained more than a two
thirds vote in the lower house. This
large support at the time was probably
owing to the effects upon the public mind
of several bungling executions by the
rope which had occurred previous TO the
introduction of the measure into the legis-
lature.
The Philadelphia Press, in discussing
the general proposition to abolish the
death penalty. says:
Statistics on the subject are not very
full or trustworthy. There are three
Northern states which do not infiict capt.
tai punishment for murder. They are
Maine. Rhode Island and Michigan. Since
1929 Maine has hung only eight murder
lar in the state. and, although at times
the law has given the governor power to
inhict capital punishment, it has been
used rarely. But statistics show that the
number of murders has steadily increased
and the records show that over thirty
murderers are serving lie sentences
in the state prisons. No person has
been hung in Rhode Island since 1915,
but the present law, which restricts capt.
tai punishment to those who commit muir
der while serving a life sentence, was not
passed until 1852. 1t is doubtful if
murders have decreased any in proportion
to the growth of population, but it is
thought that more convictions have been
secured than would have been possible if
hanging was in use. If newspaper state
ments are trustworthy capital crimes have
increased in Michigan, the third state
which does not hang for murder. In the
wears 1887 and 1855 there were 107 MUIR
ders committed in that state and forty
convictions were secured. The question
of returning to hanging is agitated every
legislative session and receives much pop
ular support.
In foreign lands statistics 90 to show
that murders have decreased with the
abolition of the death penalty. Two years
ago the following was published by the
New York Sun:
Belgium-No executions since 1868.
Number of murders ten years before, 92l /;
ten years after 703.
Finland-No executions since 1924. Muir
ders extremely rare
Holland-Capital punishment abolished
1870, with decrease in murders, despite
increase of population.
Observation-Disclosures 1874. Since
reinstated by two or three cantons.
Prussia-From 1S69-7S out of 4S4 con-
demned to death only one execution
| (Hoden.
Portugal - Capital punishment abol-
ished.
Roumania-Abolished.
Tuscany-No execution for fifty years.
Russia-Capital punishment retained
only for treason and military insubordina-
! ton.
In these countries the death penalty is
in use so rarely that it may almost be said
to be discontinued.
Austria-From 1S70-79 of SOC death
| sentences sixteen executions.
Norway-From 1S69-7S of fourteen sem
fences three executions.
Sweden-From 1S69-7S of thirty-two
sentences three executions.