Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-22

an Of the opinion that the creature
who. in cold blood and with calra de-
termination. does 20 death one or more
of his fellow creatures does not suffer
one 1.-THE Of ths mental torture before
execution which = endured By the man
Who. under some distracting influence,
had-to put IL In mild way-killed =
fellow creature oy accident Fitting
worldly reqaital other than forfeiture
Of life might possibly be devised in the
former cAse. end venture 10 suggest in
the latter case sdcquate punishment
other than capital punishment should
b substituted
consider capital punishment some
thing in the nature Of . disgrscs to an
age of civilization Wheueser l read
now Of an execution ] an seized with q
sici<ening reeling. not wholly to be ae-
counted for by the moro or less revolt
ing details before me. cannot help
being moved by the thought that am
. member of . community which allows
certainly more OF les thoughtlessly)
practice to b continued that in years
to come win, feel sure. DO looked
UROu - fCASc u O0kootiStuss SucItou
the hope Of living 70 indulge In such ret
rospection-
IL l. an entirely painful thing 70 see
newspaper and individuals trying to
make party capital out Of an execution
carried out under tho existing law, and
] trust the public will not allow those
dangerous and hideously unjust remarks
which sometimos appear in print to in
fluence them under any circumstances
Let ~ remember how easy and agree-
able II n TO cry for mercy. and how diff
flcult and unpleasant it must be to do
ones duty when In . position of serious
responsibility. which may involve the
necessity Of shutting ones earn to these
cries for mercy which one would 90 will
ingly grant h possfhlA Let N not,
by showing feeling In . subject
which should Be sacred from che iarring
sounds of political warfare, weaken the
arguments for or against general
principle. For my part. notwithstand-
ing any argument which may be brought
70 bear against me for having carried
out tho very grews0mo work which de-
volved upon me, Am content to rely on
tho grounds Of humanity and expedien-
CIV. holding a do. that tho former ern-
braces al the religion applicable to the
case. and Tia latter contains the e.
ssuce of social ccneiderat ioos involved
in tho matter. It = my sincere couvic-
ton. after what have witnessed
through eight years and . half of ter
rible experience. that cauttal punish-
ment IL . nero relic Of bsrbarism and
should DO sholished. not ooly In this
country. but throuRhout tho world.
Nv recon for reeienine the oA3ce Of
erccutioner va becsu.e The MIR con-
dcmned u,en vere,not alv,vr couitahlv
trr.Aed- Therc Zere unirst di.crim;-
nation. I know from experience. I
am thorouehly disqusted With our Eng
lish law Witch in6icts the eutrcme
pen.ltv ON one oriminnl. while another
oonvict Who hns committed a most
desperate murdsr. rot or With imuris-
oument for lila have heard a crimi-
nal coufeaa. after bainr rsuieved. that
he actually committo6 the deed. Yet
two Of his comrades, Who were San
tenoed 70 death .t the same tine. were
summariav hanred. In Euelsud Il Il a
common thing for certain criminals In
meet vith fsyor ~ TIA hanae ~ a
tudoe or sscretarv Of stata. rs6ernar-
tieularlv TO persons in hieh l6a Who
oueht 10 be the verv perpons. that
ouSht 10 sufPer mouA = thev .ro tas,oht
- tnow hetxer. II : poor vor,rinc
man A.uuena n Nm his vito hv q fatal
blow. or : - hv = knife In heat az
passion. he has 10 b hanged. But n \
i.dv M. Nont.rus- fnr ipe4anceA tor.
trr.s .-schiId 10 death. she 4 LEI on
~ith. ,ronther innri.onment tn.
~ 5I.nd reaatino ~ the t,lr;no
.-.v ~ human Bfe "A rotte,, ana
- I. the wnv n which ~ Il
.Srus,;.Ae-.a H.vS executed men for
whcu, 7 ~. hs6 : certein amount ~
r,ene1st- beeause fhoosht at tho time
nv 80 meetsne : fate which chew
aiA ma .1Noo.ther deaerve. Verv Sevy
MN ~ vornsn -. awnv nenitent or
nr-ns,sd - .no4her World.
After ree6sn~ Ma accounts az eA.ctro-
cutioca - ain0 aine. : seutieman.
$780, ,sn.> : .Ss1l - 1000. ,vrote
s.r me- - ~ - ~ 49, Of 6uinesa in
Hancbester naeevSnin dAta. / accepted
hi invitaesoa aaa arrived &hsss at the
time sppointed He hnA large dyra-
mo pf1nA wusking different electric
lights for different placsA Car first
trial vs. With his own largo Istriever
dog. which was suffering - the time
from some disease The dog Va muz-
= = n a. - - u