The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-10-28
LEGAL SilijiDE.
The Oregon Method OF Executing
Criminals.
An Automatic Device by which the Con-
dc1aued Launches I!i' own soul
Into L -eruity-i;etter than
stFTtriCtty.

Not to ,peal. lightly 81 a grave sub
ie,.t Dr,.,ln has. pat the beer on her
murderer. The man who kills another
and j. convicted of IaHrti cr il sentenced
20 Gcatu i- in other states. hut l. made
~ hong himself.
Tho hanging ta',es place there amid
al the iugunrIoa., surroundings which
arr, common 90 IN, d,ath penalty else
whore. Thu striking difference. We ar,
informed. H. in The supreme momcut--
the execution itoeIi. Instead of The
sheriff. or some hired deputy, having 20
hang the culprit by ~pringing trap.
terchinr u trigger, or driving uf a
ho.sr tho naiov~ /, lutrmutlr and the
within is his pyru cNc'utipnar- .ih"
haarin~ tai:,, place in tha ''cS'rution
room of the Jail. in IN" presence Of
fourteen Pcr~'n~--c"rtaIn !rSignatea
officers. a apiritual adviser chosen by
-. prisoner. ant "a jury ~ -i'- reputable
citizens IF th., ,,a,r. Tho reporters arr
-... 'l f. \ de@utv var .'1 n@ne.i
HaFIys ~ the inventor OF the han"ing
.,utr.rl-'r. which {, said Il beat cle'-
;.iri--. ard IS thus described by the
t--r =: chronicle:
Es thu prisoner enters the execution
r. n and has finished his consultation
..-.n his spiritual adviser, the hia k
...r +. p,acnl over his head. the moose Il
.t tust2A and ne advances to position
or q small piece Of carpet. about four
r...t square. which Is placed directly II
front Il the fatal machine While thor
s. nothing suspicious about this carpet
a.. spot. it j. small platform separated
from the rest Of the floor. Below II
rests on the end of q long lever, the or-
T7sitc end of which Is in an adj
i.iniuy room. In this adjoining
room are two large pals. The upper
pail contains about forty pounds OF
water, a rubber tube connecting il with
the pail bclow and the water starting
- il0yv Mt the opening OF q valve. hls
plil of water i fastened u one end of 4
~t,,.,l bar. AT the other end Of which II &,
th1rtv-pound ball of iron, held i'll its
position only by the heavier weight ut
tho other end. To this ball of iron Is
attached a rope passing upward and
over "A pulley into the wall, wherc Il
trigger holds a weight of two hundred
and twenty-five pounds in position.
Thi, weight is also securely fastened
with a rope. which seems u disappear
over the ceiling. The other end OF this
rope is the end ut which the condemned
man is standing
Unconscious VI what he il doing, he
steps on 20 this small bit of carpet.
His weight moves the lever under the
floor. By this the valve in the pail OF
water Il opened. Noiselessiy the water
passes through the rubber tube into the
empty pail. The ball of iron Is Released
from its position. II jerks out the trig
ger holding the heavy weight. Thi:
drops. and within thirty seconds from
the time the man has stepped on 70 the
carpet he il icrlled into the air and his
death is instantaneous The prisoner
is jSrlScd about six feet into the air and
falls back % about three feet from the
NrOr.
In each Of the four executions which
have taken place the neck has been
broken and there has appeared no sigr
oC struggling.