The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-12
THHGALLOWs APPROyED.
Legal and Medical Opinions Obtained by the Warden on the Machine.

the Warden on the Machine.
 The controversey between the state board of charities and Warden Jabez L. Woodbridge of the Connecticut state prison over the structure of the gallows to ba used in hanging the convicted murderer, John Cronin, August 2f. as' sumed new phrase yesterday. "the other," that is Warden Woodbridge's side of the story coming to the front.
 It will be remembered that on June ! Secretary Whittiesey of the state board of charities addressed long communi- cation to Warden woodbridge,in which specific complaints were made that the gallows which had been designed was less humane in its operation than the one heretofore used fin the executions in the state, that it was constructed in such a manner that the official per forming the execution evadcd responsi- bility, that there was not sufficient pre- cautions against unforeseen mishaps and that the condemned man virtually hangs himself, and consequently adds to his crime of murder that of suicide.
 On July Secretary Whittlesey again addressed a communication to Warden Woodbridge In which copy of vote of the state board of charities passed July ?, was enclosed as follows:
 Voted, That 1t is the opinion of this board that the proposed method of in- flicting the death penalty as shown in the working of the model of the hy- draulic gallows recently erected in the state prison does not carry out the sen tence of the court in accordance with the provisions as laid down in the stat utes of the state, and that in the case of performing the death penalty, the warden of the state prison in his ca pacity as executioner, be requested to abandon the intention of using gal lows made and operated after the mod el aforesaid"
 No official notice of these communi- cations was taken until Tuesday, when Frederick A. Spencer, M. w. Lawton and E. M. Chapin, the committee of the board of state prison directors upon the erection of the building and hanging apparatus, and Warden Jabez l.. Wood- bridge met at the prison and in pres ence of Dr. Harmon G. Howe and Dr. William W. Knight, as medical ex- perts, tested the model of the gallows which has been formally adopted as the state instrument. Tor intlicting the death penalty.
 The model adopted is modification of the hydraulic gallows used by the state of Colorado. It is much simpler in construction and every motion is positive. It consists of frame at one end of which is a box or trough enclos- ing a weight, which is to over balance the body of the condemned man. This weight is held at the top of the box by lever weighted with small shot. The shot run out of a. box into receptacle underneath, very much as the sand runs from the upper to the lower part part of an hour-glass. When the shot are all run out of the lever is released and the weight attached to the rope around the culprit's neck drops, send ing the man into the air'with a sudden
 
 jerk, which is followed by an immediate l fali, A dial registers the movement of the shot and by a pressure upon the lever it can be hastened or retarded. The execution can take place in ten or in five minutes after the man is on the platform. The condemned man will see only the rope with the moose, and the gallOws operates silently.
 | In connection with the controversy with the state board of charities War den Woodbridge asked the opinion of Gross, Hyde & Shipman, the well known law firm of Hartford, and the opinion of Drs Howe and Knight, the medical experts. Both sustain the war den and directors, and the latter wind up their statement by saying that they are as much interested in the hu. mane execution of the law as the state board of charities"