The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-08
The Automatic GnlIoms Is Mnrnl

, Or. A, W. Tracy, President OF
me state Board Of Charities. whose
IDEA OF the ethical fitness of things
was severely shocked on account Of am
automatic device of the Nutmeg state
brand-neW Water-pOwer hanging machine
at Wethersheld which enables "a con
demned person TO launch himself into
eternity, may rest easy now I'm respect
OF his ethical inwardness. because his
objections have been argued away Lev
el-hcaded members Of the Connecticut
Judiciary did IT as easy as rolling of Il
log.
Dr. Tracy's objection TO the automatic
kink. when ne had the honor of eN-
pounding In the New York Sun. was
founded on his hasty conclusion that If
condemned man, In walking up gal
lows, stepped on "a concealed trigger plac-
ed there by an Ofiicious State official,
which turned on a water jet that turned
an ingenious apparatus that finally turn
ed him on the state, ethically speaking,
was guilty Of the misdcmeanor of making
the man commit suicide IL took Or
Tracy pretty pearly a whole newspaper
column of sOlid type In the State press 10
construct and fiji this bladder of fine
spun and fragile casuistry; IL took the
Judges aforesaid about ten lines of news
paper space 10 puncture il with "a pop.
Indeed. IL was a pretty toy balloon 10
look at. and the Doctors name for
few days filled the trump of fame, but
I'm n land that invented wooden nntmcgs
Cept a few superiine sentimental pro-
fessiOnal humanitarians who are fond of
splitting hairs. SUll. these gentle souls,
who, II is the public belief Wouldn harm
n potato bug or let an English sparrow
fall TO the ground without making an at
tempt to ease IL down. have wealth and
influence, politically, ana they opposed
the automatic trick of arden W o0i-
bridges unethical Wethersheld eibbet SO
sincerely and Dramatically that even the
Warden. who invented and constructed
IT. really had lurking fear thar in de-
ference 20 certain public prejudice ne
would have to cut IL up for klndling
wood fate that befell the old New
Haven county gallows, Sheriff BiXOee
masterpiece.
To save his admirable gallows creation.
the W arden procured the Nutmeg state
Judicial opinion on the ethicality OF the
automatic gallOws trap-door trigger. and
il is a credit to the precision and exact
ness with which the Connecticut Judicial
mind works that each judge who was in
terViewed speaking offhand and indepen-
IDENTIFY of his fellow experts, expressed
exactly the same ethical opinion almost
exactly in the same words.
Said Judge Elisha carpenter oil the gu
perior Court OF Hartford. II cannot see
that the condemned man commits sui
eide i'm any sense OF the word. lie does
not step on the trap by his own vol
ton any more than under me oia meth
cd ne assembled the scaffold by his own
Il.
gard his execution as an act OF suicide is
drawing il altogether too fne.
Indge Thomas McManuss liea was
nractiraiiV the same. lie did think that
aDr Tracy's communication was eNlueht-
w foir-minded and just lie added
';The new apparatus Is a machine con
,,ivaa "a SHIFT the responsibility so that
the Warden may say ana not hl1
me nan ne killed himself, but ten
YOU II is a cowardly act. Any olilcl4i
Should be ready To accept the respoust-
hilitv and to perform the duties OF ms
posifion." Then he practically reversed
his own reasoning, In part al ieasI anu
certainly demolished the suicide aisu-
ment In few words: Most certainty
II is not suicide. 1t IL not a voluntary
act. and therefore not moral sui 'ide.
III / am on a ship that is captured by
pirates. and they compel us at the point
of the bayonet TO walk the plank, l
do not commit suicide, although l know
that the plar k Will tip after pass be-
yond the point of support NO, that Is r
NOT the reason that object 70 the ma
q me IL Is because II IS an effort OF an |
Official 10 escape plain performance OF |
duty"
other Judges expressed similar Views /
on the suicide idea. said Attorney John |
W. Coogan. of Hartford He does not |
step on the fatal trap by his own volition |
and therefore there .an be no moral
sin laid upon his soul by The act" 50 |
slsc spoke ex-City Attorney Timothy +.
Steele.
Dr Tracy and the tumanisarians have
7 ade no reply TO the foregoing summing
ip on The part OF the ridges Hence
Nerden Woodbridge is easy I'm bis r,inI
bout the fate OF his hanging chef q
leuvre. which " the apple OF his profes-
essional eye The warden spent great |