Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-09-08


# 49, 1899. The circum.
stances OF Divis's mcasurably shillcss
lie, the lack Of family concord. the
killing, and the hiding Of the body In a
potato pit, were graphically related In
the columns Of the Nrws a few days
ago, aud need no, be repeated here. Il
Is enough to say that the case has been
through the illl judicial course, to the
highest tribunal OF the land, aud this
has decreod on the law aud the cyi.
dcnco that Enoch Davis must die. His
death before September -, or the cxrf.
ciss NJ rcprieving power 10y the Cover.
nor. are the only means that appear as
possibilities to change the destined
course under the courts procedure.
a chief reason for the desire to spare
Davs's life is the belief that be knows
where the famous Dead Mans mine In
Uinlah county Is, aud that the iuiorma-
ton OF iis whereabouts is the price OF
securing Communication Of his sentence TO
life imprisonment There may be other
reasons, but that comes on, most prom.
incnuy. DAVIS is said To have made the
discovery shortly before the crime was
committed. and to h.. occurred bag
iul Of gold nuggets But he killed his
wife aud his arrest put stop to his
gathering the gliteung metal.
Davis IS to be shot, he having elected
that method, from the choice which Is
given In the law Of hanging Or shooting.
There has been only one man hung ~
Utah. and that was more than third Of
century ago. The procedure Is too
barbaTous. All other condemned muir
dcr,fs have expressed preference to
die by the quick process Of title ball
rather than the jCrkiug, strlngiing, bar.
barrie method OF dams ling on the end Of
rope I'LL life becomes extinct. So
Enoch Davis made his choice, with the
understanding that on the day of cNccu'
ton lac would peer into the muzz,us VI
five or SIX Winchester rifles, 10 the
hands Of unseen officers, aud hear the
"Ready-Aim-llruW oi the official in
charge.
What more he may hear or will feel
ctnnot be told by mortal man; for
Enoch Davis will be instantly placed be-
yOud the possibility Oi describing his
emotions. The method Is certain. ex
pcdiUous, clean, aud mcfciiu as an cN'
ccution can be. THurc b. none Of the
disgusting spectacle which usually
attend, executions in different parts Of
the civilized world. ORAL methods Of
Staying murderer, that prescribed by
the Ulah law is the most civilized.
The last murderer that was executed
IN Utah was Fred. iopt, alias Fred.
Welcome His was the most famous
murder case that the Utah courts have
handled. lie Killed John +. Turner
son Of cN-Shcrlii John w. Turner Of
Ifoyo. Iuly 4. 1850. lie was run down
IN Wyom.ng. In the Third district
court In Salt Lake City he had four
tdals. -Four times his case went to the
Supreme court OF the United States.
Thee times the action Of the lower
courts was reversed, but IN the fourth
tral ID was sustained, and on Thursday
August H., 1857, more than seven years
alter the commission Of the crime, Hopt
was shot within the pcn.tgnlafy walls.
preserved an outwardly calm dcmvan'
or, though the suppressed excitement
may be realized when Il Is known that
Just before the time of execution his
pulse beat 100 minulc-ngarly three
lines the normal rate. When he was
led out TO die he took his position near
the northeast corner Of the pententdry
enclosure. about 20 feet from canvass
covered structure which had been put
up Tor the eNeCutiuners, and through
small holes ~ which there pointed out
the barre Of five Winchester rifles.
Before llopt sat down be made briei
speech. Then as he settled himself IN
the chair he uttered an oath-a fact moi
published lill now, but the reasons eN'
istipg for keeping il quiet NJ the time
have passed away Then Marshal Dyer
gave the command. "Ready aim
hrel" The sharp crack OF the rifles
rang out on the air so close together
that II hardly could be disccTned that
more than one shot had been fired.
For an instant-and Il was only an In
stant-ilopts body remained motion
less. His head bow ed slightly forward
and body, chair and all began to ial
over backward, forced by the concussIof
Of the bullets with the body. The bod,
went steadily down TO the ground 3,
gently that when II stopped Hopts hal
renamed on his head the rim buinl
caught at the back OF his neck. Tn,
terrible ordeal was over, Death haC
been instantaneous. The dead man.
mouth opened once and closed again
ne N an WAS hlllls ihNl hAlliln llAl
passed through his heart, two centcrn,
b, and lodged in the adobe wall be
yond.
Many and varied have been In,
ways in which the nations hay,
inflicted capital punishment; III,
quality Of these methods as I,
mercy may be ascertaiued 10y compari
son. The ancient Germans draggr,
criminals at the tail OF a horse I'LL NJ
was extinct. CrucihXion was practice,
by several OF the oriental nations, bu
did not produce death for several hours
and strong men have been known {,
live so long that In mercy their eXeCu
TONERS fastened their end.
The method Of killing by skinninl
alive, by boiling In hot lard or oil, b,
dislointiRg the body on the rack, O
driving spikes into the BRAIN q
crushing In an iron frame puncturgl
with spikes, are principally invention
If the middle ages. So WAS the prac
tice Of hanging person on the limb q
tree In such manner as to let deaf
occur naturally from starvation, or b
letting the crows pick out the eyes an
tear the flesh. This was punishment
not inIrequently inflicted in Spain 10
highway robbery.
Hanging has been the favou,e mod
In England OF exercising capital punlsl
ment II has been the penalty not onl