Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-07-28

Sir Cleveland having in the meantime
-r.I as governor and been succeed
e. '. Ie Lieutenant governor The
same aoruey who had defended the
r red with an application for a
pardon He declared that nOtwith-
The fact that Hill appeared
public prosecutor in the case he
ask him for executive Clemency.
even went into an argument 10 show
because Mr.. Hill was prosecutor
the time he was bound 10 grant a
r-fon or commute the senence; that he
would be prejudiced if he did not and
r hc owed it 90 himself 90 at least
commute the sentence.
Il know an about the case said
Governor Hill 81 know that this man
guilty and that he ought to be
punished I 90 not approve OF hanging
g., mode of punishment, not that l am
ra-el TO the death penalty, but [
link that some other method than
urine should be found. However, 1t
would not do 20 allow this man 70 go
- I.rga or even 90 have the opportunity
escape which life imprisonment
-r- give him. There is no use ask
me- for clemonCy
While they were talking messenger
.ua in with the information that the
n had escaped You don't want
r- pardon now. said Governor Hill
vly. and the interview closed. But
4 man was caught and returned 20
-a iail and the effort for clemency
IS renewed t0 no purpose.
The ease. however. made profound
impression ON Governor Hill In his
ursL message Dee recommended that
some method other than hanging be
.Ound for punishment of murdeerS by
,ndicri0n of the death penalty. That
was tho beginning OF the New York
ecT0CutiDg method of killing murder
e But there was great opposition in
-r legislature. not so much TO q
change of method as To- an EFFORT TO en-
--'y abolish the death penalty Cen
e..l n. NJ Curtis. now member of tho
National House of Representatives was
member OF the Assembly and made q
rE hard fight % have capital punish
abolished The bin for this pur-
passed the lower House, and 10 was
hy the skillul work of Governor
tlat it was defeated i'm the Senate.
Governor would have vetoed the
hUt he did not want To- be COM
@ to DO $50. AS ne has often re-
s.t. There are better ways Of de-
ng legislation than by verOes, and
popular
Then followed the contest for q
change OF method of nfictng the death
.-y. and after persistent effort the
-ric method was adopted. liz was
r believed that such q bill could
and when it was found that IL had
both houses the electric COM
-.es heCau 20 make fight against IT,
Governor Hin was flooded with tele-
Rams and requests TO veto 1t. but he
answered them an by announcing his
ru,al of The bill as soon as IL reach
Senator IGu while he was Governor,
wa mixed uD I'm the kemmler exc
.. the first one under the new law
contest is still very we'll remem-
Be having been carried 20 the ST.
'--a Court of the United States and
r1m thevery first. The electric
.aies made the fight. not that they
uy interest i'm the poor wretch
ll by q judicial execution that
electric currents were deadly. But
ot no avail Governor Hill was
god by friends employed by the
lIes 20 havs the man pardOned or
sentence c0umuted. His warmesJ
were engaged as attorneys 10
rtrhe case to him. but he was n0u
moved liz was declared to him
the electric currents would not
a The Governor would not believe
tnally sent trusted friend 20
/ -.a % Thomas A. Edison. and learn his
opinion as 90 the effect of the
'-c current The great inventor
S-a Chat he did not want electricity
'.- lor execution purposes, but he
"e-.. answer honestly. OF course it