St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-05
STILL THEY HANG.
The House Refuses to Favor
Abolition Of Capital Pun
iShment.
DEBATE ALL ONE-SiDEO.
State Auditor Dunn Will Have
His Duties and Powers
Enlarged.
HOUSE CALENDAR CLEARED.
Heavy Days Work Ended by
a Graceful Compliment
to WatterSon.

Murderers will continue to be hung
In Minnesota, according to the ver-
dict rendered in the house yesterday,
in committee of the whole, by vote
that allowed of no misunderstand-
ing.
The vote was taken on DT. Zter' S
bill to abolish capital punishment in
cases where a prisoner is convicted
of murder in the first degree. Only
three speeches were made in favor
of the bill-by Messrs. Johns, GrOn-
dahl and Dahl-but they were about
the best speeches made during the
debate, and reflected credit on the
gentlemen named.
When the bill was reported DR..
Zier moved that it be recommended
to pass: Mr. Foss moved an amend
ment that it be Indefinitely post
poned, and on this the debate
opened.
Mr.. Johns made an impassioned
and a powerful plea for the bill. He
expressed the hope that the state of
Minnesota would not fall behind her
great sister states in. the march Of
civilization and humanity. In no
other one thing had the advance
ment of the world been better shown
than in the abolition of capital pun
ishment; and he held that the lesson
of bitter experience had demon
strated it's advisabilty in many
ways.
Mr.. Littleton made an argument
against the bill on the ground that
the punishment of death is a pro-
lection to life that it would be very
dangerous to remove.
Mr.. Foss spoke against the bill
He wanted all murderers hung as
swiftly as possible.
P. Il. Kelly paid a tribute to Dr.
Tiers goOd-heartedness and gener-
Gus impulse, but until the murder
ers Of Catherine Cling are hung"
said he, eve want the present law"
He referred bitterly to the bungling
that is said to have occurred in the
recent double hanging in ST. Paul
Mr.. Johns took exception to his
colleagues reference to the trial now
in progress in Minneapolis, and lost
his equilibrium in a somewhat over
drawn but dramatic attack on the
press for it's treatment of the Hay
ward trial
Mr.. O'Reilly believed the present
law is proper and should be main
tanned. Abuse of the pardoning power
would defeat the ends of justice. he
thought, if killers were simply sent to
prison.
Mr.. Scofield rose to defend the pub
lie press, and thought it would be a
woful day for the republic when the
press shall be muzzled. He believed
the truth should be spread broadcast
over the land. Heredity he held to be
largely responsible for crime, and con-
sidered there is much to be said for
the good accomplished by destroying
the lives of bad people.
Mr.. Gerlach believed that all muir
derers should die on the gallows. Re-
ferring to the crimes of outlaws. he
said if it We're possible he would hang
them twice.
Mr.. Robbins referred to the pardon
ing of the anarchists by Gov. Altgeld.
and denounced such proceedings as a
people.
Mr.. Hutchinson said he had voted
for the abolition of capital punishment
in Wisconsin, but now he had con-
cluded that he had made a mistake.
and favored the legal killing of muir
derers.
In opposing the bill, Mr. Feig de-
nounced the methods of detectives in
lows. The jury system and DELAY of
punishment for crime were also held
to be radical weakness of American
law. The old Mosaic law was what
he believed in enforcing.
Mr.. Warner resented the assertion
OF Mr.. Kelly that any bungling had
occurred in the hanging of Ermisch
and Wonigkeit. He paid a warm trib-
ute to Sheriff Chapel in closing.
Mr.. Dahl spoke for the bill force
fully and well. He instansed Michi-
gan as a state in which the abolition
of capital punishment had proven a
good thing and cited many favoring
facts to back up his really strong argu-
ment.
Mr.. Sander said murderer is not as
good as a rattlesnake, because the lat
ISA SouiiuS d warning before STRIKING,
while the murderer does not.
Mr.. Dingman considered capital pun
fshment very necessary measure of
protection for society, and the only
law at all calculated to deter possible
murderers.
Mr.. Grondahl believed the bill should
be discussed in a spirit of brotherIy
love, and not made light Of He dwelt
in earnest words upon the fact that
as nations have become more civilized
the punishment Of death has become
less frequent. He did not believe the
shadow Of the scaffold has any effect
on prospective murderers. If that
We're so, it would be better to burn con-
Victed men at the stake than to hang
them, thus offering a more horrible
example.
MIR. Boobar quietly expressed the
opinion that, instead of being dropped
though a trap, murderers should be
drawn up, and thus started in the right