Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-05-31
Interesting History
Of Capital Punishment Agita-
ton in Michigan.
THE SENATE CONSERVATIVE
BUT THE HOUSE NEARLY AL
WAYS FAVORABLE.
The Senate More Favorable This ession
Legislative Notes.

LANSING, NJ ItH., MAY - here rs nlrtOr- |
zeal significance in tine fact that the present |
Legislature l. more favorably inclined to re-
vivlng the death penalty in Michigan than |
it, predecessors, which is more freely appre-
ciated in the light Of historical events. The |
starting point of this agitation in serious
way in the legislature was the receipt of the |
now famous petition of the officers and
members of the Free Dutch Reformed
Church in America, asking for a law for the
iuhction of the death penalty tor murder.
This petition was read IN the house of rep
resentatiyes January 20, 1871. April II the
same year, Rep +. h. Miller offered the fol
lowIng
"Re-olved, That the able and respectful
memorials upon the subject of capital pun
ishmen presented for the consideration of
this house, are emlnently worthy OF attention
and reply; ana this house does heartily con
curr IN the sentiments embodied and set
forth III such memorials"
The resolution was laid on the table, and
for decade thereafter the history of the az
itation, so far "a the legislature is concerned,
presents very little of interest In 1851,
there was set-to over the subject in the
house, attended by an important result, mas
much a bill was introduced at that session
by II. A Nyckoff of Oakland county, pro-
viding for the iutliction of the death penalty
in certain cases II was introduced Febru-
airy 49, referred 10 the state affairs commit
Zee, and placed on the general order March
:, April 10 the bill was re-reterred, reported
out again the next day and made the special
order for May T. On that day a vote was
taken, but the bill failed of passage The
vote was reconsidered and the bill tabled. Ii
was taken up again May 2G, and passed, but
came to an end in the senate. further consid-
Grafton of the bill being indefinitely post
poned
The subject was brought Mp again in lSsj
1t was during the session of that year that
NJ. Ii. Ford of Grand Rapids made his cele-
brated fight in behalf OF a restoration of
hanging. Mr.. Ford began early in the ses-
sion, his bill being introduced January Il.
1t was reported without recommendation
February Is. The bill was made a special
order for February 2G, and was that day
agreed 10 by the committee of the whole
| February -. il passed the house, but Ike
the bill introduced by Mr.. WyckofF, met de-
feat in the senate, that body returning it to
the house without Its concurrence.
In 1859, hanging bill again passed the
house, the bill passed the house, the bill hay-
ing been introduced by \. O. Abbott of
Lenawee February :. 1t was referred to
the committee on judiciary, and reported by
that committee April (, and advanced to
third reading April %. May 3 it was dis
cussed and tabled, but later the same day II
was adopted 10y the house. Just before the
! final adjournment for that session. the bill
came back from the senate, as did its prede-
cessOrs, with the senate's non concurrence.
In 1891, the craze for execution by cleo
| tricity had attained considerable growth in
Michigan, and several bills restoring the
death penalty and providing for Its infection
by electricity were introduced at the session
of that year. They were referred 10 the
| judiciary committee, but the chairman of
that committee was unalt, rably opposed to
capital punishment, and the bills were never
reported.
At the session of 1893, Rep. X. 5. Kline of
| Nashtenaw introduced death penalty bill,
| containing proviso that the punishment
should not 5e inflicted in cases where con-
victon was secured by circumstantial evil
dence. In spite of very strong opposition
the bill passed the house by small majority.
Its fate in the senate was the same As that Of
all hanging bills previously introduced. 4
| majority in the senate were opposed to the
| bill. and il remained in committee room al
| the close OF the session. One of the most
bitter opponents OF this bill and its prede-
| Do
tions on the subject were so strong, that he
would resign his seat if the attitude of the
senate should favor the re-enactment of
what he regarded a. relic of barbarism.
And now, after a quarter of century of
agitation, state senate has at last been cleo
ted. the members Of which express seuti-
ments in favor of reviving the death penalty
This l. shown by the fact, that, although
strenuous attempts were made TO defeat the
bill, it passed the senate by a vote of 10 to -
The first two sections of the bill "a passed
read as follows:
SECTION /. The people of the state of
Michigan enact, that whoever purpOsey, and
either of deliberate and premedltated malice,
or by means of poison, or IN perpetratng
or attempting TO perpetrate any rape, arson,
robbery OF burglary, kills another. Is guilty
of murder IN the hrst degree ana shall SUI
fer death.
SEC. ?. The mode of inflicting the punish
ment of death shall be by hanging by the
neck until the person is dead, and the war
den of the Michigan state prison, or IN case
of his death. inability or absence, a deputy
warden, shall be the executioner; and when
any person shall be sentenced by any court
of competent Jurisdiction to be hanged 10y
the neck until dead, such punishment shall
only be inflicted within the walls OF the state
prison at jackson, Michigan, within an in
closure to be prepared for that purpose under
the direction of the warden of said state
prison and the board of managers thereof,
which Enclosure shall be higher than the
gallows, and so constructed as to exclude
public view. All executions of the death
penalty by hanging shall take place accord
ing to the provisions of this act, and on the
day designated by the Judge passing sentence,
but before the hour of sunrise of the desig-
mated day, and the warden or deputy warden
, executing the sentence shall receive for his
services so.
The third section contains directions for
the removal of the condemned to the prison
| ia Jackson Tho following clause was added