Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-08-12

was prosecutor at the time he was bound
to grant a pardon or commute the SEN
tence; that he would be prejudiced If he
did not, and that he owed it to himself to
at least commute the sentence.
81 know all about the case" said Gov
ernor Hill. II know that this man was
guilty and that he ought to be punished.
do not approve of hanging as a mode of
punishment, not that am opposed to the
death penalty, but 1 think that some other
method than hanging should be found.
However, 1t would not do to allow this
man to go at large or even to have the op-
portunity for escape which life imprison-
ment might give him. There is no use
asking me for clemency."
While they were talking messenger
came in with the information that the
man had escaped. "You don't want any
pardon now," said Governor Hill dryly,
and the interview closed. But the man
was caught and returned to the Jail, and
the effort for clemency was renewed to no
purpose.
The case however, made profound i'm
preston on Governor Hill. In his first
message he recommended that some meth
cd other than hanging be found for pun
ishment of murderers by infliction of the
death penalty. That was the beginning of
the New York electrocuting method of kill
ing murdercrs. But there was great opposi-
tion in the legislature not so much to
change of method as to an effort to entirely
abolish the death penalty. General N. NJ.
Curtis, now member of the national house
of representatives, was q member of the as
sembly and made a very hard fight to have
capital punishment abolished. The bill
for this purpose passed tho lower house,
and 1t was only by the skillful work of
Governor Hill that it was defeated in the
senate. The governor would have vetoed
. the bill, but he did not want to be com
PEELED to do SO. AS he has often remarked,
"There are better ways of defeating legis-
lation than by yetoes and more popular" :"
Then followed the contest for change
of method of inflicting the death penalty,
and after persistent effort the electric
method was adopted. 1t was never believed
that such a bill could pass, and when it
was found that it had passed both houses
the electric companies began to make
fight against it. Governor Hill was flooded
with kilograms and requests to veto it, but
he answered them all by announcing his
approval of the bill as soon as 1t reached
him.
Senator Hill, while he was governor, be-
came mixed up in the Kemmler execution,
the first one under the new law. That con-
test Is still very well remembered, having
been carried to the supreme court of the
United States and fought from the very
first The electric companies made the
fight, not that they had any interest in
the poor wretch Kemmler, but they did
not want 1t established by a judicial exc
cution that their electric currents were
deadly. But it was of no avail. Governor
Hill was besieged by friends employed by
the companies to have the man pardoned
or his sentence commuted.
His warmest friends were engaged as
attorneys to present the case to him, but
he was not to be moved. 1t was declared
to him that the electric currents would
not kill. The governor would not believe
1t. He finally sent u trusted friend to talk
to Thomas A. Edison and learn his honest
opinion as to the effect of the electric cur
rent The great inventor said that he did
not want electricity used for execution
purposes, but he would answer honestly.
OF course 1t would kill IL the current was
strong enough, and there was not the least
difficulty in making the current strong
enough.