The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-15
ANNIE DlGGS' VIEWS.
Hanging Win Not Reform So
ciety, Says Mrs. Diggs.
Reformation Should Begin Be-
fore the Criminals Are Born.
III Treated, III Educated or Unhealthy
Women Are the Mothers of
Moral N onstrosi1ies.

Mrs. Annie L. Diggs believes that muir
der is by no means the greatest crime
against society, and declares that capital
punishment for the offense does not be-
come a civilized and enlightened people
This noted woman opposes the theories
advanced by Governor Leedy, and says:
The man who today declares in favor
OF capital punishment does but register
the distance his own mentality has tray
eied en- route from savagery to civiliza-
ton" Continuing. Mrs. Diggs said:
I dc not believe in capital punishment
for several reasons:
The taking of a life for a life has not
protected society, nor proven a deterrent
of crime.
In many instances there is the shock
ing possibility of executing an innocent
person.
"A hideous task is imposed upon the
man whose official duty it is made to
take te life of the condemned.
''The tone of public morals is lowered.
and human life held less sacred through
familiarity with legal killing.
There is gross injustice in making the
mere killing of the physical body a CAPT
tai Offense, when crimes of more mon
strOus magnitude go quite unpublished by
the law.
Il do not care to enlarge upon any of
these reasons except the last. If it be
true that the greatest good to the great
est number is the law of progress then
the converse must be true and crime
against the greatest number is the great
est bar to progress.
The death of the body is nat
uraI event. The blow of the murderer
does but hasten the inevitable. In every
murder worse has happened to the slayer
than to the slain The tragedy of hu-
mainly is not physical death. but immoral
life. It therefore follows that the man
whose vicious life corrupts society is a
greater criminal than he who kills the
body. Whatsoever of vile practice de-
moralizes character is a greater bar to
human progress and warrants a far
blacker seal of condemnation than the
crime of murder. Capital punishment is
impeached on grounds of it's unjust dis
elimination. Leaving generalization. let
me particularize and tell you OF my re-
cent visit to our state penitentiary.
Il spoke to 800 convicts at chapel on
Sunday I talked to many of the prison
ers personally. and took special notice of
the 'murderers.' The prison officials seem
first of all intent upon fulfilling their OBJ
legations from the highest standpoint of
excellence. I am not saying this for
any purpose of political bOasting, but be-
cause [ was gratif1ed to discover the seri-
management in other states, and the
adoption so far as possible up to date
of those methods which have been found
excellent. economic and humane
Il took particular notice of Willie Sell.
One of two things must be true of him.
Either he did not do those awful deeds
or he is d moral malformation. The cir
cumstantial evidence is so strong against
him that 1 incline to the latter belief
But IN either case what sickening and
cowardly deed it would to seize, over
power and strange him. In noted
criminal case where the accused was
charged with many crimes of great
atrocity. his mother testified that prior
to his birth she was so great physical
sufferer from overwork, hardships and
deprivation. and in such mental torture
from the sense of horrible injustice of
enforced motherhood. that she was con-
stantly rebellious against life and often
possessed of a frenzied desire to avenge
her suffering; to take her own life or that
of her offspring. Her child was born a
moral monster. The untold story of wo-
manhood might reveal many such TRACE
dies. In the dina ages to come. when the