Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-15
GOING TO SEE A MAN HANGED.

In his Book Of Snobs under the fore
going caption, ThackeraTy describes, with
ver-to-be-remembered wit and pathos,
hanging as It was formerly conducted In
England. Then, IL the criminal were par
ticularly noted, business was quite gene
rally suspended, while the people-men
and women--dressed up as for holiday
and went to "see the fun"
Even here in Richmond, always most
conservative and well-behaved city, as
cities 20. we have seen thousands OF men
gathered together to see vile murderer
put to death.
In the olden times. indeed, 1t was con-
sidered proper that as many persons as
possible should be witnesses of the exc
cution of the laws supreme penalty
The belief was general that the spectacle
would prove warning to evil-doers. 30
the authorities usually selected as the
place Of execution some spot where
thousands could assemble and see the
drop fall Here in Richmond valley
was usually chosen, so that the popu-
lace might stand upon the surrounding
hills. and looking down, have a complete
view of all the scenes attending the exc
cution For this purpose tine FehlIeh-
tiary Bottom" was sometimes used' pu'
oftener the hangings took place In the
valley of Shockoe creek. somewhere be-
tween the Jail and the almshouse.
The last public execution mere was That
OF q negro wlfe-poisoner. For him
scaffold was erected not far from where
the Chesapeake and Ohio round-house
Is now located. on the day Of the hang
ing every neighboring hill was crowded
with people and the prisoner. knowing
that he was in the sight OF thousands,
put upon himself all the airs of martyr
going TO the stake.
Happily. the laws Of Virginia and OF
most other States now forbid public exc
cutions and provide that executions
shall take place in the presence of
q few witnesses only. This we think
wise. In the first place, it discountenan-
ces the morbid desire common to
many to see hangings In the next place
it removes from the prisoner the great
temptation and incentive to pose" be-
fore tho public.
There is vast deal too much OF
maudlin sympathy with murderers and
male monsters. They ought to be treated
70 better than other prisoners are treat
ed. and certainly ought not to be made
heroes OF. And when it comes to exc
cutting them, 1t ought to be done in strict
conformity to the spirit of the law.
Wherever the jail-yard is found to be
full Of spectators to see a hanging, then
the jailer has flagrantly disregarded the
law. In one case that we remember, the
trial judge fined the officer $50 for failing
to have a private execution.
Many a prisoner has been buoyed up
and inspired to put on Jaunty front by
the consciousness that he was TO die
In the presence OF a great crowd. The
man who would have seemed a hero al
most. at a public execution, would have
appeared the brutal, cowardly, shrinking,
shiverinc murderer that he was at a pri-
vate execution.
we must OWN, Ho"SFei' ti"I VIC news
paper folk have not been without blame
in this matter. We have often over
done our work, and not satisfied with
letter-press descriptions, we have used
cuts descriptive Of narrowing gallows
scenes. OF all the errors of this kind
that we have made we ought TO repent,
and for the future we should resolve to
give the news briefly and without aid OF
picturesque writers, or sensational ar
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