Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-21
CALIFORNIA; Death Cell
For Habitual Criminals
REMARKABLE PROPOSAL TO PUT OUT OF EXISTENCE. IN A PAINLESS
WAY, THOSE WHO CAN NOT KEEP FROM CRIME.

The problem Of how society may best
protect itself from the criminal classes
is one of the most vital questions of the
day. Criminologists and p~enologists
have studied crime ana criminals from
every point of view and every effort has
been made to enact laws that should have
a reforming effect upon those inclined to
COMM. offenses against their fellow
citizens and yet. at the last meeting Of
the National Prison association, It was
admitted that crime. instead of becoming
less frequent. was constantly increasing.
Many theories nave been advanced as
to the cause of these conditions n sew
eral remedies a been suggested, but
none of these suggestions LAY attracted
as much attention as the proposal from
California that all habitual offenders
shall be put to ieash. What makes this
proposed remedy more striking is that it
comes at a time when nearly half the
world is considering the ACCESSIBILITY of
the entire adjustment Of the death pen
atty. In several countries laws making
life Imprisonment the extreme penalty
have already been enacted. and the hang
ing OF the AnSell girl, in England, was
the means of in~augurating a crusade
against capital punishment that has eX-
tended from one end Of the United King
dom to the other.
For years a similar sentiment has been
AotiNSdoie IL lIiS CoullliN ana TIE HIS
haps that have attended recent execu-
tions have not tended to overcome such
objections to the death penalty. The slow
strangling death of both men and women
in instances Where the gallows failed to
break the neck of the person to be exc
cuted has made hanging seem more
brutal than ever. While the roasting to
death of several condemned murderers
has had a tendency to make humane men
and women look lpon electrocution with
equal disfavor.
The proposal of the California law
makers to enact new laws in which death
shall be the punishment fol- all incorli-
gibles is, therefore, of the utmost import
ance to others who are interested in the
prevention of crime. The simple fact is
that for many years eminent c%limino,o-
gist have held this opinion but never be-
fore has any Legislative body shown any
disposition to consider the matter from
such a purely scientific standpoint.
There is probably no penal institution
Of Importance in the civilized world
where there are not one or more .n,o1"i-
Slble criminals who might we'll be DIS
posed of. They are men who, while they
are in full possession of their ordinary
faculties, are naturally so vicious that it
is impossible to reform them. The most
rigid of prison rules have no effect upon
them and in sucR cases kind treatment is
wasted. AS soon as they are released
from confinement they commit some
other and often greater crime. and it is
not long before they are behind the bars
again.
In such instances criminologists have
often held that it is better that the Grim
inal should be dead thar be permitted to
re!naln a living menace to society. OF
course there are arguments both for and
asalrst this drastic method of dealing
with habitual offenders and it is not my
oblect ar this time to even discuss the
question. but simply to explain what GER
tain California lawmakers PROPOSE 10 10
and hov. they might successfully accom-
pllsh the" object.
The die ct cause of this crusade against