The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-14

! perience had fitted them for such delicate
duty, and their decision would be final.
i In reaching this decision, however. they
would have to be guided by something
| more than the ordinary methods of JUS
| tice. OF course the condition of the
prisoners brain would play an impor
! tant part in their Judgment, for there are
| persons criminally insane whose removal
| in this manner would scarcely be justi-
| fled by any civilized government.
| To the alienist however, this would
not be a particularly difficult matter, for
/ if there should be any doubt as to the
/ prisoners sanity he could be sent to an
asylum where his freedom could be fully
restrained. After this question had
| been settled and a careful examination
of the criminals career and antecedents
had been made there are other tests
| that might be applied that would be Of
| the greatest service to the science of
/ criminology. For instance, the theories of
BertflIon and Lombroso could be put to
I the test. and there is no doubt that many
traits of the prisoners character could
! thus be brought to light.
/ One advantage of the Bertillon meas
| urement. a system that has already been
adopted in San Francisco, would be the
j possibility of identifying habtual GRIM
/ inals whose record In other parts of this
/ country would entitle them to receive
/ the extreme penalty as incorrigib:es In
i California. The reliability of this sys-
tenn has so long been recognized that it
/ has become the standard method of
! measurement and Identification in all
parts of the world.
1t IS based upon the fact that after a
. person has attained fluff growth certain
measurements OF the body do not change.
The length and width Of the head. the
length of the middle finger. the foot the
forearm, the outstretched arm. the
height of the figure, standing or seated,
remain the same. When man has been
! individualized by measurements of this
kind he can easily be mathematicaliy
identified In fact, NJ Bertillon has
proved that what we call science is sim
ply common sense. carried TO Its utmost
technical limits and reduced. to its most
practical application. q -
While the theories of I.ombrosoi. Ard
other opponents OF. degeneraeNf have by
60 means been proved to be always cor
rect the careful studies of the male and
| female might well be considered by. such
board of examiners as that which would
be established in California, sapdsif habit
ual offenders ard incorrigibles We're found
| to be distinguished by cranial, facial or
other characteristics great step would
have been taken IN the discovery OF the
proper treatment OF criminals Until
such theories had been proved, however.
they could not be depended upon. but
would have to be used more il the nature
of circumstantial evidence.
Another question that would follow
t the adoption of such a novel innovation
in California would be the proper method
! Of disposng of persons to be removed
from their sphere Of crime. The increas-
ing tendency of popular opinion Is Ger
| l. e1lf SDf n
capitaa punishment. This is seen in the
adoption of electricity as substitute Tor
the galiows, but it is an open question
If the change has been for the better.
Afishaps in the electrical chair have been,
comparatively speaking, us frequent as
accidents in cases where the rope has
been used, and In such instances the nor
ror of the scene is more terribly e1npha-
sized For this reason many of those
who believe in the application of the
death penalty are strong opponents OF
the lethal chamber, q cell TO which death
would come quickly and without pain.
1t Is the general opinion that the best
means of accomplishing this purpose
would be by the use OF either chloroform
or ether, but DR.. W. G. Johnson, one OF
the most energetic defenders OF this
method of punishment favefs the adop-
ton of hydrocyanic gas in Japan the
government is already considering the
adoption of a similar method OF inf1icting
the death penalty, but IT really matters
little whether one drug or another should
be adopted. In either case the result
would be the same. The death dealing
fumes could be conducted to the cell
through pipes. and the condemned would
pass away as painiessly as il he was
simply falling asleep. In these modern
times, when the principle of the death
penalty is absolute justice and not re-
yenge, the more humane the method In
nicting this punishment, the less bruJaiiz-
ing will be its effect upon the commit
nifty
That some such method would have to
be adopted in California there can be ND
doubt, and all who are interested In the
treatment of erimo and criminals WIFE
watch the progress OF this Western cru
SADIE against incoriigibles with the great
est interest.