The hatchet. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1883-19??, 1900-05-13

rigid prison rules and discipline
No one denies that the convict con.
victed for the first time can be re-
formed in some instances, because
he can. All cOnvicts are not Grim
inally inclined, and those that are
not will, as a rule, upon their release
from prison go forth to do battle with
the world without one thought OI
wrong doing. They are not looking
for the help of the reformer, becau e
they know full well that the reformer
quits reforming when he is asked to
90 into his pocket.
If the habitual criminal can not
be reformed, what are we to do with
him? Clearly we must s)lve this
problem, and if all the great and
recognized criminologists and peno-
lOgists are as a unit in their cOncu-
sions ralative to the mOdus Operandi
to be pursued, surely their ideas
should outweigh the visionary, i'm
practicable theories of the we'll
IN aning but mistaken associations
and individuals, The crying need
of the day is for laws framed on cor
rect, scientific principles, uniform, 50
far rs possible, in all the states, and
vigorously enforced. 1t is impossible
to lay too much stress on this matter
it is vital and urgent. The basis of
criminal law, as we have it to-day
is found in a series of loose defini.
tiOns and descriptions complicated
by judicial comm 9nts, rulings, con-
structions and interpretations, which
make the definition of individual
offences and gradations of penalties
impossible without scientific SYSTEM
atizatiOn. With a code OF laws
framed on purely scientific basis,
put into effect and enforced by clean,
practical men, the result will be all
that can be desired. 1t is high time
for the people to interest themselves
in this subject and elect men to office
who are pledged to enact and enforce
suitable, practical, and effective
measures that will act as a deterrent
against the comm lssiOn Of crime.
No milk and water legislation will
do; we must adopt drastic, severe,
heroic measures.
Ohio has made a stride in the
right direction by enacting an habit
ual or minaPs act, which provides for
the imprisonment for life of individ
uals convicted of crime for the third
time. The legislature of California
will be called upon at its coming ses-
sion to enact law providing for the
Imprisonment for life or extermi-
nation Of the habitual and incor>
rigible criminal.
The direct cause of this crusade
against the habitual criminal is a
prisoner named Oppenheimor, who
is confined in the Sau Quentin, Cal.
prison. He is without doubt one of
the worst criminals with whom the
State has ever had to deal. lie is
absolutely vicious and without moral
sense. Three times he has attempted
to murder his keepers, and they must
be constantly on their guard to pro-
tect their lives. Neither kindness
or prison discipline have any effect
upon him, TO turn him loose upon
the community would simply be to
give him another opportunity to com
NIT crime. Confined in the same
prison are several men whose records
for total depravity are almost as
black, and the fact that the time is
approaching when these human fends
must be released is the cause of
dread to every law abiding citizen
Of that State. There is probably no
penal institution of any Importance
in the civilized world where there
are not more incOrrigible criminals
who might we'll be put to death. A
human fend, absolutely vicious,
moral sense, although in full
possession of his ordinrry faculties,
should be exterminated after careful
by a board of experts
for that purpose.
l do not think hanging or electro
cution the best methods for executing
criminals, for the reason
that so many mishaps have attended
executions by those methods and too
strongly emphasized the horror of
the scene. The lethal chamber,
cell to which death would come
quickly and without pain (or pub =.
licity) through the agency of clOro~
form, ether or hydrocyanic gas con-
Quoted thither by pipes, would, in
the opinion of those in position to
know, be the most humane and sat-
isfactory method to adopt. The
would pass away as
painlessly as if he simply falling
asleep. All execution in a state
should take place within the walls
NJ tho atot 40 o,; son. tbia u;Il haoonna