The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-02-28
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SPIRITED DEBATE ON BILL TO ABOLISH CAPITAL UNISHMENT.


 The Bill Rejected in the House-Resolu-
 tions for AppointmePt of Judge Cable
 and Judge Hubbard Adopted in tn.
 senate-The stenographer Bill Re-
 ected-Other Matters Acted Upon on
 Reports from Committees.
 In the house yesterday the unfavora- ble report of the judiciary committee on the bill to abolish capital punish ment called forth the first interesting debate of the session. The bill as pro- posed was as follows: Every person who shall commit murder in the first degree or who shall cause the death of another by wilfully or recklessly plac- ing any obstruction upon any railroad, or by loosening, taking up or removing any part of the structure of such rail- road, or by wilfully burning any build ing or vessel, or while in the commis- sion of any felony shall cause the death of any person, shall be imprisoned in the Connecticut state prison for the rest of his life and may be sentenced to spend one day in each week in solitary confinement when he or she shall see no one but his spiritual adviser"
 A minority report was presented by one member of the committee, MT. Hub bard, of Litchfield who favored the passage of the bill. MT. Hubbard, ill speaking upon it, said that if the bill was passed it would meet the approval of the people of the state. A similar bill Is to come before the legislatures of Massac achusetts and New York. In re- cent murder trials the ruling in re- gard to handwriting has been changed. A district attorney has said that if the recent ruling is correct six men at least have been unlawfully executed. He recalled two instances in New York in which innocent men narrowly escap- ed electrocution. The law against cap ital punishment has worked well In other states and countries homicide has been less frequent and life has been held more sacred. In Maine the death penalty was abolished in 1887. In Wisconsin murders have decreased after the abolition of the death penal ty. The same is true of Holland and Switzerland. In Rhode Island, though the population has increased, the mur- ders have fallen off 20 per cent. since the death penalty was abolished. It is held that juries will not convict when the penalty is death. There is no state where the pardoning power is more carefully guarded than in Connecticut. There could hardly be, by human ingenuity, better system of pardon devised. The only comment that he has heard from the board of pardons is that they seldom pardon. He quoted ex-Governor Morgan G. Bulkeley's opinion to the effect that when there is no reasonable expectation of pardon the majority of the people would favor life Imprisonment to death.
 Mr. Staples of Bridgeport, said that 250 years ago there were twenty-five crimes which were punishable by death. Only two of these now remain. The people who made those laws were just | as intelligent as we are. But the world and you cannot keep 1t from moving. He recalled the hanging of a | witch in Fairfield when Governor Roger Ludlow walked in the procession to the gallows. From his experience as a l school teacher he was satisfied that harshness was not a deterrent against the crime He was afraid the judici- ary committee was not up to the times. | He was satisfied to leave hanging on the statute books to be applied in eases of treason.
 MT. Thompson, of East Haven, said that there was a large foreign popula- tion in New Haven and the law estab fishing capital punishment was neces- sary to deter some of them from mur- der. "If the murderers are hung. that ends them. Hang every one who com mits a murder" said MT. Thompson in his remarks.
 MT. Averill, of Branford said that society was better protected by pen atty that the criminal stood in fear of.
 Mr. Hubbard, of Litchfield, took up the question again and pressed his point.
 MT. Pratt, of Torrington, supported MT. Hubbard.
 MT. King, after presenting the report, called attention to the issue raised by the bill and announced that there was a minority report.
 Mir Hubbard followed him with a statement of what the experience of Maine, Rhode Island and Wisconsin had shown in the matter. He said the was probably the most impor- tant before the general assembly, and for that reason he felt it necessary to carry the opposition to the floor of the house. Mr. Hubbard referred to "sev- aral recent cases in New York where men have been executed, in part, on testimony of handwriting experts whose evidence was ruled out a few days ago in another murder trial"
 Dr. Rice, of Stamford, stated that he lid not believe that hanging did deter criminals from murder. He said that fife is our most precious fight, and we ,an take it; we can't give it. He hoped to see the day when hanging will be abolished in this state. MT. Freeman, of Hartford, of the committee, supported the unfavorable 'eport of the bill. He stated that but hree appeared for the bill, and that he bill making such a radical change n the laws of the state had come up lor ten legislatures. MT. Tucker, of Ansonia, said that if ,apital punishment was abolished lynch aW would step in and he did not want o see that day come.