Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-01-30
Ca 9itai Punishment in Maine.

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The Kenaebec Journal last week dis
eussed at some length the proposition
to revive capital punishment in Maine,
Is provided for in bills introduced in
the present legislature. The Journal
reviews the history of capital punish
ment in Maine, which is so interest
ing just at this time that we reprint
the article in full:
Is the deeth penalty to be restored In Maine?
4 bin to this effect has been introduced in the
legislature as the result of the recent series of
murders in the southwestern part of the State,
and is certain to revive all the old arguments
which were made so familiar in the agitation
which resulted in the adjustment Of the death
penalty In 1857. The movement, this winter.
has strong support. and ii is an undeniable fact
that public . ntiment has been much aroused
by the particularly deliberate and brutal muir
sers whose details have so shocked new spaper
readers of late.
Maine is now one of Eve states which refuse
10 put their murderers to death The others are
Rhode Island, Colorado. Michigan and Wis
sonsin. Iowa recently restored the death
penalty after having abolished it In 1872. In
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extend the death penalty so that ii may cover
the original crime alleged against the negro who
was burned at the stake in Leayenworth iast
week. On the other hand, it is pointed OUT that
bills abolishiRg the death penalty were intro
duced last week In the legislature of Massa-
ehusetts and New Hampshire, though fl Is held
that in neither state do they have any chance of
passage.
When Maine became State In 1880, the crimes
Of treason, murder, arson, rape, burglary and
robbery from the person by violence. were pun
ishabie with death by hanging. In 1929 the
penalty for burglary. rape and robbery was
reduced 10 imprisonment for life. In 1887 the
law was further modified SO that convicted
of murder ard sentenced to be hanged should
be confined In the State prison year and day,
before execution. aud until fun record of the
proceedings had been submitted to the executive,
and until such time as the executive should
issue his warrant ordering the execution.
In 1874 the law was further modified, re-
curing that all persons under sentence of death
should suffer SOLITARY confinement and hard
labor IN the State prison until such sentence
was CARRIED into Rect. II win he seen that by
the law of 1857, .he execution OF The death
penalty was, In "A measure. left to tue discretion
of the executive sincs there no iiniit of
time within which he was, by law, compelled TO
issue his warrant OF execution. The RESPONSE
sility thus created was great aud the sent
nent against the death penalty 80 active ana
aggressive. that there was no execution In this
state for nearly thirty years.
In 1867 the governor called the attention of
she legislature TO the fact that there were ten
persons under sentence of death. con fined In the
State prison, one of whom had been there over
swenty years lie suggested that the penalty
be abolished. or the law changed as to require
she governor to issue his warrant OF execution
within time certain and hxed- In 1859 q law
was enacted requiring the governor and council
TO review the nnding of the court In eases OF
conviction and sentence of death, and commune,
pardon or cause the prisoner to be- executed
within certain iength of time after the date Of
she original sentence.
In 1870 aud again in 1874 the governor entered
his protest against the law OF 1893 declaring his
belief that IL was unconstitutional, since 1t
imposed juritlicei functions upon the executive
depart nent In 1875 the legislature amended
she law OF 1863, so that the governor was re-
fifteen months Of the date OF sentence. In 1879
che death penalty abolished altogether. In
1883 the death penalty for murder alone was re-
established. In $50 the governor, referring TO
sse death penalty, remarked that there had been
az unusual plumber of cold. blooded murders
within the State during the two years last past,
and that the change IN the law relating TO muir
der had not afforded the protection anticipated.
in 1857 the death penalty was again abolished.