Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-02-18
WOULD REVIVE
DEATH PENAL Y
JUDGE ORION BELIEVES IN CAPT..
tai PUNISHMENT.
Will INTRODUCE A BILL
Darlington Statesman Has Framed
Measure Which Provides Hanging
for Certain. Glasses of Murders
Does Not Think EIectrocution Is
Effective.
Madison, Feb. II.

Madison, FoD. Ii.
Judge Philo A. Orion will introduce
in the legislature this week, probably
Tuesday morning, a bill to revive cap
ital punishment in Wisconsin for GER
tain degrees and classes of murder.
Roughly stated, the bill will provide
the death penalty for that class of
murders committed by outlaws or
burglars while in the act of robbing
bank, store or private. house. What
the judge wants to accomplish is to
rid society of those desperadoes who
break in and steal and kill any one
who happens to attempt a defense of
the property. The judge holds that
these men are without the pale of the
protection of the state, that they are
outlaws and should be put where they
can do no harm to society. He feels
that such criminals should not be i'm
prisoned. What he wants is that they
should be disposed of SO that they are
beyond the reach of the pardon pow
er, and ne. believes that capital punish,
ment is the only adequate penalty. He
says criminality Of this class is in.
creasing and that the. culprits are pro-
gressingi in the methods they adopt, but
the law stands still and is not able to
cope with all the new wrinkles of. the
criminal classes.
The Judge believes. in the good old
fashioned hangman's moose, because it
is sure death. He does not take. kind
" to ,electrocution as plan of deal
in death to a criminal, because it's eff
fectiveness has not been thoroughly
established. Why said he, 'it has
been recently demonstrated that if a
man has been killed by a current of
electricity passing through his body
from head to. feet, all that is necessary
to bring him to life again is to reverse
the current, that is, send it from his
feet to his head. Now, don't believe
that a man who has hanged by the
neck until dead can be restored to
life by stringing him up by. the toes,
No, sir, T don't think, much Of electro
cufion, Hanging is good enough for
those. fellows J. I'm I!n after
4 Wisconsin is one of only, five states
in the union where the death penalty
ished, in Iowa, but Twas afterward re-
stored. The other states which dosnot
permit capital punishment are Colo
RADIO, Rhode Island, Maine and Michi-
gan, It was abolished in this state in
1853 largely through the efforts of
Senator Martin /. Bovee, who repre-
scented the Waukeshae district now rep
resented by Senator (Long) Jones. If
Senator Jones wants to- act consistent
1y with his predecessor, he will be
obliged to. oppose the Orton bill when
it comes up. se}Y, #3s
Judge Orion is known to every one
at al. versed I'M the affairs or the state.
His public career began when he was
appointed university regent in 1874, a
capacity in which he served for num-
Der of years. He was elected to the
assembly in 1898, and became famous
as a legislator through the insurance
tax. law of 1899, of which hesis the au-
thor. and which increased the annual
revenues of the state by over $250,000.
His home is at Darlington, Lafayette
county. There he has had many hon
ors bestowed upon him, having been
district, attorney, county judge and, for
20 years, president of the board of
education of the city of Darlington.
He is. one of the leaders of the Wis.
consin bar and enjoys a reputation
that extends all over the state. 1t
has been many times suggested that
he would make an ideal citizen of
Madison, and1that he should locate
here where state affairs. are central
Used. tits also intimated that by the re-
pportionment of the state, Dane coun-,
ty will be placed in congressional
district safely republican. and that if
the judge has any desire 20 enter ma
tional politics he might find ar excel
lent opportunity by moving to Madi-
son. r4t