Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-03-06
NO MORE HANC|NCS IN
THE OLD DOMINION
Legislature Votes That All Of Viz.
gInIa's Capital Criminals gus|
be EIec|rOculed.
ALL ElECTR0GUTIUNS At RICHMOND
child Labor Bill, Greatly Changed,
Finally Becomes a Law-s Senate Be.
gins Work on the Appropriations
siiI-Pure Food Bill passed-othcr
matters Before Legislature.

| RICHMOND, VA, March ; - The
death penalty by hanging Will
be abolished in Virginia when the
governor signs the bill that has pass
ed the general assembly requiring all
future executions TO be conducted ut
| the statepenitentary without public
ity. and prescribing the method OF
executions to be by the electric chair.
While the bill was under consid-
Grafton in the Senate. Senator lIar-
man called attention to the fact that
the present electric plant at the PEN
iteatiary was not strong enough to
furnish All electric current powerful
enough to produce instant death, and
mat the facilities for Producing cur
rent would have to be enlarged.
Mr.. fouIkes' Objection.
Senator Foulkcs opposed the bill,
upon the ground that the death PEN
atty was Intended to be as a warn
ing. and should be executed at The
| place where the crime was commit
ted
Senator Gravatt favored the bill. as
a means of eliminating the brutal
scenes attending public hangings, and
declared that the electric chair was
more humane and in line with pro-
gress.
i Senator Walker of Northumberland.
described the horrors attending the
inexperienced efforts OF sherifs at
hangngs at country courthouses.
which he thought would be dispensed
with when executions we're conducted
by an official who understood the
method OF operation
An amendment offered BIZ Senator
Parks provides that the body OF the
executed criminal shall be returned
TO his relatives upon their application
| and the payment of costs of trans
portaion.
To be Strictly Private.
All executions are required to be
strictly private No details of the
death of the criminal will be allowed
to be furnished the newspapers. The
bill passed the Senate by the vote of
81 to 8.
The Senate substitute for the House
approp iation bill was submitted TO
the Senate today Senator keeZell,
the chairman of the finance commit
tee, was in charge of the bill. which
carries total appropriation OF the
states revenues of something more
than sl0.750,0O0.
Put IN End to Aduiteratlon.
The Early Pulliam pure food bill
| Nag pocSad tho 4,
gone TO the governor. The bill, which
in effect supplants the existing pul
food law. is framed to conform 10 the
Federal statute in the matter of pre-
venting the adultcration of foodstuns.
The execution of the law is made the
| duty of the dairy and food commits
sioner. subject to the authority OF the
board Of agriculture.
Coco" Sellers to Wear Stripes.
| Senator Ha' mans bill no. 1881 ito
prohibit the sale or giving away or
/ otherwise dispensing cocaine, alhpa or
beta euane. or any mixture of either,
excepting on prescription of phys
| ician.' passed the House today with
out opposition.
AS the measure contains an emer-
gency clause. it will become effective
Immediately after receiving the gov
einor's signature.
The punitive clause OF The bill class
ifies violations of the law as fclonles.
and provides for Imprisonment in the
penitentiary not less than one nor
more than five years.
| Child Labor Law Chained.
Although those who. fought . brave
ly for the child labor bill did not ac-
compiish ali they desired at the hands
OF the legislature. they nevertheless
made some distinct gains in the bill
which has passed the general assem-
bly, and which now awaits the sigma
ture OF the governor.
| Colonel Massic. who conducted the
fight in the House, declared this morn
ing that the measure adopted. while
not all he wanted, was a marked i'm
proyement on the old law.
Here is the bill just passed:
Re it enacted by the General AS
semhly of Virginia, That on and af.
|