Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1908-04-11
HANGlhGS NOT YET
ABOLISHED IN STATE
Electrocution Law Does Not Be
come Effective until June 9th
PRISONER MAY CHOOSE
Apparatus 70 Be Installed IN Pen
itentiary to Cost SS,5o0-ofh-
Gals Are Not Pleased
With Innovation

lust Who viii % the nrst person
20 die in virEinia's new electric chair.
or when the Individual In question
will meet h!s fate. 10 a problem which
none can answer today though 80
would seem from a close study 81
IN, ban changing the method Of cap
itaf punishment that 90 vii Dc many
. months yet before ths use OF the
gibbet ls sltoEether discarded Ia the
/. Old Dominion.
n re ber.n With. nobody appears 20
know Tor certain when those acts
OF th- General Assembly which lack
the emergency clause Will oecome -
fectlv~ section s. or the Constlta-
ton says that adj avs. save me gen
erai appropriation oil and tnoSr ~
the emergency clause become Ct
f-ctv- ulutey days after the adjourn
ment n the session Or the Genera
Assembly
Doe. this mean ninety days after
the mat adjournment OF the extend
81 session. which ended SIS labors
March gTthr ~ SO. that would make
the electrocution bill effective June
9th
, But even granting thai this be the
correct Interpretation ~ the law. IL
: would appear that "A man. who com ,
ID rnfttrd "a crime or the evening or
March 16th. would stin De allowed
the familiar hut doubuul privilege OF
, hanging rather than of dying from
Z electric sh0ch.
. Here rs tne language % the bin in
r this particular. Nothing tn tins ac'
shall De- 49, construed a. tO change oi
alter the manner cd execution 90 th'
j. sentences OF death when imposed oi
:. account ct crimes committed pci"''
r. this act goc~ into effect
The Eieht CT Election
To state fhr case Inherently. a mar
% might commit murder on inc nlkn
= OF june goth aud not meet the eet.
p, penalty until two ur three years ia'et
81 IN he managed 90 get his cas-" lnt
az the supreme, Court The euect @
y this would De. fo< "a time a. least .
ID have both the raIlows and the electri
chair operating az tho same time
~ the Common wealth
e. u may be however. that q crimina
"a entitled 20 = hanging might De al4oWe
70 substitute electrocuton Tot tne -
bet But The latter medium or olesot
- ton could not be forced upon MIN
h- could only get 30 through the II
IN ercise OF his right OF election.
Il isa pretty safe guess 10 say tna
the law IS mighty opt 90 De testes
y People under sentence or death cAt-
- II every straw and then. too. no OF
a Ger or The law would care 20 max
al mistakes In such a delicate matter
A. IN Now York the first man 20 d
~ In the chair vas ne muraet'
- Kemmler. who took his case 20 n
nd electrOcuucn was "a cruel and unusu
hs punishment interdicted 81 tho Cos
SC stitution The appellate trib4n
10 thought otherwi--. kemmlsr Sled
US the chair
when This deadly snEins Of dsssrS
tion Is established IN the dsath cAA ga,
Der OF the penitsntiAry. where al %,
vioted IN this state must dc 80 ~.
onoe the law becomes fully spersu'
Ikf it VII be necessary FOR the courH
W ehnnrr the rrewHons phrAssOlogy
their judgments. which noE te4
criminal that he must be hanEed
thr neck untu dead. dead. dead ~
- may GOd have mercy On your soul
oy The bis Just passed By the AseSi a.
D. tsSs wareS tsss@providss that re-
tiVes OF the criminal may clAin (
body after the execution
II likewise contains proTiatona A.
the manner Ia which cOndsmnsd teio
must Ne brought 20 The prison q
how they can Do removed IN cAss "a
are allowed new trials
al Arrangements now are being ma
- for the purchase OF the neeessAry :
der cost tSsso. although the eil carr
an appropriation Of only t.eeo p0ul
md chsirs on credit. or IL may De u
- the Governor VIII arrange for the
uF- forred payments.
un- Curbs the Reporters
The bill forbids newspapers 20 p
Geo iish detailed accounts OF the execute
81 the TACT that the condemned n
or has met his doom. IN This connect
-. IL is hardly likely that any repor
- viii care 10 violate the statute Ne'
Ma papers nowadays say good deal ab
lrp- er's death and about what happens
ono mediately Afterwards. but they do
Dad incline towards the physical rsAli
hill II il An open secret that the %
tentiary Ocaolals DO not await the