Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-10-13
AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
BY Lue F. Vernon.

hundred years of service, is to-day
only seen in museums.
In our own country four States
have abolished capital punishment,
and in at least one more it has been
virtually abolished by the refusal of
successive Governors to sign death
warrants. ----..- -
Many States still cling to the relic
OF barbarous ages, but there are
many learned men who believe that
the time has come for its abolition.
Not long ago Till was introduced
in the Legislature of New York
State substituting life Imprisonment
for the electric chair as a punish
ment for murders, but it was lost.
Many people in the United States
are of the opinion capital punish
ment should be abolished; that the
true scientific solution of the diff
Guilty is to redeem the murderer like
other criminals, and give him a
chance to work out his salvation on
principles dependent upon q true
civilization, rather than that be-
queathed from the middle ages.
Electrocution has. up to date. been
pronounced the most humane method
of execution, and the electric chair
has become the law OF several States.
1t is the quickest and most certain
of all death penalties.
AS man has become gradually
more and more civilized he has temp
cred with Mercy the administration
of his justice. To-day criminals are
put to death the world over by meth
DDS that are as instantaneous as pos
sible. Torture which was until very
recently part OF every execution.
is now looked upon with horror.
The methods of execution now
used by the several nations are many.
Great Britain. Austria and several
of the United States still cling to
hanging. The theory OF the gallows
is that the drop breaks the Grimm
ais neck and kills him instantly,
but this holds true only when the
knot is perfectly adjusted; when, as
is so often the case, there is some
trtling maladroitness in tying OF
the "hangman knot" the victim s
neck is not broken, and he simply
strangles to death.
So many revolving scenes have
been witnessed at hangings during
the slow strangulation of the swing
ing victim that some States use the
electric chair, which has the merit of
certainty and instantaneous action.
The garotte. still used in Spain
and most of the Spanish-American
countries, is a collar attached to an
upright post, through both of which
passes o powerful wooden screw.
The criminals neck is placed in the
collar, and the executioner, with one
sharp turn Of the screw, breaks the
victims neck. 1t is q method simi.
lar in its action to hanging, but
more certain to cause instant death.
In Turkey. Persia and some other
Oriental countries the bow-string is
the method Of execution. This is q
stout cord of catgut placed around
the victims neck with two slip knots,
which are suddenly drawn tight by
two strong men. This kills the VIC
tim by strangulation.
The guillotine, which is used in
some parts of Germany, and has
been used in France and Italy ever
since the Frenoh revolution. is q
heavy knife which drops between
two upright posts and instantly sew.
ers the victims head.
Italy abolished it many years ago;
many States of Germany, while al
lowing it to remain on their statute
books, have ceased to enforce it, and
France has abolished 1t altogether.
The reason for this was the inability
OF the Government to find any man
willing to take the place Of execu.
toner. But public opinion had long
been in revolt against the barbarity
OF these beheadings. which always
took place in public, and the Govern
ment. In deciding to end them for
ever but obeysd the mandate Of the
people.
! Capital punishment has been abol-
ished in Italy. Norway. Roumania.
Holland, Portugal and Russia, while
in Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Ba-
varia and several of the States of
Northern Germany, the rulers re-
fuse to sign death warrants, and
criminals, though sentenced to death,
are virtually made life,prisoners.
1t will amaze many people to learn
that there is no capital punishment
in Russia, yet it is a fact. Murder
ers and traitors are sentenced to the
mines in Siberia, but are not put to
death unless tried by court-martial
in q military or naval court, in which
case they are shot to death.
Burning at the stake, impaling,
drawing and quartering. breaking on