The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-09-28
SPLIT
ON ENTHANkSIA

sentiment is sharply divided amonc
the twenty-eight Governors in con-
terence At Spring Lake. N. J.. on the
TlSht or taking human life where
death In agony is inevitable None Of
the Governors has had a case like that
on the shakers of Florida before him
for pardon and because .of the i'm
probability that Juries would convict
in such a case. they do not expect to b<,
! called on TO pass Judgment. But if
I-such decision should confront them
most OF them made il plain that q
pardon would be granted. Governor
Gilchrist, OF Florida. is, of course. the
one chiefly Interested in the case of
the Shakers. He said:
From the fact that the Shakers
were held in such small bail when a
person accused of murder in the first
degree cannot be bailed al all. 1 am
sure that the circumstances of the
case are so well known that those
poor people Will not be convicted. Ger
tainly not OF murder. 1 doubt Wheth-
er they will even be indicted.
Certainly they thought they were
doing right and with no possibility of
malice being shown il is morally Ger
tain that / shall not be called anon TO
act as final judge. But if I should
be, i cannot conceive ordering such
people to be hanged"
Fears a Bad Precedent.
Governor Hadley, of Missouri, indi-
Gated that he might feel it to be his
duty Id refuse a pardon, If a person
was convicted of taking life in this
way, rather than by a pardon estab-
fish precedent that might have far
reaching results for evil.
1t is against the laws of God and
man to take human life" he said.
and II you once open the doors to.
snch practices, then there is no telling
where 1t might lead u.s. Half our
murder cases might then be defended
on the ground of ending suffering.
But from an experience / had when
prosecuting attorney in Kansas CITY
] doubt whether Governor would be
called on to act as final Judge. man
was accused of asSaulting a girl. When
ne was arrested he begged to be per-
united TO say goodbye to a seven-year-
old boy to whom he was devoted. He
siashed the boys throat but his plea
was that he felt IL was better for the
boy to be dead than left alone in the
world. -Four times he was convicted.
but the higher courts sent the case
back for retrial three times. and finally
dismissed it entirely on the ground
that the man did not feel ne was do
ing wrong. and for that reason could |
not properly or legally be convicted of |
murder. If guilty at all. the courts |
hold, he must be insane to take the |
view he did even though he knew he |
was violating the written. though not
as nc bSlleNSO, the moral law.
Governor Hay, of Washington. |
frankly admitted he would pardon the |
Shakers, though he said such a case
could hardly come before him because
the courts and juries would not con-
Wet them"
ut is up to the doctors to decide
such a question:" he said. IT under
stand many of them are putting their
patients out of their suffering when
a case is agonizing and hopeless.
Maybe they could be held for it, le-
gally, but no case has arisen in my
State"
Wyoming Executive Disapproves.
Governor Carey. of Wyoming, ex-
pressed the strongest disapproval of
hurrying death to avoid suffering.
81 would not permit II in the case
of relative or friend If could help
It." he said. IF such a case we're be-
fore me for pardon, should judge ii
on It's merits. 1t Is impossible to make
any general rule. In the case of the
doubt whether they will be
Governor Tener, OF Pennsylvania, &
Indicated that he would pardon the