Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-07
END CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT
Effort Being Made to Get
Bill Through Legislature
fFrass he NE EWs Gorrespardem.

fFraw he VIEWS Correspondent
Trenton, Jan. Keeper George
10. Osborne, of the State Prison, and
Assemblyman Charles O'Connor
Hennessy, OF Bergen county, appear
ed before the House COMMITTEES on
Revision of Laws yesterday and
urged the passage of the bill sub
|stituting life Imprisonment for cap-
ital punishment. Mr.. Hennessy is
the author OF the Dsii.
Mrs. Osborne was the first to
speak and referred to capital pun
ishment as an infringement on the
divine prerogative of God.
YCapital unishment,n he stated.
sshas been abolished In five states
and 1t IL only a question OF q few
years, when it will be expunged
from the statutes of every State IN
the Union. I am opposed to capi-
tai punishment primarily because It
is wrong; because it Is an infringe
ment on the divine prerogative OF
God, the Author OF sifee and because
life, when once taken through err
rcr, cannot be returned AS det-
riment against the crime of murder
1t is not as powerful as 1t lis sup
u. L
dicted for murder, the sentence OF
death, and its execution are too
short lived to act AS an example
and not lastj~g enough In its effect
upon others.
Twenty-Five Men Been Killed.
He then told that during the last
years OF his term as prison keeper
Twenty-Five men have paid the
death penalty. How many forfeit
ed their life through human judg-
ment, he declared, is known only
TO God. He described how he re-
volted against the thought OF the
procedure ON each occasion due to
the full realization that the State
was actually killing men. That It
was deliberately doing the very
thing for which 1t condemned am
other taking human life. You
may defend it on the ground that y
10 the collective wish Of society, in
the interest of each OF its members:
hut in the sight of God t Is MUIR
der just the same and has no de-
tense on which to rest but ignor-
anee.
For impulsive murder Mr., os-
borne would give a term OF Inn
prisonment not to exceed twenty
years and for premeditated murder
he would have life Imprisonment
imposed with no change in SEN
tence except where new trial has
been granted. He thinks this would
be worse punishment than the tak-
ing OF life and that rnder i the
crime OF murder would decrease, as
the thought OF life-term behind
prison walls has a fearful spect for
men. Mr.. Hennessy serted that
since the introduction of his bin he
bad received many letters and news
paper articles on the subject and II
every instance they were favorable
to his proposal.
Regarded az Barbsrous.
ut. .z's @te.ess st.hls hsse-
iness of mankilIlng BY the state Is
now generally regarded as barbar-
ous. II Is indefensible from any
Christian viewpoint and repugnanf
to every merciful instinct of hui
manity Students OF penology have
learned that 1t Is futile 10 attempt
to reduce crime by nanifesting
cruelty towards the criminal. Like
begets like and we invite what Wa
manifest. We reform no man by
killing him and the undisputed ex
perisnce OF many countries and
States tegtisie9 to the fusility OF cap
ltal punishment as deterrent OF
erzna.
Belgium. Holland Sweden, rur-
sugaE, Finland aud ftNAY have ait
llvsa Tor nearly naH D century With
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