Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-02-21
DEATH DEALING MACHINE

prison, and one of the inmates.
with an inquiring turn of mind in
vestigated the con tents ofthe box
and found that contained therein
was steel framework and three
Maxim silencers for rifles. The
box solves the question of firing
the shots which will take human life
when the law of the land is brought
into force and Mirkovitch will be
sent into the great hereafter to pay
for the crime he committed in
Tonopah.
When the box is opened and the
framework erected. it will be found
that sockets are provided for rifles
and these ,ifies are trained upon a
certain spot upon the steel back
ground in front of which will sit
the condemned man upon a stool
his heart the target for the rifles.
The silencers will be upon the muz.
zles of the rifles and when the
hammers fall and the bullets go upon
their errand Of execution of the law
there will be but h slight sound to
tell that the guns have been dis
charged. Those sitting few
feet away from the deadly machine
will not know that the law has been
avenged until the body shcivels and
shrinks into death. The butts of
the guns are hidden in booth
which is part OF the mechanism and
here the guards selected to fire the
weapons will be conceled and their
identity kept secret save To the
higher officials Of the penitentiary.
Whether the guns are 10 be fred
in the usual manner or are to be
discharged by the cutting of strings
in a like manner as the springing
OF the trap Of the gallows. is not
known. as none Of the prison
officials have discussed the matter
and nothing can be found out.
The mechanism was furnished by
an ordinance factory of the eastern
states and is so arranged and pJa.I-
ned that d ath will be almost in.
stantaneOus and it will never be
known which of the three rifles
hrcdthe death-dealing two shots.
There will not be a repetition of
the Offers made By blood letters of
a fc" months ago. applying for the
J Jb Of taking human lives, as the
guards will do the work as has
heretofore been done at the hang
ings.
Before the prison management
there are now three executions
two by shooting and one hanging,
and 1t is more than probable that
hereafter The hanging will be a
thing of the past.
Ii is understood that an attempt i'm
being made by sore of the leeisla-
tors to do away with capital punish
ment in the state but his will be
ment by large amount of opposi-
tion aud II is not thought possible
for the dill to receive favorable
consideration.
Other legislators are d iscussing
the subject Of doing away with
both hanging and shooting and
making the electric chair the
official method of of carrying out
the death penalty. 1t is contended
that the electric chair is the most
human method ever devised for
the execution Of criminals as 1t is
claimed to be instantaneous and
painless and does away with all the
narrowing details Of hanging or a
shooting.
Two years ago when the members
Of the Supemo Court were prepsr-
ing the new code of the state. q law
was presented TO the legislature for
their adoption. asking that the
choice Of three manners Of death
be given to condemned men--that
of hanging, shooting or taking
poison.
The third provision was taken
from the measure by the legislature
as II savored too strongly OF self
destruction and was thought to do
away with the lesson that an Off
cial execution would have. IL was
proposed that upon the day Of an
execution, vial Of poison, pre-
pared by the physician. would be
fIanaI L. 81.