The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-07
BY John S. Durand,
a. u. tYaie). LII. q. tCoIumbfa).


Member OF Americas Historical Associa.
tion, American Geographical Society,"
State and City Bar Associations, Society
Of Medical Jurisprudence. American Sta
tiattcnI Association. American Academy OF
Political and socin! Science. American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society.
American Museum of Natural History.
National Geographical Society and New
York Hiatorical Society.
Ut Is not intended within the limits OF this
article to discuss the right OF organized
society to take human life. Organized
society does take human life. and It Is gen.
orally considered as having that right. either
for its own protection or by way OF punish
ment for certain crimes.
Whose sheddeth mans blood. by man
rhall his blood be shed: for in the image Of
God made he man." was written four thou.
sand years ago. and since this divine sane
item Of the law Of life was promulgated the
rule IT a life for life has been observed to
q greater OF less extent throughout the world.
In early times individuals exercised the
right to require for the life OF his kinsman
the life Of his neightor who slew that kins-
man. and as men gathered together In fam
lilies and tribes the family OF tribe avenged
the death OF one OF It's members killed by
neighboring family or tribe. Later on, money
or property was frequently accepted In lieu
OF the life demanded. and finally organized
society as a collective body asserted the ex-
elusive right to execute retr!bution upon
neghbor!ftg nations by war and punish its
own citizens FOR crimes committed by them.
or by others within It's territorial juriSdic-
ton. on the theory that the crime was an
injury to the sovereign power which repre-.
scented the entire community.
Thus prosecutions for offcnses forbidden
by federal statutes are brought in the name
OF the United States and proceedings In the
State OF New York to punish a criminal act
under It's laws are instituted by and in the
name Of the people Of the State OF New York.
in Pennsylvania the constitution provides
that sil prosecutions shall be carried on in
the name and by the authority of the com.
monwealth Of Pennsylvania. and conclude
against the peace and dignity Of the same
So also organized society asserts the ex.
elusive right State or nation to define
the acts which shall constitute crimes II
committed within it's Jurisdiction and to pre-.
scribe what penalty shall be inflicted for the
punishment OF those crimes.
The theory OF modern criminal statutes is
that they should be corrective and their sane.
tion Is intended 10 act as a deterrent rather
than as a punishment The Idea theoreti-
cally Is that the consequences which the law,
says shall follow any prohibited act snail be
calculated to prevent the commission OF the
act. and in the case of minor offenses. II the
act be committed, shall tend to reform the
evildoer and show him the iniquity OF his
ways. Wilful murder. however. has always
been in class by itself and regarded as
murderer or his legal death" by life i'm
prisonment has been required by society in
expiaton Of the crime. and. as an example.
best calculated TO deter others from the will
full taking Of human life.
Under present conditions when society for.
Ieits the life OF criminal he Is put to death
usually by hanging or electrocution. and
much OF great value has been learned from
electrocutions as TO the effect OF electric cur.
rents of high voltage upon the human sys
tenn hut there Is an almost ltmtlnSS field OF
research as TO the effect OF various drugs
upon the human body. and as TO the posi-
billy OF SO controlling Its functions that
operations now considered impossible OF per
Torrance may become a matter of every day
occurrence Great strides have been and are
being made in surgery. 1t Is reported that
the heart Of an animal has been stopped for
two and a half minutes without any trouble
following. but yet there has been no op.
portunity 10 test the method on man.
In the medical field new drugs are being