Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-11-22
MORE HUMANE
METHOD SUGGESTED

cerned.
Capital punishment is therefore
miSnomer, as the accomplish
ment of the death penalty renders
a repetition Of his crime by the in
dividual impossible. There can be
but two reasons for the execution
of criminal: one, the removal of
a dangerous and Objectionable
member of society; the other the
deterrent effect as a penalty in it's
example to others, and history is
not at all convincing in it's testi-
mony to it's effectiveness to that
end.
If in capital punishment the
state is not in anger seeking re
vegne, but only the permanent re
moval of the offender as a penal
ty and not punishment, then the
process should inf1ict the least
mental and physical anguish pos
sible and be conducted with
minimum of publicity and exploit
alton of detail.
The not infrequent spectacle Of
a human being slowly strangling
to death at the end of rope,
while the physician with finger on
pulse waits long minutes before he
plOnounces "the removal accom-
plished, or the scarcely less re,
voting scene of a tense form
straining against the straps of the
electric chair while the current re
peatedly is applied before the med
lcal witnesses are satisfied that
death has come, does not seem to
us the method of least possible
mental and physical distress. We
are more humane to the stray dogs
from the pound, whose death is
quiet and painless. 1t seems to
US that it is time for Delaware to
abandon the barbarous rope, pos
sibly even to pass over the cleo
trio chair, and take her place as
the first step to adopt one of the
more advanced and humane meth
DDS which have been advocated by
criminalogists and others, where
he who has forfeited his right to
live may die painlessly, without
harassing parade and ceremony.
In our opinion, when the con-
demned murderer has exhausted
all legal means of escaping the
death penalty, he should simply
disappear, without further public
knowledge Of his last days, except
the published certificate of the of
fetal witnesses that the sentence
of the law has been carried out.
That such execution can be &C
, complished quietly and painlessly,
is as certain as the fact that the
surgeon so operates upon his pat
lent, and we understand that the
subject has been discussed and
several methods advocated by men
of high standing in the legal and
medical professions. Undoubtedly
the extreme penalty of the law at
present is associated in the public
mind with a sense of a certain de-
gree of violence, if not of positive
anger and desire to infict pain,
on the part of the state, feeling
possibly fostered by the considera-
ton of an execution as a punish
ment rather than a penalty.
1t is our thought that there
, should be no possible grounds for
!, this state of mind toward the cold,
, passionless operation of the MAZE
ty of the law, and yet the guillo-
tine, the earrote, the rifle, the rope,
even the electric chair, suggest
). violence and pain, and since so
many methods are in use, we do
!, not think that any one of them is
necessary, nor that they should be
!, tolerated.
We therefore recommend, in the
name of humanity and public de-
) cency, that steps be taken toward
, the enactment of legislation that
! shall forever Danish the rope
| from our state, substituting there
for such less repulsive and more
merciful lethal method as may be
determined as feasible and prac-
, ticable by the best legal and medi-
cal opinion on the subject as NAV
, be obtainable.
In closing this report the Grand
Inquest gratefully acknowledges
the consideration shown it at all
times by your honorable Court. 1t
tenders its heartiest thanks to the
attorney general and his deputy
for their valuable advice willingly
given whenever required, and it
notes with pleasure the courteous