Evening star., 1920-01-02
ARE FORCED
TO WITNESS HANGING
Illinois Jailer Tries Experiment in
Psychology-Hopes to
Check Crime.

CHICAGO. January (by the AS
sociated Press).-An experiment in
psychology was tried out this morn
ing at the county Jail. in the dim
hours Of dawn. when 200 prisoners
were forced to witness the hanging
OF Ranalo Durrage. convicted MUIR
derer- Hardened Grim minals-selected
from among other murderers, and
felons whose eXpiation is not yet the
gallows-were placed in cells. tier on
tier of which surrounded the square
In which the scaffold had been erected.
1t was the contention of Sheriff
Peters that the sight of the gruesome
trappIngS would have a most salutary
effect upon those in whose life might
come future temptations to slay or
to rob or to burn.
And so firmly the sheriff believed
in the efficacy of this idea that he
persisted in it despite. the request
from Gov. Frank o. Lowden that he
abandon the plan. and the added pro-
tests from scores of other persons
who thought the scheme unnecessa-
rily brutal.
Accordingly, the stage was set in
the death chamber; Durrage was led
forth. The quiet in the death cham
ber became absolute for a moment.
Then the moose was slipped over the
T
higher tiers came strident shout:
when do we eat ?"
Tier by tier, cell by cell. the cry
was taken up. 1t became a roar above
which the wardens' voices could not
be heard
The trap was sprung. Durrage
dropped into the space beneath the
scaffold-dead.
When do we eat?" was his requiem
Sheriff a
execution that Gov. Lowden's secre-
tary telephoned the Jail and asked re-
garding plans for the hanging, but
did not object to the sheriffs program.
Statement by the Sheriff.
Sheriff Peters later issued a state
ment answering critics who opposed
his action. The statement reads as
follows:
"In my opinion. the modern cod
ding of criminals by well meaning
but misguided. sympathetic, theoreti-
cal reformers and self-constituted
ORGANIZATIONS is one of the greatest
causes of the present crime wave in
the vigorous enforcement of the law
has destroyed the fear of punishment
by criminals to the extent that it Is
no longer a deterrent to the further
commission of crime to be incarcerat-
ed in our penal institutions. A large
VI pIiSOucTS openly dCkHCWl-
edge that they would prefer to be
incarcerated in the county Jail. where
they are better fed and where sanf-
tary conditions are far better than in
their ordinary environments.
The reformers are constantly ad-
vocating the adoption and enactment
of laws which are for the purpose
of alleviating the punishment Of the
criminal. forgetting and losing en-
tire sight of the protection that the
1aw-abiding and peaceable citizen is
entitled to as against these human
parasites
IF one-half of the energy now
spent in sympathy on murderers and
criminals would be devoted to the
families of the victims and the other
half to bringing to justice the brutes
who have blotted out the lives of
law-abiding and peaceful citizens and
darkened forever the lives of others,
this would be happier and safer
world to live in"
Phone Connection Severed.
Just before the execution the re-
ceiver Of the only telephone connect
ing the Jail with the outside world
was removed from its hook in Jailer
Davies office.
1t was reported that this action was
taken to prevent a possible reprieve
of the condemned man at the last min
ute. When asked for an explanation
IT can't say why 1t was done. You
see. the telephone is out of order"
Durrage killed his wife. Mary, and
Onofrio Gargano. Since he was SEN
fenced virtually his only visitor has
been an Italian priest. He spent a
sleepless night pacing his cell and
smoking continuously.