The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1920-01-02
LINED UP IN JAIL
AND COMPELLED TO WITNESS
HANGING AS MORAL LESSON
200 Placed in Cells About
Death Chamber of Chicago
Jail at Dawn.
GOVERNORS PLEA VAIN.
Phone Put Out of CommiS-
sion Before Execution, Barr
ing Chance of Reprieve.

CHICAGO, Jan. Am experiment
in psychology was tried out this
morning at the County Jail, in the
grizzly dim hour of dawn, when two
hundred prisoners were forced to wit
ness the hanging OF Raffalo Durrage,
convicted murderer.
Hardened criminals-selcted from
among other murderers, and felons
whose expiation Is not yet the gal
lows-were placed IN cells, tier on
tier Of which surrounded tho square
in which the scaffold had been
erected.
II was the contention Of Sheriff
Peters that the sight of the Eruesome
trappings would have q most salutary
effect upor 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 tina: he
persisted in it despite a request from
Gov. Frank o. Lowden that lie
abandon the plan, and added protests
from scores OF other persons who
thought tho scheme unnecessarily
brutal
Accordingly the stage was set in the
death chamber and DurraGe was led
forth. The quiet in the death cham
Der became absolute for moment.
Then the moose was slipped over the
murderer's head. From one Of the
higher tiers came p strident shout:
"When do we eat?"
Tier by tier, cell by cell the cry
was taken up. 1t became a roar
above which the warders' voices could
not be heard
Tho trap was sprung. Durrage
dropped into the space beneath the
scaffold-dead
when do we eat?" was his requiem.
Sheriff Peters declared after the
execution that Gov. Bowden's secre-
tary telephoned the Jail and asked
regarding plans for the hanging, but
did not object to the SheritTs pro-
gramme.
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's office.
It was reported that this action was
taken to prevent a possible reprieve
OF the condemned man at the last
minute. When asked for an eIplana-
ton Jailer Davies smiled and said:
Il can't say why it was done. You
see the telephone is out Of order"
Sheriff Peters later issued a state
ment answering critics who opposed
his action. 1t read:
"In my opinion the modern Coddling
Of criminals by well meaning, but
misguided, sympathetic, theoretical
refoumers and self constituted organ
izations is one OF the greatest causes
uf the present crime wave in this
city. Their interference with the
vigorous enforcement Of the law has
destroyed the fea- Of punishment by
criminals 10 the extent that ii is no
longer deterrent TO the further com
mission Of crime TO be inCarCeratcd in
our penal institutions
"a large number Of prison RS
openly acknowledge that they would
prefer to DE incarccrated in the
County Jail, where they are better fed
and where sanitary conditions are TAR
bette than in their ordinary environ
ments
The reformers are constantly ad %
NocntinC the adoption and enactment
Of laws which are for the purpose
of aliovatiug the punishment Of the
criminal, forgetting and losing entire
sight Of the protection mat 'hc hv
abiding and peaCeahle citizen is en-
titled to as against these human para
sites.
"If one haIf Of the energy now spent
i'm sympathy on murlerers and Grim
mails would be devoted to the fami-
lies OF the victims ana the other half
to bringing to justice the brutes who
have hlottcd out the lives OF law
abiding and peaceful citizens and
darkened forever the lives Of others,
this would be a happier and safer
world 10 live In" .....