Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-01-02
PRISONERS GET
moral LESSON
IN EXECUTION
200 Hardened Criminals Are
Witnesses To Hanging Of
Convicted Murderer; Sher-
if Says Action Justified.
tAssoeiated Press Leased wire,

Chicago. Jan. 2.--Out at the county
Jail in the grizzly dim hour Of dawn.
an experiment In psychology was
made this morning when 200 prisoners
were forced to witness the hanging OF
Raffalo Durrage, convicted murderer
Hardened criminals--other murderers
and felons whose expiation IL not yet
the gallows--were placed In cells. tier
on tier OF which surrounded the square
In which the scaffoid had been erected
1t was the contention OF Sheriff
Pears that the sight OF the gruesome
trappings, the watching OF the moose
adjustment, the listening to the admin
istration OF last rites. the sound OF tho
click OF the spring trap and the jerk
of the rope as 1t slack was snapped up
by the falling body---all these would
have salutary effect upon those In
whose life might come future tempta-
ions to slay or to rob or to burn.
Death Chamber Scene.
And 40 firmly did the sheriff believe
the efficacy OF this idea that he per-
listed in Its despite protests from
cores OF other persons who thought
| he scheme was unnecessarily brutal.
Accordingly the stage was set In the
death chamber.
| Darrage was led forth. The quiet In
the death chamber became absolute
for moment Then the moose wns
slipped over the murderer's head.
From one OF the higher tiers came a
strident shout,
| when do we eat"
1 Y.x, fx.e q ~
taken up. II became roar above
which the warden's voices could not
be heard.
The trap was sprung. Darrage drop
ped into the space beneath the scaffoid
dead.
| When do we entY. was his requiem.
Critics Arc scored.
/ Sheriff Charles w Pears later issuen
a statement answering critics who OPP
posed his action In permitting PRISON.
ers In the jail to witness the hanging
as an object lesson. His statement
reads as follows:
/ I'm my opinion the modern coddling
of criminals by we'll meaning, but mis-
guided, sympathetic, theoretical re-
formers and sef-constituted organiza-
tlons is one OF the greatest causes OF
the present crime wave in this city.
Their Interference with the vigorous
enforcement Of the law has destroyed
the fear Of punishment by criminals to
the extent that 1t Ia no longer deter
rent to the further commission OF
crime to be incarcerated In our penal
institutions. A large number OF pria-
oners openly acknowledge that they
would prefer TO be incnrcerated In the
county jail whore they are better fed
and whore sanitary conditions are fai
better than In their ordinary environ
ments
"'Too Much Sympathy
THE reformers are constantly ahvo-
ating the adoption and enactment of
| avs which are for the purpose OF all
eviating the punishment OF the crim-
nal. forgetting and losing entire sight
T the protection that the law abiding
and peaceabla citizen Ia entitled to as
galnst these human parasites.
III one-half of the euergy now spent
i n sympathy on murderers and GRIM
nails would be devoted TO the families
Of the victims and the other half to
bringing to justice the brutes who have
iblotted 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 Disconnected.
4 Before the execution the receiver of
> he only telephone connecting the Jail
with the outside world was removed
. rom its hook in Jailer Davies office
I It was reported that this action was
AIKEN TO prevent possible rcprievs Of
{ he condemned man az the last min
: ute When asked for an explanation
ailer Davies smiled and said.
~ can't say why 1t was done. You
! see the telephone is out Of order"