The Washington times., 1920-11-17
THE NATIONAL DAILY
ShallWe Hang 49, ear-Old Boys?
Restitution Versus Retribution

Il >
Locked in their death cells in the District jail are two
boys Each of these has been found guilty OF killing a.
human being
The penalty for frsdegree murder in the District of
Columbia Capital of the greatest country in the world
hanging.
Thus we in our infinite wisdom, Offset economic
loss by multiplying that loss by two BY this course OF
reasoning, if have leg run over and cut OF by rail
road train logical thing to of the other leg Or
perhaps nearly parallel course Of reasoning would
cc the railroad train be seized by the Government
end blown to bits with ntrogycerine
If in exacting q life for a life, merely pro-
Eecting economic ife why should we not make the
eecord e in manner attempt to give restitution to-
soceSy for loss of the first?
John McHenry killed Washington police officer. Will
the widow of that officer suffer less if John McHenry is
hanged at the end Of a rope?
This youthful murderer is intelligent and capable
worker with his hands Properly directed ne is able to
earn enough support the widow of the man he killed
moderate comfort for the rest of her e And yet the
majesty of the law says that this widow must support her
so and that this potential of support must be killed
There is no doubt the guilt of either Of the boys
facing death on the gaows Each OF them has taken
human fe Each been examined by learned scientists
most of whom declare that these youngsters are sane and
normal
Is an eighteen old boy, affected by the completes
of Icing in love- who kills neighbor woman and steals
thousands of dollars normal human being? Let all the
scientists in the world stack Of Bibles mile
high and they do not change the fact that this boy has
committed an abnormal act
Whatever may be the convoutions in this youngters
whatever missing that should be there is there
that should be there the fact remains that commission
of abnormal act proceed only from an abnormal mind
IT, child be brought into the world physical cripple
he is cared for by society," necessary because of his
ply steal abnormay If however he suffers from mental
abnormay and commits deeds resulting from that condi
on society decides that he must be hung by the neck
The mother that brought this child into the world
sees him cut off from the life she gave him just he
entering manhood The friends and the teachers who
have abored to make this boy producing citizen see
their work set at naught by society which claims "a
tooth for tooth, an eye for an eye"
Mrs. Sue w. Browne, 925 North Carolina avenue, ex
presses this sentiment in letter concerning Edgar Peygo
now facing death sentence in the District JAIL She says
"The memory of little brown haired child with large
wstfu eyes the sweetest disposition to haunt
had the privilege of teaching Edgar Peygo less than
ten years ago. Also have known three generations of
Perrygos and my folks knew them before It seems
to me an outrage that any civilized country would de-
iterately kill member of so fine family.
"They are Americas best They are producers.
Hundreds of Westinghouse have eaten OF the food pro-
duced by these good people
although her abors were many this little Penygo
mother reared her children well and sweeter home
knew And yet this mothers child is to be taken
out and killed because some men-who year ago never
heard of this chld-beeve he should be.
There was not one woman juror on this case. A
woman may bring forth her child but, in the face
of womens recent suffrage victory she is denied the in
uence of womans voice in determining the life or death
of that child
'whether normal or not whether guilty or not, this
boy is child and he should be treated child and
not be given the greatest punishment possible.
"Please the influence of your worthy paper to-
save children from death at the hands Of the law
Mrs Brown may rest assured that this newspaper will
use its best efforts these children from death on
the gaows and that it will relax its further efforts
until capital punishment has been eliminated from the
Capital of the worlds greatest nation
Several bills have been introduced into Congress to
substitute eectrocution for hanging in the District Of
Columbia There is just much to hanging there
is eectrocuton and there is sense, economic or
moral, to either.