The Monroe journal., 1920-01-06
HARDENED CRIMINALS SEE
MAN PAY DEATH PENALTY
Chicago Sherin Tries Experiment in
Psychology When He Forces In-
mates ia His Keeping to Witness
Execution.

An experiment in psychology was
conducted FRIDAY morning at the
county jail al Chicago. az the dim
hour of dawn. when two hundred
prisoners were forced TO witness the
hanging OF Raffalo Durrage. convicted
murderer. Hardened criminals - Sc
leeted from among murderers and
felons. whose eNpiatiOn Is not YET
the gallows we're placed in cells.
tier ON tier. OF which surrounded the
square where the scaffold had been
erected
II was the contention OF Sheriff
Peters that the sight OF the grue-
some trappings would have most
salutary moral effect upon those in
whose life might come future temp
tatisns 10 slay or TO rob.
And SO firmly the sheriff believed
in the efficacy of this idea that he
persisted in spite Of the requests OF
Governor Lowden that he abandon
the plan. and the added protests from
scores of other persons who thought
the scheme unnecessarily brutal.
Accordingly the stage was set and
Durrage was led forth The quiet in
the death chamber became absolute
for a moment. Then the moose was
slipped over the murderers head,
From one of the higher tiers came a
strident shout:
When do we eat?"
Tier by tier. cell by cell. the cry was
taken up. II became roar above
which the warden's voice could not be
heard.
The trap was sprung. and Durrage
dropped into the space beneath the
scaffold.
Sheriff Charles W. Peters later is
sued a statement answering critics
who opposed his action. The state
ment reads:
In my opinion the modern cod
ding of criminals by well-meaning.
but misguided. sympathetic theoreti-
cal reformers and self-eonstituted or
ganizations, 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 10 the extent that IL is no
longer a deterrent TO the further
commission of crime to be incarcer-
ated in our penal institutions. \
large number of prisoners openly ac-
knowledge that they would prefer to
be mcarcerated in the county jail,
where they are better fed and where
sanitary conditions are far better than
i'm their ordinary environments.
THE reformers are constantly ad-
vocating the adoption and enactment
of laws which are Cor the purpose OF
alleyiating the punishment OF the
criminal. forgetting and losing entire
sight of the protection that the law
abiding and peaceable citizen Is en-
titled to as against these human pari-
sites.
In one-half OF the enerby now
spent in sympathy on murderers and
criminals would be devoted to the
families of the victims and the other
TO bringing to justice the brutes who
have blotted out the lives OF law-abld-
ing and peaceful citizens and darken-
ed forever the lives of others, this
would be happier and safer world TO
live in"
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 Jailor
Davies office.
II was reported that this action
was taken TO prevent possible re-
prieve of the condemned man at the
last minute. When asked for an ex-
planation. Jailor Davies smiled and
said.
Il can't see why il was done. You
see the telephone is out of order"