The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-01-02
iFELONS WATCH
COMPANION DIE
Prisoners Forced to Witness
Execution of Murderer
at Dawn.
"HARD GUYS S10lCAL
Experiment in Psychology
Arouses Protests of Club
women in Vain.


Chicago, Jan. Am experiment in
psychology was tried this morning at
the county jail in the grizzly, dim
hour of dawn, when 200 prisoners
were forced to witness the hanging
Of Raffalo Durragc. convicted mur-
deror. Hardened riminals-selected
from among other murderers and
felons whose eXpiation Is not vet the
gallows-were placed In cellG. tier on
tier of which surrounded the square
in which the scaffold had been
erected.
II was the contention of sheriff Pc
ters that the sight of tho gruesome
trappings would have a most salu
tary effect upon those In whose lives
might come future temptations TO
STAY or to rob or to burn.
And so firmly the sheriff believed
In the efficacy of this idea that he
persisted in II despite the request
from Gov. Iowden that he abandon
his plan, and the added protests from
scores OF other persons who thought
the scheme unnecessarily brutal.
Accordingly the stage was set I'm
tn death chamber, Durrage was led
forth. The quiet In the death cham
bcr became absolute for "A moment
Then the moose was slipped over the
murdercr's head. From one of the
higher tiers came stridcnt shout:
when do we eat?"
Tier by tier cell 10y cell the cry
was taken up. II became a roar
above which the wardon's voice could
not be heard.
The trap was sprung. Durrago
uronped AUTO the space beneath the
scaffold--dead
when do we eat" was his rohuIem.
Sheriff Peters DECLARED after the
execution that Gov. Iowdcn's secrc-
tary telophoned the jail and asked
regarding plans for the hanging, but
did not object to the sherlfrs pro
gram.
SHERlFF'S DEFENSE.
know from experience" ho said,
that any one who witnesses a hapa-
ing never will deliberately kill. II ia
the greaeest lesson you can give a
criminal"
Chicago club and society women.
headed by Miss Mary McDowoll Of
tho Chicago University settlement
raised a storm of protest against
Laubenhelmor's unique '1nsHon .
They characterized II as immoral
"disgraceful" and "wholly unneces
sary"
Prisoner Turned His Head.
only one prisoner was observed to
turn his head away as the mnslS was
drawn over tho face and the deadly
trap sprung, The others looked on
in horrlned silence. JAIN officials said
that the cells held some OF tho hard
est guys" in the Jail.
There was only one sound from the
cells hllod with prisoners. AS tho
body swung TO and fro after the fail,
one prisoner started to whistle
Nearer My God, to Thee" but broke
off ana turned away There was
none Of the growing and the bang
ing, of tin pans ON steel bars by the
prisoners, which usually accompanies
n hanging party" silence reigncd
over the tiers of cells FOR n time,
Durrage went 10 his death stole.
ally. lIo declined 10 nnswor the
loilor's last question as TO whether
he had anything to say. When he
refused to answer the question. !
guards quickly plnccd on the cap and !
robe ana sprung the trap. lIe sccncd
TO cVince little Interest In the pro-
Ccodngs.
No Telephone Communication.
Just before the execution the receiver
Of the only telephone connecting the |
jail with the outside world was re- |
moved from It's hook in Jnilcr Davies
offices
It was reported thia action was taken
To prevent possible roprlcvo Of the
condemned man nt the last minute
ss.HIf, f,.gs
Bnvica smiled and said.
Il emit say why II wns done Yuu
see the telephone Is out Of order"
Answer TO critics.
sheriff Pctcrs later issued state
mcut answering critics who opposed |
his action. The statement reads ~
followa:
In my opinion the modern coddlng |
Of criminals by well meaning but mis-.
guided. Vmputhctic, theoretical re-
formers and sclf-constltutcd orRBnizo-
tlong iH one of The greatest cnuscF of
the present crime wnNr In this city. |
Their iutorfcrcuces with the yigorou
cuiurC'mrut Of the law has destroy cd |
the fear of punishment hy criminals 10
the extent that IT Is no longer deter.
rent io the further commission of
crime 10 ho iucarccraiod In our penal
institution. 4 large number of pfis /
ouors op"ulv acknowledge That they |
would pt'tot 10 be iuCutrctutcd in the /
county l1ll whore they uro better fed
aud whore sanitary conditions nre f1r
hrttor tnpu iu their ordinary environ
mcut=.
'"rhc r,totmcrs nre constantly Hdvo- /
eating tnr adoption aud enactment oi
tnwa which arc for tho purpose Of allie /
Waiting tho punishment of the cumi- /
nal forgetting and losing cniiro sight /
Of the protection that the INV abiding /
and p,1r,ahle citizeus is entitled TO CO..
nrutuHt These human parasitic.
"if uu..NHIf 81 the 'uerEy now srrui
tn rymu.inr ou murderer mud rttui-
mails would no devoted 90 the families of
IN, victim. and the other luIt to bi.Ht.
ing o. Justice the hrutos rhu mHNr
bloit.d ont thc lives oT lpw abiding and +
pcac,nu ,.fIgrus aud dnrb'uud forever
the uv.r OF nthcrs. THE would no o.
happier Hrb eafcr world 10 live in.