The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-02-04
VIEWS GWEN THE PRESS
Rope Route For Fiends Is
Proper Penalty
.FR0WN UPON PARDONS
Life imprisonment Does Not
Mean That, Declare Ladies'
Interviewed

tuSSiviC"CA
Prominent women in general favor
the return of capital punishment in
Minnesota. The majority of promin-
ent women interviewed by The Free
Press to-day favor the extreme pen
atty in cases of murder il the evil
dence is conclusive, but where evil
dence is merely circumstantial they
do not favor hanging. One lady ex-
pressed herself as very much dis
pleased with the manner in which Gull
prits are now pardoned from the
states prison after serving but q few
years for some henious crime. This
lady thinks that il the law says i'm
prisonment for life for the taking of
confined the remainder Of his or her
life. The belief that after a few
years they will be pardoned from
prison, no matter how serious their
crimes, leads many criminals to not
dread the consequences when they.
are about to commit some depreda-
ton. y.
The following interviews were Sc
Mrs. A. H. Silbef: Where there
is no doubt as to the guilt of the
person charged with murder, I be-
lieve in capital punishment. If the
evidence is purely circumstantial I
do not.
Mrs. J. w. Andrews While I
believe in something being done to
present wave Of crime spreading
not want wrongdoers running at
large. But 1 do really think that i'm
prisonment for life is more of a
punishment than capital punishment.
Of murder is conclusive, believe n
hanging, but where the evidence
would not favor putting it in force"
punishment"
Mrs. A. Mueller:-" am strong
ly in favor of capital punishment
as means Of stamping out Grimm
al tendencies in the human race"
| Mrs. G. ]. Holman:-"1 feel~th6t
capital punishment should be infiic
ted wherever the guilt OF murder Is
absolutely certain. Where the gull
rests on circumstantial evidence
would no favor putting it in force.'
| Decided Step Necessary
Miss Anna Jones:-'I think tina
it is necessary to take some decided
denotes Of the present day, but l ara
not in favor of capital punishment
or otherwise taking human life
life imprisonment and other means
should be resorted to. The latter
would be entirely more effective II
the part of the state officials 10
issue Pc rdons on almost any pre-,
text. This gives the hardened c.inl
inal the idea that no matter nov
henious his crime may be, he Will
only have to remain in prison b.
a few years until he or she Is onr
on pardon"
Favors Punishment: Hanging Muir
Mrs. J. r: Brandrup: 'T-ahelieve
that something sh0ld be done to sup
press the present wave of crime that
is sweeping over the country. I am
in favor of capital punishment. where
der but not in cases where the guilt {
or innocence of the accused party
rests on circumstantial evidence"
! Mrs. C. ]. Laurisch: Il am very
much opposed to capital punishment.
It is nothing more nor less than ju-
takes a life, / do not believe that It :
is right that somebody else should
take another life to ayenge it.
would favor state. prison sentence
In cases OF murder"
| Mrs. E. w. Foster: 81 am opposed
to capital punishment, and favor life.
Imprisonment in extreme cases. This
gives the person chance to repent.
and his services in labor to the state
are of some value. l do think, how
ever, that some reforms should be
made in the present parole system.
tain period he should be compelled to
serve his time out, if there is. not
some very good cause for his parole
At the present time there Is too much
of a tendency, I'd parole and pardon
on the slightest reason"
favor the return Of capital punish
ment in this state. ! never did be-
lieve very much in the idea of An
eye for an eye and q tooth for b
TOOTH and would sooner see the
present system> of Imprisonment for
| Should there have been some mis-
take in sentencing a man or woman,
which has often been the case In the
mast, there is a chance of righting
the wrong: but in cases of hanging
this Mrs would = be wi impossible am onno.sd
to capital punishment, but when
person If sentenced to life imprison-
ment for murder in cases where there
is no doubt as to guilt. / believe Ia
he or she being kept in prison the
remainder of their lives"
Miss, Minnie Baneerter. 'Ir cases
of cfrcumstantial evidence I will state
that l never would be in favor re car.
ital punishment I believe thet =
would be better to let q half sc-Sn
guilty ones esrape punishmart 'Hr~
to convict one innocent nerson Vr.c-r-
1.-THE proof of murder is corr're'~n
however think that the e~t-e--o
! nenalty is all right II would nave
tendency to discourage crime"
! Mrs. q. R. Fueina of Madison r.ai-a
was a Mapkato shopner yesterde-
/ Mrs. G.. c. Crawford Mrs. Frad
Crawford and Alma .Wachholz OF st.
Peter were SHOPPERS in the city yes
terday
! Mrs. NJ. w Brewster Of Wells Ia
| the guest of Mrs M I. Van Slxka