The Holbrook news., 1921-08-26
Nevada Law Provides Peculiar Form of Execution for Men
 Convicted of Murder.
CHAMBER IN NEW PRISON
State Architect Ordered to Plan Cham ber Where Witnesses in Safety May See Man Die-Some Say Method Is Cruel and
 Barbarous.

Carson City, Nev.-In this capital city of Nevada they are building a new state penitentiary which will con tain lethal gas chamber for the exc cution of condemned criminals.
 Under a law passed at the recent session of the state legislature all per sons condemned to death in this state must be killed by the administration of lethal gas.
 The laws affecting the death pen alty have been out of the ordinary in this state for a number of years past. Under certain restrictions the con- demned criminal has been able to choose his own method of execution. The last man to die at the hands of the state was one Mircovich, who, in the language of Gov. Emmet D. Boyle, accepted shooting" The con- demned man was seated in a chair in the prison yard with his back to a wall. A diagram was fixed upon his clothing. A company of men were engaged to shoot at the living target. All the rifiemen were expert marks men. As they entered the prison yard they were handed loaded weap- ons. Some of the guns contained blanks and others were loaded with steel bulleted shells. No member of the firing squad knew what his rife contained
 Death Was Instantaneous.
 After the single crash of the volley that snuffed out the forfeited life 1t was found the figure "8" traced on his breast had been perfectly per forated by the bullets, which were found to have plugged the back of the chair on which he sat The chair of the states shooting gallery" is one of the gruesOme objects of curi- Osity which you can see in the old prison yard. The figure "8" is very accurately outlined in the wood where the bullets lodged after they sped through the human body.
 Those who witnessed the execution say that death was practically instan- raneous. The physicians believe that shooting is the quickest, least painful and most humane method of execution.
 The new law has precipitated much discussion. There are many lawyers in Nevada who hold that a criminal may not be legally executed by lethal gas. They say it is unconstitutional because it violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel, barbarOus and unusual punishment. There Is sufficient weight to this contention in the minds of the members of the prison board so that they have care fully preserved the gallows for such use as may be necessary.
 Gov. Emmet D. Boyle. head of the state. who signed the bill making the lethaI gas execution legal, holds that it is perfectly feasible and constitu- tional.
 'There are a number of lethal gases that may be employed" he told me. Any will produce practically instant death. I satisfied myself thor Oughly concerning this phase of the proposition before I signed the bill. l am convinced that this method of execution can be simply administered and will be effective.
 Use Mechanical Methods.
 "The gas will be administered by some person designated by the war den. It will be administered by me chanical methods. The execution by this method will not be painful
 "I do not think, however, it Is re- lated in any respect to the abolition of the death penalty.
 ''NO actual steps have yet been taken to provide the facilities for the