The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-03-02
inmate OF
PEN. TALKS
ON HANGING
II Creates More MurdererS,
He Tells Star Man in
Interview
ny RALPH !. nENIAMIN

Interview
ny RALPH \. BENJAMIN
WAtI4A MALt.A. March 2.-rho
slanting rays of tho afternoon sun
played thru the steel barred wi.dows
OF the coll and brought out In sil
houctte a giant. touslcd head
Tho prisoner smiled He pulled
his chair up To the table and olasped
his hands ncrvously before him.
Not sfueo time began have two
wrongs ever made a right he de
olarcd. II was his answer to my
question: what do you think OF
capital punishment
MAKES No PLEA FOR
HARDENED CRIMINAL
The law says murder II tho de
nberate. rrcmcditated taking OF an
other human beings life II Is a
crime. II must be punished. for the
lives OF people must be made safe. IL
society Is 60 exist.
I'll is not a plea for the murderer
that | want TO make. | do not want
To make sympathy for the hardened
criminal. l know he must be pun
iahed for his misdcedA But. I can
not escape conviction that society's
method il mostly wrong.
when the murderer takoa a life.
he Is guilty OF terrible crime
against society.
s~rhe courts have ruled that he s.
guilty Of prcEneiitation and deiiber-
alton II no had gun and used H.
The possession OF the gun Is DELHI
GRAFTON. and time elapsing between
the pointing OF the weapon and pull
ing Of the trigger is premcditauon.
THINKS LAW ALSO
Is GUILTY OF MURDER
Then. II the law condemns him 20
die. Is not tho law guilty OF murder.
or deliberatin and premcdttaiion7
Every time society hangs a man
II commits a crime against itself. Il
underulines its own morals. II under
primes the very machinery Il has
fbuilt for its own protection.
There Is nothing SO hrupllizsng aa
the deliberate premeditated. caro-
fully prepared and perfectly legal
hanging.
ON tho men in tho penitentlary
the effect Is demoraiixtng These
men think Many. many of them are
highly intelligent. on these men the
effect Of a hanging at tho prison ia
terrible IL takes away respect for
HE IL stamps out respect for the
rights OF others. IL doesn't make
tissn afraid to kill. IL makes scores
want To kill
WOULD KILL TO
AVOID BEING CAUGHT
Picture the man who has killed
another. What II his feeling about
arrcst7 He would kin many times
rather than be arrested. for he fears
II he Is arrested he will b. identified
as a murderer. and he will be hang
cd" That was the philosophy OF John
Schmitt. the man who killed the
three Seattle policemen Capital
punishment made him a man dan
gcrous. not only TO society. but To
himself
Il wonder why society doesn't do
something constructive In the hand.
ling OF criminals?
Would IL not be better 10 sci n
murderer to work for life at some
paying industry within prison walls?
And sell the product 50 tho widow
and children of the murdered man
might live on hts earnings7
The state OF Washington Iexfsia-
,fure voted TO re-establish capital
punishment after John Van Dell had
f.
Insurance commissioner in Olympia
IL there had been n hanging law
then. John Van Dell would have
hanged for his crime. But, what is
the fact about John Van Den7
HOPELESS MANIAC
IN SIBERIA"
He IL suffering from a disease
that drove him insane. He has been
insane for years. He In so insane
now that he is locked up In Siberia
Siberia IL IA little corner OF the
prison where the insane prisoners
who are dangerous to their fellow
prisoners are kept
Would society t~ proud Of hang.
ing an insane man?- asked the pris-
oner. mo. And yet II would have
done that IL the hanging law had
been In effect then.
Then found Tacoma youth who
Killed "A man. He Is John Kneip, SEN
fenced 10 life imprisonment.
II don't think they ought 10 hang
men for killing" said John. 1T isn't
because I'm sorry for them. exactly.
but because II has bad impression.
IL doesn't help. People ought 10
know IT,
II am sorry ! did what ! did. but
~ Is more punishment 90 mo to DO
here all my life--lf am here that
lonR-than TO die. II isn't 10 had
hero, az that. You can eat the
grub, but that's about all. You work.
eat. sleep and read. That's an.
WOULDN'T RE THERE
II HE'D Needed MOTHER
There wouldn't be so many young
fellows getting into trouble like did
" they would listen 10 their mothers
j would be making good today II I
had listened to mine. suppose there
isn't much use TO ten the boys TO
stay home. but it's the straight
dope"
John Kneip IL working In the lutte
mill, and studying automobile me.