The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-04-14
LOSING FEAR OF
ELECTROCUTION
ELECTRIC CHAIR FAILS TO
CHECK CRIME, is CLAIM

ble-"Iurn on the Juice" Said One
as He Was Being Strapped in the
Chair-Operating Death Chair is
Most Disagreeable Duty.
One hundred an eighty have gone
the way Of "the chair" in Sing Sing
prison, New York. Last year II
walked the march Of death through
the little green door" In the first
NO months Of this year three more
have paid the extreme penalty, and
March ushered in another electro
cution.
With the announcement Of these
figures, given in an interview to the
international News Service recently,
Warden Lewis E, Lawes stated that
fear Of eleetrocution no longer ex-
lists in the criminal mind.
deterioration as at present car
ried, out does not keep down the
number of murders, he said in dis
cussing the recent crime wave which
has swept the country and has been
attended by many wanton killings.
The list Of murders has grown app
palling all over the country Most
Of them have been committed, not
for some great or fancied wrong, but
in connection with holdups and petty
robberies, the taking of life literally
for a song. Warden Lawes stated that
possibly this is due to an after-the-
war condition Certain it is that
life is held cheaply now, and to many
of criminal instincts life is cheap
gamble, and the electric chair is no
longer spectre to deter them from
capital crimes.
"The odds are all with the muir
derer in this GAMBLE said Warden
Lawes. "The percentage Of those
actually executed Is SO small com
pared to the number of murders
committed that capital punishment
fails as deterrent.
"Here is another astounding fact,
said Warden Lawes. "The majority
Of men who now occupy the death
house have not been previously con-
fined in prison" Life, indeed, has
DNOOAAAC q ClAOoH y
In fact, there now exists a spirit
Of bravado such as never before has
been manifest. A typical instance Of
this was shown not so long ago
when five condemned men were put
to death at Sing Sing in a speace of
little over an hour, passing one after
the other into the death chamber
"Give her the gas-turn on the
juice, said one Of the men, as he was
strapped into the chair.
AT Sing Sing, where all electro
cutions for New York State are now
carried out, the toll of lives in axact-
ing the extreme penalty is higher
than in any other prison in the coun-
try because Of the large state popu-
lation. But in many of the 30 states
which have capital punishment the
sout aiken chair with its electrodes
and straps has worked overtime in
recent months. And in all of them
electrocutions are carried out in
practically the same manner.
Science has made wonderful pro-
gress in recent years in prolonging
life, new serums and anti-toxins
have been discovered and surgery
has advanced to marked degree, but
the method Of taking life remains
the same.
"Electrocution was introduced in
this state nearly 30 years ago." said
Warden Lawes, "but the chair today
is the same as it has always been.
Except for the amount of current
used and the length Of the contact,
there has been no change. In former
years 1900 volts were used. Today
1000 volts are used and better re-
suits are obtained
Asked as to whether he did not think
that in time science will bring forth
some radically new and different
method in carrying out the mandate
Of capital punishment, Warden Lawes
replied he did not believe any change
would be made. IF capital punish
ment is necessary" he said, cleo
trocution is both effective and hui
name as to method.
"All prisons are using practically
the same methods. From the time
the contact is given until pronounced
dead by the physician, the average is
eight minutes. The first contact is
for period of one minute and Is
seconds. The second is usually for
five seconds. From the time the first
contact is applied, the man is entire
ly unconscious. Care is taken to
burning and DETACHMENT, else
the execution could be accomplished
more quickly.
"Let me say, however" said War
den Lawes, shat to those in charge
Of carrying out the mandate of cap
ital punishment it is indeed a most
duty. To those who
must enforce the law it is one topic
avoided.
81 believe that in time capital pun
iahnauf Will he ahnlcbad -