Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-08-24
keva1a Law Provides Peculiar
Form Of Execution for Men
Convicted o; Murder.
CHAMBER N new PRISON
State Architect Ordered to Plan Cham
Der Where Witnesses in Safety
MAJ See Man oie-Some Say
Method Is Cruel ana
Barbarous.


Carson City. Nev.-In this capital
city ~ Nevada they are building a
lew state raniteuJIary which will con
tain Iethai Gas chamber FOR the exc
cut.Cu % con icmued criminals.
Under "a lnN passed az the recent
session u the state legislature all per
sons condemned 20 death In this state
must o. Killed by tie administration
ef lCthul raA
The laws affecting the death pen
atty have been out ~ the ordinary lea
this state fBg q number 81 years past.
Under certain restrictions the con-
demued criminal has been able TO
choose bis own method ~ execution.
The last man Go die az tie hands II
tae state was one Nfirc0vich. who. in
fhe language o. GOV. Emmett ID.
BOYLE -accep,ed shooting" The cum
temued man vas seated in chair
~ tire PRISM YARD with his hack o.
e waIL A diagram was fixed upon
IFS c.1fh.u-. a company 90 men were
ENGAGED to shogt af the living target
All cine rIrpmra were expert marks
meu As they entered the prison
ynuI they were handed loaded weap-
cus. some ~ the guns contained
blanks and others were loaded with
steel bu'ietel shells No membe- ~
The firing squad knew what bis rifle
CentalueL
Death Was instantaneous.
After the single crash - the vnilev
trat snuned uut the forfeited life 70
was found the figure 80 traced on
rs breast had been perfectly per-
f1ufei By the bullets. which were
found to have plu--ed the hack ~
TIE chair on which be sat The chair
- the states shooting gallery" j.
enc ~ the uruesome objects ~ curl
oSIty which you can see Geo tile old
prison yard The figure - Is very
accurately outlined IN the wood where
ere bullets lolzei after they sped
through the human body.
Those who witnessed the execution
sav that death was practically instan-
faueouS The physicians believe that
shooting Is the quickest. least painful
and most humane method 20 execution.
The new law has prec.p.tated much
discussion. There are many lawyers
a. Nevada who hold that a criminal
may not be legally executed by lethai
gns. They say r. Is unconstitutional
because o. violates the constitutional
prohibition against cruei. harharous
aud unusual punishment. There is
sufficient veIzht o. this contention In
the minds ~ the members o. the
prison board 20 that they have care
fuIIy preserve the gaiiows Tor such
use as nav br necessary.
Gov. Emmett u. Boyle. head o. the
safe. who signed the bin making the
sthaI Gas execution legal. holds that
q j. perfectly feasible and constitu-
tfunat
There are number ~ lethal
gsses that may be employed" he told
me. ANY win produce practically
Instant death. satisfied myself thor
ouEhly concerning this phase o. the
prn~n<frtrn before / signed the bilL
i am convinced that this method Of
execution can BE simply administered
and win ~ effective
Use Mechanical Methods.
The ras viii be administered BY
some person designated by the war
den. II win D. administered by me-
ehaulcal methods. The execution by
thls method win not be painful.
= 90 not think. however. Il + re-
lated In any respect 20 the abolition
% the death penalty
~No actual steps nave yet been
taken % provide Tia facilities Tor the