The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1921-06-16
LETHAL GAS FOR
NEVADACONDENNED
Dragged Into Inconsistencies Grim
inals VIII Be Placed in fright
Cells, Where Legal Death viii
Steal Upon Them.
BY H. w. Faraday,
International News Service STAFF


BY H. w. Faraday,
International News Service STAFF
Correspondent
Reno, New, June 9.-Thudding
crash of bullets or sickening drop
from scaffold will no longer bring
legal death in Nevada. Instead,
drugged into Inconsistencies, Grimm
ais will be placed in an air-tight
chamber, where death will come in
stealthy approach of an air-tight,
odorless gas.
Prior to January of this year man
condemned TO death had choice of one
of two ways to die. He could select
the bullet of the hangman's moose.
Choice was removed by the last Leg
islature, meeting in Carson City early
this year, when it passed a bill de-
creeing death penalties should be ex-
acted thru the use of a deadly gas.
A new tier of cells is rapidly near
ing completion at the state peniten-
siary in Carson City. In that tier of
cells are three which to outward APP
pearance correspond exactly with the
other cells in the prison house. Writ
ten over the entrance of each cell,
unseen except by eyes that must soon
face death, is a legend of anguish,
for the three cells are death cells.
Death cells in literal truth, for the
cell in which the condemned prisoner
passes the last days on earth is the
cell where death will steal on him or
her sometime during the fateful week
xafEfoh hoe hnnx, 81 80 l.
of death.
Invisible Gas Pipes.
Close by the death cells lies the ex-
ecutioner's room. There are no
switches to swing into contact here,
nor buttons to push which will re-
lease drop beneath the prisoners
feet. Instead, great tanks of death
dealing gas stand waiting the day of
carrying out sentence pronounced as
penalty for crime. Pipes lead from
this room to each of the death cells.
Their outlets cannot be seen by the
eyes of the condemned, yet thru the
openings leading into the cells death
will rush when the signal has been
given.
Provisions in passing sentence will
be the same as provisions under the
old infection of death penalty except
for phrasing shot until Dead or,
hanged by the neck unit! dead
In all three cells arrangements have
been made so ventilation may be cut
off. and in each door is heavy glass
window. Witnesses will use the win
dow thru which to view the unfor-
tunate passing from life to death.
Opiate in Late Supper.
In passing sentence death is desig
mated to take place within a week.
Under Nevada's new law, when the
final week arrives any meal may be
the condemned mans last meal on
earth, for in the food on the fatal day
will be strong opiate. AS he finishes
eating drowsiness will close his eyes
in sleep, the window to his cell will
be closed alright, the close-ftting
door will swing on him for the last
time, witnesses will take their places,
and as the deadly gas is forced into
the death cell the condemned man will
go to his Maker without ever having
known that final payment is being
made
During the debate on the bill sew
eral legislators pointed out the fact
that mental torture would not be end
ed with use of lethal gas instead of
rifle or moose. All the horrors of
waiting must be borne under the
lethal gas law which were experienced
by condemned men who had made
their choice of being shot or hanged.
The question was raised relative to
how an opiate would be administered
in cases where the condemned start
hunger strike with refusal to eat any
food during the week decreed as time
for execution. Another question
asked was whether "the average man
would not rather die with his faculties
alert, meeting death as a man rather
than as dumb brute? ?"
The Hanging of Casey.
No answers were given these ques-
tons. When they will be answered
in actual experience of man or
woman waiting death cannot be told,
for none is waiting death at the pres
ent time.
Nevada has net exacted death
penalty since 1918. With the privi-
lege of electing the form of death,
either shooting or hanging, man
known only as Casey was hanged in
that year. No one has ever learned
Casey's real identity. He was known
only as Casey when arrested for muir
der; he went thru his trial alone and
friendless as Casey; he was hanged
by the neck until dead as Casey.
There was but one outstanding feat
ture of his case. Casey had only one
leg, the missing member being re-
placed with a wooden leg. He was
asked few days before being hanged
whether he would die with or without
his wooden leg. He said: Without
it." On the morning of the final day
he decided he wanted his wooden leg
to go with him. This necessitated a
last minute refiguring of weights and
length of drop, but his desire was
granted, and Casey went to his death
without parting company from his
wooden leg.