The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-04-01
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT f AGAIN


and a.tooth for-a-tooth obsolete and that CIV
ilzation had reached that stage when for even the
state to take human life was not the proper thing
to do. ~ .5,"..-, ,E~sg.....
Almost every session Of the legislature sees
- bal introduced tip restore capital punishment in
Minnesota, the author and hiss ae6ntend
ing th1t the tear pf death,wM keep Inensfrdfd 1om
hitting crimesl Penologistsf then come forward
showing that many -ermes-ase
states: where the death
vogue states that have abolished it.
The recent hanging in Chicago ef a man by the
name 81 Church cohsietpd az ahia
fders has had the effect of starting agitation in
that state to have no more hangings. Not that
Church didn't as Richly deserve the most severe
punishment possible, providing he was not men,
tally incompetent any criminal ever did, but
because Church refused to eat and was SO nearly
dead on the day of execution that he had to be
ried to the gallows, being hanged from chair.
The spectacle Of choking to death already
half dead apparently not relished by the public of
Illinois. =" ~
Often the remark is made, IF, when man is
sent to prison for life, he is kept there and is not
pampered and petted and pardoned, there wouldn't
be such a demand for capital punishment" It's
a poor argument. Because some guilty men do i
get their freedom when they shouldn't doesn't
end of rope, burning him with electricity, smoth
er:ng him with gas, or they do in France, chop
ping his head off. = s~,%"ss~- H.. =. =
That taking human life is bad business is il
lustrated by the fact that always there is effort
to make ''more humane the executions. Elec-
trocution was regarded as step in the right d.
.rection. Now Nevada mas decided on plan where
. by the condemned man is locked in a room and
some time Or other, when he may least expect it,
the room is flooded with odorless lethal gas which
kills its victim without warning 49,. -~. 5
Ralph Wheelock Of the Minnesota State Board
Of Control without entering into the argument for
against capital punishment suggests that if
is to be executed that scheme be perfected
whereby the condemned man himself can be made
to bring about his own destruction. ~
So it goes, and the more it is discussed the more
apparent it becomes that penal servitude, rigidly
enforced, is after JAIL the most humane and effec-
tive means for dealing with dangerous criminals
giving greater insurance Of getting convictions
where convictions are deserved and reducing to
minimum the success Of: the ever-popular "insanty
DODGE"
- Within week Bemidji will be cleaned up for
the summer. Back yards will be brushed and
combed" and III the alleys will have their 'necks
and ears" thoroughly washed: Come on, you sum-
tourists, Bemidj is ready. =.
s. S---------s lis :. q: u
The disappointment to this section of the
state is that Miss Eloise Caliban was not endorsed
by the Republican state convention .
~. i. s---------s' 1' r
Can the United States mail be used to carry out
April fool Jokes? We received check in the mail
today, we were not looking for. , "a. ~. -.,
ssNt,I ~ s.-s 49, .~-.-,,,,-.
Dress up. The price is reasonable in Bemdji
these days. Bemidji merchants are doing their
part, let US do ours.
a., s-------------s 80. -
Kellogg went over the top as was expected. So
did Preus, Collins and the rest of the ticket
TT s---s y .:..,..
-, "Good evening"" and you didn't get fooled once
today? Well, isn't that Just fine. y
And the robins have returned, this time to stay.
Have you seen yours?
S-S
Who's going to play the first game of golf?
Lakin Torrance? z ~ -s%-+<4-.