The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-07

CARSON CITY, New, April H.
The House of Creeping Death" is
scheduled to have its first try.out
between April 16 and April %.
Thatds the time fixed for the ex.
scltions OF Hughie Sing and Gee
Jon mnrderers, under Nevada's
new state law providing for the
ktlling by lethal gas of persons
sentenced TO death.
Unless the United States supreme
cotirt Wills otherwise, these two
Chinese tong members will be led
frpm murderers' row - where a
death watch already has been set
over them-to become test sub.
jects for the worlds first lethaI
gas executions.
In the meantime the prisoners
walt with fatalistic calm, wholly un
awareEoft the national attention they
are attracting.
Legal Battle On.
In the meantime, too, a bitter lie.
g9i battle has opened in Nevada to
stor the use OF the lethal gas cage
4 means Of capital punishment.
Attorneys will carry the fight to
the highest courts.
But since the Nevada legislature
has voted the lethal gas cage the
Lass word In humane execution
Governor Emmett Boyle and state
prison directors are continuing with
plans for its construction and the
deaths OF the test cases.
Aasfor Hughie Sing, 10, and Gee
ION. 29. they merely know that they
are doomed to die. They have nc
conception OF the scientific device,
born OF the war, that may Gerry
thelnst0 momentary fame as we'll as
TO death. They were convicted OF
d tong murder.
Hughie Sing, who attended Amer,
iean schools but could not forget
lessons in tong vengeance lear el
outside the classroom, talks freely.
Gee Jon, known the length o: the
Pacific coast as a killer" says
nothing.
Zone Way Like Another"
Hushie is more interested in the
ccprsegof the courts than in the
pisanss OF death IL the courts fall.
fl1 must die, one way is about
MS hadsa as another to me-" he says,
Hh can't comprehend what q
lethal gas execution is.
know I5have been sentenced Ia
death that Is ALL" he says. ~ d.
no. want to die, but what am to
The lethal gas execution, popu,
lar when legalized by the legisla-
tnre, has stirred up a public temp
est since the day the test cases
tertwere sentenced.
Thousands of protest letters are
notiring2in on state officials, charg
ing that llethal gas killing is I'm
human is scruel and unusual pun,
ishntents and, Is "the last word In
refined torture!r
NoSplans have as yet been drawn
Tor the sshonse Of creeping death
that viii kill Hughie and Gee. This
Is the theory OF it, as Governor
BOYLE explained It to me:
Death House Described.
small concrete death house
about skis will be built in n cor
mel ofSthe prison yard. Through one
wal pipe leads to a large gas
tank
This pipe swould be operated eth
Ell by Jet orplug, which would BE-
Manipulated by one of three wires
Three persons, to be selected by
LOT, would pull the individual wire.
none would know which hal
turned on the gas.
Qnsthe opposite side of the death
hoifse would be an outlet pipe tc
carry on the gas after the execu-
rom the center wall six wit
nesses would be able to watch the
victim die. a small easement wir,
dow being provided for that pur.
pose. The law says that this mum
her OF witnesses may attend thu
executions. Entrance to the death
house would be gained through a
small Theoretically sealing door.
Pnson officials hold that within
few Seconds after the condemned
man entered the death house, he
woaldsbe under the influence of the
Law Allows Delay.
Chief objection to the lethal gas
killings, and the center Of thu
storm now gathering, lies In tbs
Wording OF the law which says thai
one time during the week Of ser.
tehce the execution shall take
place.
Thus, the directors hold, a mar
could live for days Of terrible tor
never knowing at what mo
taent the deadly gas would BE-
ttfned on.
State and prison officials insis!
tAat they have no intention OF ad
ministering the gas in this fashion
that the condemned prisoner will
he notified Of the time OF his death
ind that the execution will be In.
inediate.
4 test will prove whether or moi
loihm gas is humane, they say.
And so unless the supreme court
ipterfetes Hughie Sing. the high
school lad who learned more Of
tong vengeance than Of mathemat,
IS and Gee Jon, the calculating
san Francisco's China,
town win be the subjects OF that
test