Pueblo chieftain., 1922-02-26


Tf,- use OF lethal gas as a means of
executing prisoners does not appear
to be a progressive step in dealing with
criminals, in the opinion OF DIR. Earl
budding, head OF tho Prisoners Re-
lief Society
DIR. budding is opposed to the death
penalty in any form on the ground
that it lis inefficient--that 1t does not
, prevent crime nor reform criminals.
Minnesota. without capital punish
ment, has less crimo than any other
state, he says. But there are only
few states where the death penalty IL
abolished, and until il Is generally
abolished, says DR.. budding, we
should use methods of execution
which viii least discredit our civiliza-
ton
Details of executions by the state
are unpleasant and. therefore. 1t
seems people know comparatively
little about them. They assume that
electrocution is swift and painless.
II has a modern. efficient sound and
it has supplanted death by hanging In
n number OF states.
DIR. budding has personally made
tests at prison executions. and he
finds that contrary to general opinion
the most humane method OF execution
In use is han ging. That is, hanging
is less painful to the condemned man
than electrocution, and all things
considered, would probably be far
less of an ordeal than the gas method
which one state is TO try out in April.
Death by hanging" DIR. budding
explained. is usually instantaneous.
Where death does not take place at
once, the shock OF the drop causes
inconsistencies. The preparations
at tho scaffold take about a minute.
Several men are there. each ready for
the signal When II is given, one
man straps together the hands Of the
condemned man. another ties his
knees, and a third his ankles. It is
done swiftly. and there II singing going
on or the sheriff or some ono else
talks to tho man To lessen tho strain.
Often he does not realize he Is being
tied.
sPRINGING THE TRAP
Then the black cap Is quickly slip
ped over his head and tho trap Is
sprung-perhaps six men press six
buttons. Ono OF these buttons-none
OF the six men knows which one
starts motor TO whirllng. This in
stantly pulls out tho pins which hold
tho trap, and 1t drops with "a crash.
on ono occasion I got hold of the
mans pulse about three seconds aft
or tho drop and there was only a lit
,Ie nut;cr.
"Electrocution. on the other hand.
~ not swiftly certain as hanging
even when the most efficient equip
ment IL used. I saw n man clectrocut-
Cd In Ohio II takes about as long
TO prepare for an eiectrocution as for
a hanging Tho man II strapped into
tho chair tightly His wrists arc wet.
and generally wet rug Is placed
under his feet TO insure the contact.
Il made an arrangement with this
condemned man. cOnfidcntiaiiy. that
he would move his finger as long a.
he could They turned on enough
current TO XIII him. supposedly. In
spite Of tho straps tho body twisted
and was horribly contorted by tho
force. In about half minute they
turned on n second current and he
was still moving his finger. This Is
not Instantaneous death"
DR.. budding explained tina. tho ea-
method is n new idea and that peopin
can merely conjecture regarding H.
After talking with n number OF per-
sons Interested in pcnology no found
that tho consensus Of opinion was
that they would prefer a swift death
by hanging to a less violent on, which
would take place Mt an un.pecifcd
moment. The actual experience OF
being gasscd might or might not bc
so uncomfortable as being hung But
- is tho uncertainty. tho fact that a
week IL TO bc rot aside for tho cxccu-
tion. and that tho prisoner Is put Into
tho specially constructed death cell