Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-12-28
JUDGE OPPOSES
DEATH PENALTY
Sentenced First Man to Die In North
Carolina's Electric Chair-Retir-'
ing After 16 Years Servise. a

Raleigh, Special.z"After 16 years
on the bench, during which time l.,
sentenced the first man to die in
North Cardinals Electric Chair and
have sentenced five others who were
executed, | am more than ever op-
posed to capital punishment" "a
Judge G. G. Lyon, now in Raleigh,
presiding over his last term of su-
perior court, today made this state
ment while discussing his experiences
and the impressions he had gained
while serving as a jurist.
81 would be more active in my op-
position to capital punishment" he
said, "if it were not for the fact that
a majority Of persons convicted Of
crimes carrying long terms Of i'm
prisonment either escape or are clem-
ercy within few years. Very few
Of them ever serve their complete
sentence.
"Still, | believe capital punishment
has failed Of its purpose and is not
I! humane"
| Although 72 years of age, Judge
Lyon is very active. His face and fig
urc give him an appearance typical
Of jurist. His hair and mustache
are white, but the blue grey that peer
at one from behind shel!-rimmed
glasses are clear ard steady.
"SiXteen years is long enough for
a man TO spend on one job" he
smiling replied when ask why he was
retiring.
"When | became judge of the su-
perior court ! reached the height Of
my ambition. AS a youngster | used
to drive into Elizabethton and there
invariably wound my way to the.
courthouse, where l listened to the
trial of cases. resolved then that
my goal in life was to become a
superior court Judge"
Judge Lyons early education was,
interrupted by the war between the
states and the resulting conditions,
but later he attended the Maysville
high school in Bladen county and
then studied law in the Office of his
older brother, the late Robert H.
Lyon, at Elizabethton. He was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1872.
In 1900, he was appointed solicit
tor-general Of his circuit by Cover
nor Aycock, and year later he was
elected for a term. He was elected
Judge of the seventh judicial circuit
in 1915 and reelected eight years
| later.
Attorneys of the present day."
said Judge Lyon in replying to
question, "as a whole are not elo-
1! qucnt or as oratorical as those of
olden times,
"There also has been another
n .hange; years ago lawyers were fore
ed to take all the cases that came to
shem in order to make a living To-
day, they are specializing in the diff
ferent phases of law and handling
only certain kinds of cases.
Nj Judge Lyon is the father of four
children, three of whom are boys and
sion. One daughter, Mrs j. M. Clark,
have followed their fathers profess
resides in Elizabethton.
]! Homer L. Lyon, the oldest son, is
a member Of Congress from the sixth
North Carolina district, having been
nominated over H. l.. Goodwin, in
cumbent, 1920, elected and reelected
in 1922. Before being elected to this
Office, he was appointed solicitor
I. general Of the eighth judicial cir
cult and served six years.
n Terry A. Lyon is practicing law in
i'll Washington, d. C. During the war
) he was assistant judge advocate,
r with the rank of major, Of the 34th
5. division. J. Alden Lyon is practicing
y in Elizabethton.