The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1922-01-26
TWO CHINESE TONG
MEN SENTENCED
District Judge E. J. Walsh Imposed
Death Sentence ON Celestials
Convicted of Numbering
Nina Chinaman

A dispatch to The Silver State
today says: Hughie Sing and Gee
John, Chinese tong men who were
tried and convicted of the murder
Of Wong Lee, Nina, Mineral county,
Chinaman, were given the death
sentence last evening by District
Judge E. ]. Walsh.
The week ending April 22 was
designated Execution week." in ac-
cordance with the lethal gas statute
enacted by the 1921 legislature.
Notice of appeal to the state su-
preme court was given by the at
torney representing the tong men
after Judge Walsh had denied mo-
ton for a new trial.
Perhaps no single piece of legis-
lation enacted by the 1921 legisla-
ture aroused more comment than
the so-called lethal gas statute. If
the tong men sentenced last even
ing are executed in the lethal gas
chamber, already provided in the
state prison at Carson City, they
will be the first to undergo the or
deal in the new way, which was
recommended and passed because of
the alleged humane and painless
way prescribed for shuffling off this
mortal coil.
Governor Boyle, who signed the
bill, and who has always maintained
that the old modes of execution are
crude in every respect, recently
gave out the following relative to
the carrying out of the death pen
atty by poison gas:
"There are a number of lethal
gases that may be employed. Any
will produce practically instant
death. l satisfied myself thoroughly
concerning this phase of the propo-
sition before signed the bill.
am convinced that this method Of
execution can be simply admins
tered and will be effective.
"The gas will be administered by
some person designated by the war
den. 1t will be given by mechani-
cal methods. The execution by this
method will not be painful.
81 do not think, however, it is re-
lated in any respect to the abolition
of the death penalty.
"The ticklish job of providing the
convenience for sending a human
being across the great divide by
lethal gas has been assigned to the
state architect. He must build a
chamber in which the victim may
be housed while the watchers and
witnesses provided by law are pres
ent while he is put to death. AS is
well known in connection with lethal
gases used during the war, the
slightest diffusion of these elements
caused widespread havoc.
"It is not possible to build a
chamber which is relatively hermeti-
cally sealed, because it will not per-
NIT that the provisions of the law
be carried out. Neither is a glass
chamber feasible. The likelihood
is that the death chamber will be
so built that the gases will be blown
away from the necessary witnesses
and watchers if any fumes should
escape.
"It is anticipated the gas will be
| administered to a patient much a:
gas is administered to patient il
| a dental chair or to a person pre-
pairing for surgical operation. II
other words, it will be form Of
anaesthesia and the administration
will probably be by an expert anaes
thetist chosen from among physi
slams or male nurses. Those wht
favor this method Of dealing deatl
declare it is absolutely painless
Most of the advocates of the meas
ure believe that the condemned
criminal should be given sleeping
| potion in his food and that tn,
lethal gas should be administered
in the subsequent slumber. TIL,
claim that no gas can be admins