Evening star., 1924-02-24
NHE introduction OF two bills In
Congress recently, one for the
abolition Of capital punish

Oh CApltAl
ment in the District Of Colum-
bia, the other for the substitution Of
eiectrocution for hanging. bfings be-
fore the public the time-worn and
unanswered question as to the fate
Of those persons who, by criminal
act, have placed their lives and future
Ia the hands Of the law.
Among lawmakers and laymen for
many years in every state in the
Union the policy Of "an eye for an
eye, has been debated. The law.
makers seem to be about equally d.
vided in their opinion and several
states, having abolished capital pun
ishmeut, declare the results satisfac-
tory, while those who still demand
the supreme sacrifice in payment for
q major criminal deed remain un-
changing in their attitude.
One finds, however, the average
lay mind almost universally opposed
to the taking Of human life. even
though it be sanctioned by law. This
the lawmaker declares is because Of
the lack OF knowledge Of and asso-
citation with the criminally inclined.
In other words. the average citizen
will champion the cause of the GRIM
inal from whose acts the law strives
to protect him.
In the earliest times, among the
nations Of the east, prisoners were
not placed in Jail for punishment. but
merely for detention until the seri-
BUSINESS Of the charges could be de-
cided upon, and the offenses for
which the death sentence was dealt
need be not only murder. but bias
phemy, striking or revilins a parent,
breaking the Sabbath, witchcraft,
false pretenses to prophecy, etc.
A popular way Of execution was by
stoning the victim to death. Cruel
methods Of stransling, burning and
death by the sword were also resorted
to. II we follow the line Of march
up through those dark days we can
not but see that the years have
brought much light on the subject OF
melting out punishment to the inmates
Of our penal institutions.
The first prison in the Capital is
said to have been a log cabin on New
Jersey avenue near 5th street, but
this was nothing more than a '1ock-
up" and was soon abandoned for the
old prison, which is still remembered
by many Washingtonians and was
situated on tho lot where the PEN
sion office now stands. Tho present
jail was erected about 1870, and on
tho grim gallows within its walls
toll Of fifty nine lives have been
taken since that date.
A search through the old dockets
at tho District courthouse shows
many closely written pages whereon
these cases are faithfully recorded.
Tt has been said that until recent
years Washington was credited with
moro crime than any other city in
the Union In proportion to popula-
ton. Whether this be true or not
certain it is that defendants In some
OF the most interesting cases OF na-
tional importance were committed,
tried and sentenced within the Dis
trict bounds.
OF these, by far the most inter
estinE is the trial OF Charles Guiteau.
slayer Of President Garfield. This
case not only attracted the profess
sfon4l world 70 tta hearings, out peo-
rle from every walk Of life surged
to the courtroom to listen to the pro-
ceedings. The .cAse hung f1re for SO
long, however. that many citizens
began to grow restless under the
strain, and finally ono who felt that
the law was in this case taking too
long to decide on the fate Of the
prisoner took matters into his
own hands and attempted to shoot
Guiteau.
'Bill the Avenger." he was called,
and was supposed to have been an
ex-soldier. It was evident that he
had contemplated bis act Of bring
ing retribution for some time, as 1t
was afterward known that he was
q frequent visitor In tho vicinity OF
the Jail and courthouse. One day,