The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-05-19
The Electric Chair.


Its second victim was claimed on last Fri
dav by the electric chair since it was install
ed as medium OF execution in Georgia
nearly wear ago The condemned person,
like the first one whose life was shocked from
the body by electricity was negro, and the
crime for which he paid the extreme penalty
was murder. While only two lives have
been launched into eternity from this instru-
ment Of death in nearly year the probabili-
tv is that in the next few months the num-
her will be largely increased, and among
them will be several young white men, some
of whom already have been convicted OF
atrocious crimes and others who are awaiting
trial in the near future.
| 1t is not pleasant reading to peruse detail
ed descriptions OF how murderers go through
the little door into the death house at Mil
1edpevil1e. there to sit in the electric chair
and have the current turned on. 1t is grip
ping reading. In fact it is fascinating like
Poe at his best-or worst-but the average
man or woman who gets every impression
OF the tragedy enacted according to law SUI
fers a reaction that cannot be described as
pleasant and satisfying There have been
stories of electrocution published i'll neWspa-
pers of this country that were horrible For
instance, one may recall the execution OF
Becker. the New York police lieutenant, and
the heartbreaking efforts of his wife to save
him. and those OF the four gunmen-Gyp the
Blood, Whitley Lewis Lefty Louis, and Dago
Frank-and remember the horrible details and
the impression they made.
The murderer confined to the death house
knows what is coming. He knows about the
little door, the gruesome chair, the straps,
the head plate and the switch on the wall.
When he walks through the little door, or
is carried, it is only matter Of minutes un-
til thousands of volts OF electricity are shot
through his body from head to heel The
murderer may be strong physically, with
many years of natural life ahead OF him,
vet he walks through the little door, sits in
the electric chair and the executioner throws
the switch on the wall Then in little while
it is all over. A soul has been plunged into
eternity.
Horrible, OF course, that man should be
taken by force, held in custody and con-
demned like that The electric chair, the gal
lows, the firing squad and the 1ethal gas
chamber are all horrible. This deliberate TAX
ing Of life by the state, by society, is ter
rible thing None save those who have had
last minute reprieves or pardonS or commu-
tations possibly can realize the anguish OF
the moments preceding the date set for eX-
ecution Impressionable persons get closer to
it than any others in reading OF executions,
and their conclusion is that no experience III
life or death could be worse.
Men who go to the electric chair might
live for many years and be useful, respected
members OF the same society that condemns
them to death and ends their careers prema-
ture1y but for their own acts in taking hui
man life But for that matter so might thelr
victims live long as good, upright citizens
Capital punishment of a guilty murderer Is
horrible for civilization to contemplate, but II
is not so terrible as the Staying of innocent
persons in cold blood. If society, in reading
of electrocutions, hangings and executions by
firing squads and letha1 gas would remember
the injustice involved in the Staying OF IN
nocent men, women and children the de
scriptons they peruse of legal killings woulc
produce feeling OF satisfaction over justice
having been done