New Britain herald., 1926-04-07
BY HAYWOOD BRoUN

The grotesque, tho perverted folly of capital punishment was never more sbundantly illustrated than iu the execution of Gerald Chapman,
 The reporters who told the story Of the hanging seemed 10 be a littl4 mindful Of the criticism that news papers make heroes of criminals. Each writer undertook to score the point that the community. in the killing. settled an account with an enemy Of society. But in every story this pretense broke down. Every man who came away from Wtthersiield state prison knew that the incident had not served to glorify the commonwealth of Connhcticu1, but rather made the state seem cruel. clumsy and blngling, Dignity resided wholly with the man who died
 "Org ganized society and its con temptuous outlaw were even," wrote Oliver Fl. r, Garrett in the vivid re- port which appeared in the World. And he told of how the criminal had dangled at ropes end Hike a scarecrow." But even this touch Of physical farcicality, which trans forms a living being tc rag doll in the silly business of hanging, puts the burden of ridicule upon those Who pull the rope and not upon the man rho swings, When the thing Is done the officials seem so many spiteful children and the criminal has been glorifed by the sudden dignity of death.
 Even" said MT. Garrett, but he knows better than that. No one could read his story without realiz- ing that the procedure left all the tricks with Gerald Chapman. The theory of capital punishment is founded upon the extremely careless assumption that the death penalty manifests the might and power of the state and the pitiful futilitT Of those who would defy it Could any thing he more ridiculous? Ask any actor which role he would Care to assume if the happenings in Wtth- ersheld were sAt in torIhalized dra- matic scheme Naturally the player would choose to be Chapman. No other part compares with +.
 T. Is inevitable that the sympathy should go with the man who is hanged. Now. Gerald Chapman did not live with any conscious will n promote human welfare, but in dying he lashed out valiahtly asairst ] harsh and n1uddled custom. This may have been no part df his intent. but the tsct that he played his role skIiltullv is not to he denied.
 Tn this contention I seh nothing of sentimentality The state has said: Because of crime you mus dio utAnly. 70 the end thh: oth"r7 1ill be fearful of the road which ynu have travelled" And then to this man. nominated as horrible fT- ample, opportunity is given to dan"n en air q fling as fine as any hrirh' martyr mieh+ covnt. f''1AnmaN was crook and the state of ConnectitIt ine'4trd on making him a hero.
 If he had bctn sentenced to If" inrr's"nnort his name and farH would lr~ve hrcn forfottcn within year. Put how cnn we fo"att him nov" Tho ill-ndvistd rortino cr tho execution Tut thh lilrnh~ht fulI rc- on h'r'. and in 'fNt l'rht # was n" rnholAers Of law anA order who h'irknd and crin~nH Every off'ci"1 rom governor down +N warden 1no' lis nerve and behaved like I cultri' in "0rrvin@ ou' the cvncNtion.
 >;nst unfortunately fo~ +',n rcnutn- tior ot law and moraItv. c''7anman. d0FH'tnt in SO many respects. vns ritN!v endowed with corrApN and dramatic instinct. Connnct'cu+ shoud hnvA taken time th shN1;o lie t7nic off before f killed. this man, T. would be silly 'o sav that Gerald fhapnan vas an admir&hi' person r7 orolv berauea he was HnGir pod 'h Tie rNatni1c"ntly. Du' if is ot',inls- " true 'hat thort ar" thnsn with no ta'on' whatsoever for Ii5'inc o>d q ."1" r"pi"s for dyine. It wa: 'hrn. q grave mistake to givn this man q chance for 60 hxc~lI~nf an c.i'. For1l issncs havo hr"Y 11ichti'v 1n1 necessarily confused hy .ho 'a=' ~lj''erirg momon's of Gerald rhnn- GanN
 r is aI1ays 1anstrons to kill I man. because thc punishment is eo s7N"tacuIar that attention Is who'll"