The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-04-07
odorless, colorless Gas Kills Al.
most with First Breath;
Called Most Humane

Carson City, New, April 7.-(NEA)
-Nevada's brand new gas house
the only execution chamber Of It's
kind In the world--has been COM
pleted at the state p~enitentiary here
and is ready for its first victim.
The victim will be Bob" White
gambler, murderer and all-around
bad man-unless his attorneys sue
coed in a new line Of defense. But
this appears improbable, as the state
supreme court recently upheld the
sentence that White must die.
Since 1921 gas poisoning has been
the legal method Of execution In Ne.
vada, but in the two previous cases
only q make shift arrangement was
used. Now the completely equipped
gas house." erected by convict labor,
is ready.
Law Requires witnesses
In one corner Of the little stone
building is the death chamber itself.
Extra thick insulation covers the
white walls. Large single-pane win
dows-of unusual thickness-look in
from three sides. For it is through
these windows that the witnesses, re-
CURED by law, must watch the priS-
oners' last moments.
Instead of the CHASTITY gloom Of the
old hangman's quarters, the gas death
room is bright-cheerful almost
with more the appearance Of q finely
built little surgery.
Thick white walls reflect the sun
light from windows. Save for q few
small Jets in the walls, and the one
door being constructed to close and
seal itself like a refrigerator door,
there is nothing to indicate its SIMS
ter purpose.
Strapped in Chair
The condemned mans last mo-
nnents are spent strapped in a chair,
made fast to the concrete floor. A
! pumping apparatus fills the execution
room with hydrocyanic gas. Almost
the first breath Of it. according to
Warden NJ. r. Penrose, will cause
| plainless death.
TWO already have SO died. First
was Gee Jon. Chinese tongman, IN
1924. He appeared unconscious after
| five seconds, but moved his head fo1
| six minutes. There vas no struggle,
no evidence Of pain. 6tanko Juktch
| was executed In 1926. dying In three
| minutes.
In those executions. q building
| erected for other purposes was used.
Thus, It was necessary to wait some
time after death before 1t was safe to
enter the death room. In the case
Of the Chinese, the wait was nearly
three hours.
Now, however, necessity OF waiting,
and the danger Of the poisoned fumes
killing others in the prison yard, V
practically eliminated. As q special
pump system Is provided to spray the
| death fumes into the room, SO Is an
other pump system provided to draw
the gas from the room. A long pips
is provided to carry the fumes high
into the air.
The air-tight death room is but a
few feet in area. with . low ceiling, 50
Q smaller amount Of hydrocyanic gas
is needed.
Most Humane, II Claim
Criminologists and physicians who
have studied the Nevada death sys-
tenn declare 1t Is the most humane
yet devised.
whether or not the gas execution Is
q crime deterrent Is q uch-discusseo
question in Nevada. But perhaps u
Is significant that there have beer
only two executions since the deadly
fumes superseded gallows and firing
squad in 1921. Formerly the con.
demned man had his choice o. Sne
two.
White. . gambler, whose fight tor 9
yetrial WIS denied, was sentenced u
E1kp In October. le20, after conviction
la connection With the killing and
robbery Of another gambler.