The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-07


The commission shall have the same
powers and be allowed the same fees
as are provided for in this CODE IN
insanity proceedings. If after the re-
port of the commission, the COVER
nor decides that the defendant has
been restored to sanity he shall cause
the defendant to be returned TO the
custody of the warden of the state
penitentiarv and shall issue a war
rant to the said warden directing
him to execute the sentence at a
time designated in said warrant.
Sec 269 Proceedings When Per-
son Under Sentence of Death APP
pears TO Be Pregnant. I'D II there
is ground to believe that a defendant
under sentence of death is pregnant
the warden shall Immediately notify
the governor thereof who shall sus-
pend execution of the sentence until
he issues warrant for the execution
of the sentence. On suspendins the
sentence the governor shall appoint
a commission consisting of two COM
petent disinterseted physicians to eX-
anime the defendant as to such
pregnancy. The commission shall
report its finding TO the governor.
The physicians constituting the COM
mission shall be allowed such fees
as the governor denies reasonable,
which fees shall be paid by the
state.
C2) If the governor after receiving
the report of the commission decides
that the defendant is not pregnant
he shall issue a warrant to the war
den directing him to execute the sem
tence at the time designated in said
warrant.
CD When the warden is satisfied
that a defendant under sentence of
death who has been found to be
pregnant is no longer pregnant he
shall so notify the governor who,
upon receiving the notice, shall is
sue to the warden a warrant directing
him to execute the sentence at a time
designated in said warrant.
Sec. go. Capital Cases. Whenever
any person shall be convicted of any
crime for which sentence of death
shall be awarded against him, the
clerk of the courts as soon as may
be shall make out and deliver to the
sheriff of the county a certified copy
of the whole record of the convlc-
ton and sentence. and the sheriff
shall forthwith remit the same to
the Governor. and the sentence of
death shall not be executed upon
such convict until a warrant shall be
issued by the Governor, under the
seal of the State. with the copy
of the record thereto annexed COM
handing the execution of the SEN
tence of death to be done, and fix
ing therein some designated week,
beginning with Monday. in which
week such sentence shall be executed
pursuant to such warrant and ac-
cording to the manner and means
hereinafter prescribed.
Sec. 271. How Punishment of
Death Inflicted. On and after jan
aury 1, A. ID. 1924. death by hanging
as a means of punishment for crime
in Florida is hereby abolished and
electrocution. or death by electricity
substituted therefor. Punishment of
death shall in all cases be inflicted
by causing to pass through the body
of the convict a current of cleo
tricity of sufficient intensity to cause
immediate death, and the applica-
ton of such current must be con-
tinued until such convict is dead,
and the sentence of death shall at
the time directed by the warrant,
be executed within the walls of per-
manent death chamber. which the
commissioners of state institutions
are hereby authorized and required
to provide at the state prison farm
or such other place in the State of
Florida. as such Commissioners of
State Institutions shall establish, and
the superintendent of the state pris-
on. or in the case of his death, dis
ability or absence. deputy shall
be executioner. The superintendent
of the state prison shall cause to be
provided in conformity with this sec
ton and approved by the governor
and commissioners of State Insti-
tutions the necessary electric chair
or other appliances for the inflic-
ton of the punishment of death
In accordance with the requirements
of this section Before every execu-
ton. the death warrant authorizing
the same shall be distinctly read in
the presence of the condemned per-
son to be executed Immediately prior
to the infliction of death as hereto
fore provided.
Sec. 272. Regulation of Execution.
The superintendent of the State
prison or some authorized deputy
by him to be designated shall be
present at the execution. and for the
purpose of executing sentences of
death as provided by law. the sher-
If of the county wherein the con-
viction was had shall be exofficio
deputy executiOner of such sentence
of death and shall be present at the
execution unless he be prevented by
sickness or other disability. Not
less than five days prior to the week
OF execution. the person sentenced
to death shall be kept securely in or
adjacent to the permanent death
chamber. and the sentence of death
shall be carried out on some week
day of the week fixed by the gov
renor as the week of execution. the
time of carrying out such sentence
to be decided by the superintendent
OF the state prison, or his deputy i'm
his absence. death or disability. All
executions shall be carried out by
the exceutiOner. deputy executioner
and such deputies. electricians and
n hn
present to assist. and shall be in the
presence of jury of twelve respect
able citizens who shall be requested
to be present and witness the same.
and all other persons other than
jury. the counsel for the criminal.
such ministers of the gospel as the
criminal shall desire, officers of the
prison. deputies and guards shall be
excluded during the execution. The
executloner or his deput'' shall re-
quire the presence of at least one
competent practicing physician. or
the physician of the prison, who shall
examine the convict during the exc
cutlon and announce when death has
been inflicted on such convict. Rep
resentatives of the press shall be
permitted to be present a the execu-
ton under regulations to be approved
by the Board of State Institutions.
Upon the completion of the inflic-
ton OF death, the dead body of the
convict shall be dressed for burial
and delivered to the relatives of the
deceased if they shall have request
ed that such be done. such delivery
to be at the gates of the prison and
II no other receptacle has been pro-
vided. shall he delivered in a plain
coffin whose cost shall not exceed
hfteen dollars. In the event the body
shall not have been claimed by reIa-
tives on or before the day of execu-
ton. such body shall be delivered to
such physicians as NAV request the
same Tor dissection. or shall be buried