DEATH PENALTY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1014, 3 July 1930, Page 13

DEATH PENALTY

THREE REASONS FOR ITS ABOLITION A CORRESPONDENT'S VIEWS Three reasons why the death penalty should be abolished are set out in the following letter to The Sun. A number of letters referring to capital punishment has appeared in recent issues, in which correspondents have claimed that the death penalty has not proved deterrent so far as he crime of murder is concerned. Our correspondent writes: The thanks of the community should to Air. Richmond and the medical practitioners whose expressions of opinion on the abolition of capital punishment were obtained and published bv you in The Sun. The subject is one • interest. Viter close study of the pros and cons, I have arrived at the conclusion that the death penalty in these days of advanced civilisation is abhorrent, savage. and a cruel relic of a bygone barbarous age. lam certain that all who give the question calm, eftective ami. above all, unprejudiced thought, must arrive at a similar conclusion. The death penalty has been abolished in many European countries and elsewhere, and evidence proves that the •bolition is attended by reduction < f • rime. In the United states of America ,i«xht. States have eliminated capital punishment, and other States will assuredly follow. This letter is not to advocate remission of punishment C r murder or certain other heinous cruras that affect the unfortunate victim worse than death, but it is a plea for the substitution of life imprisonment for the death penalty. Your correspondents have given sound and unassailable reasons why this should be done, and l trust that others will enter this controversy until a. referendum is granted on the subject, all adults to have a voice in the decision. AVe have only to study the subject from the point of view of heredity, environment, psychology, physical conditions and abnormality. Is the criminal wholly responsible for his crime? Where is to be found the super-alienist who will dare claim that he can authoritatively give true judgment in such an individual case? Ho is not born yet. t give three reasons for the abolition of the death penalty. 1. We have no right to take human life. If a judicial mistake is made there is no way in human competence to rectify it. Many innocent men and women have suffered on the gallows on good and sufficient evidence.” If imprisonment for life had been the punishment, some amend could have been made when their innocence was proved. The death penalty savours of oldtime savagery. We are worse than barbarous ancients seeing that we are better taught and living under better conditions of civilisation. There is no • xcuse for judicial murder, but there is • very necessity and excuse for judicial punishment. 3. The question will always arise: Is a murderer in full possession of his .senses? If imprisoned and given proper scientific attention he viaif be restored to sane mentality, but if we kill For the above and countless other reasons it is imperative in the interests of morality, justice and the safety of the community that the death penalty be abolished. I agree that on the evidence and arguments published in your esteemed journal the judge and jury in the recent murder trial could under existing laws and conditions arrive at no other verdict than ‘‘Guilty/’ and that the. counsel for the defence did all that a human being could do on behalf of liis client, hut I would urge and pray that the sentence be commuted to imprisonment for life, and that no effort be spared to obtain this result. 11. KIRSCHBNBAUM. DEGREES OF MURDER? PRISON OFFICIALS DECRY DEATH PENALTY OPINIONS IN ENGLAND T'niteil P.A.- —By Telegraph — Copyright Kecd. Noon. LONDON, Wednesday. A prison chaplain, the Rev. S. R. Granville Murray, has dramatically revealed to the Capital Punishment Commission a narrow escape which he had from being strangled by a murderer. Producing a rope in the form of a noose, he said: “As I entered the condemned man's ceil on the night before his execution, a rope flicked past my face. The man said he meant to strangle the first entrant and their himself, adding: If they want murder, they'll have it.' ” He did not regard murder as the worst crime, but cruelty, blackmail and seduction were the great moral offences. Dr. M. Hamblin Smith, Birmingham Prison official, strongly opposed hanging. He had witnessed .30 executions and had seen condemned persons daily at long interviews, and learned to know them well, also to like. many. He said there should be degrees of murder, first degree only carrying execution. He would abolish the black cap. invocation of the Deity, and the sheriff's chaplain, and would have no prison-gate bulletin, no bell and, furthermore. the judge should attend.