THE DEATH PENALTY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2459, 14 April 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE DEATH PENALTY.

The most merciful mode of inflintjny the death pernlty lias lvmi cm-fully .studied by a Statu Coinul-iun in New Vorlc which has now reported Id the J .'"<iahll life, 1 1'-' IS ;t me-t, Mli.v-i | y !'■' '"'to! IJ i■ll i I]." i : I 'i I. mct'i'id. (if putting' tii flt'.il.ii, fr.iiti i'rj days of XJ Oj .q S and 1.1 iu early Chinese d'uvn to the present timo, whfii in civilisoil countries the sword and fruillotitm arc the most fiv HUOMfc means of execution. B'dioadiii!r is almost yeni ral on tln■ Knr'ipoan Continent, tho truil'otine bbiit£ used in I'Vanee, Denmark and several (ii-vnian States, the nvvxrd in Pnt-.ia, and Italy, both .-word and ','uil]onn» in Switzerland, while shooting is verier, illy rc-.frvtd for military cm .sex, except in sumo parts of (Jermany and ,South America. (Ireat I'.ritaim, tho United Stales, Holland and Portugal prefer tho g.allow'j, which are also u-c d in Kussia as often as the sword, wliilu Spain uses tho frnrrote. The American Commissioners condemn ail these modes of execution al'.ko as barbarioas and rcvtdtiim - , and recommend the iaflietiui of death by electricity. This melhud is certain, pain-le.-s and insl antaneoiis, nor does its carrying o'lt depend on f.lio .sl;ill of the executioner. The condemned culprit is c-atud on a chair, with a head-rest and foot-re.-!.. A bntloii i.s touched, and lie is dead im.ao dial- Iy. Tho object. of capital ]i1IMi.1Mi..iirn(■ iit ii to r-'move tho criminal ; iiii<l el-ia l ii'^ly all'.cds the mean:-; most in Jcwpisitf with lie cj iii-a! ion and scientific acbieveiiii ills of 10-ii iy.