Show MOST mm MERCIFUL DEATH FOR CRIMINALS prof willis 0 johnson of maryland agricultural college would asphyxiate them with acid fumes prof willis G Joh johnon johndon nion department of entomology SIa riland Agil cultural college I 1 college park sid ld sept 25 in the namo name of humanity I 1 call for or a chance in 1 the he existing methods of putting criminals it n 1 Is to lo death I 1 prot at against uie the brutal i breaking r 0 of necks and the cliar char ring I 1 ul of flesh exhibited at the recent quadruple hanging in baltimore and ine elie electrocution ot of in columbus a 0 few weeks aso ago As AB an objection on wl without th out a IT ie Iel nody Is lit ce es I 1 li ivo iv o after much and experiment myself as aa well as others settled upon a plan for the execution of criminal criminals 1 nals that I 1 think 1 na l 11 concede to be a satisfactory and merel ful manner or of depriving a con convicted conville vicle if murderer of c hla his life potassium cyanide Is ono one of the mot deadly dally p 0 irions known to chemical science lad find gas frae generated from it la Is very d I 1 flu sive antl and so 0 o destructive desti to animal I 1 na life alf that nothing can call live alth ith la in its a furne fumes it 11 is called cal lil acid cic slim and nal nfl in IK now extensively limed in for fop the destruction of 0 politics and other insects upon orange and lollion it cos it woof in ili california that I 1 ilist studied the destructive a W N IS of vh if M if X willis G johnson professor ot of entomology mid and state stata st maryland agricultural college who through these columns call calls 13 on to abolish tho the gallows gallowa and the death chair and kul kill cr criminals min als by smothering them to death with the fumes of acid gas line of this lit gas a upon the elie lower forms forma of fint animal 1 11 life fe returning jast J I 1 have 1 boon ecal experimenting anh fill it rap fucet elmp ceals we can fan me now it successfully cess COSS fully jn III oc richarda hards anil and nurseries tn in tile the 1 ital plot wo we have lit fit under late super islon thirty six fumigating fumi gating tio housed u aize 1 in n 0 operation p r a t io ii i in it maryland I 1 a r y 1 a n 1 l th these ase I 1 houses 0 a are le i in 1 i i my n y c charge h a rg i and ii i d f from r om fo four e lice to 10 live million young fruit treed am ale passed through them every bear car exposed cx to the deadly fumes of add acid paa a lor for the extermination of any ny injuriously insect rest at th thai t may have become established ioni upon tl alim so that thai I 1 hae had ample 0 opportunity unity to observe the effect ol of the fumes IT MOS aas in these houses that I 1 farol began my eap exp ts upon the higher tot foi tax ms of life I 1 used cats dog chickens toads snaky m rates und and rat ml a and d in no instance did anything c r come collie out alive I 1 then began ent precise precis exper ime t 9 construct ilif sp ap ifal let apparatus for that pu pui a 0 that I 1 could xv a tell he a actions 0 eions of th an animals finals ind and photograph them at varl arl ous oua periods of the operation these theae latter ire are now under way and each II 11 confirms the he opinion that the gas eras produces a sudden and palt iless death I 1 li haie ie myself heti heen under the influence I 1 of this ROS gas for fayorl albort time lime while experimenting in a large orchard oil oa tho the east cast shore of maryland aryland It in one night I 1 inhaled a small amount at 0 tile the TOS gots title hll removing a tent front from EL 0 tree the fumes staggered me lite and the feel if bif 9 that followed inas aa one of oc thi the muscles relaxed and I 1 experienced a limpness and feeling of indifference as to what happened there vas i as no pain and tho the whole hole ven afen wits waa soothing rather than alls agreeable at another time an amusing happened in ono one of my cumla atlon after orarn 1 uie he cl claora ors and rs of the bouto houto are theoa open awl nw Is 14 allowed to enter for fully ten felt minutes it Is in then safe to KO go lit in as aa tho the pas gas quickly diffuses A large muscular neg ro nas a as detailed to take out stock front from this house to impress him with wilh lie importance of being 1 lial hai repeatedly told him how easily ono could become asphyxiated asphyxia ted ditl this yia tho the house hall had been filled with cornay capla tres trees at 63 0 in the afternoon ter ler noon and tho the doors vero mere opened at C G oc otlo lick elc this 11 nas aa sams sains quitting hour still as there was a camp mooting IT in I 1 the neighborhood n els abor hood ho he was ju anal ilous us to kot get away promptly on urne time beloro leaving lc it was waa ills his duty to I 1 kemno tho the trees and this could not brt bo properly lone done until in Us his eager items awaa to get away sam entered the room it still and handed out ono one bundle oc at trees and then another tind while stooping for the third ml fell headlong unconscious upon the floor I 1 was called immediately I 1 pulled sam out and laid him upon hla bark in tile tho open air that he revive in a a few moments as there was cry little gas left in tile the house and the inhalation could not in ili this instance provo brovo fatal sam recovered ant and was apparently 01 i ell as aa ever in halt half an hour when I 1 asked aked a ked hint him how ho he felt just lie fell sam replied tia ia I orrl billy kit enma so dat tuft am so powerful allaf er i A painless and powerful as hodr 7 yanic acarl gas cas Is jut just that hat Is iq aalto 1 as a means of destroying cl and it ought to tho gallows still ind the chair rh clr ali abo mould pass into lite lilb his last it ip unter Us its influence as is peacefully and amol calmly as he slept in tile tho days of oe his childhood As aa soon sozont as aa I 1 have perfected a system I 1 shall call upon the Ameil Amell can people jn III the name othu to substitute it for tile present method if putting murderers to death dy by means incani of oc the gas gaa conducted to ilia death cell through chambers constructed ted for that purpose the condemned do would pass asay aft ay painlessly and qu ably without that thai death deal if approached WILLIS 0 JOHNSON |