Gunnison Valley News | 1934-02-08 | Page 4 | Is the Death Sentence Wise?

IS THE DEATH SENTENCE WISE? When an individual is kidnapped the general idea is that the safe return re-turn of the person is the first consideration. con-sideration. For that reason the police often stand aside while the family of the kidnapped man or woman seeks contact with the outlaws and attempt to secure a quick release. If this assumption is correct the emotional demand for laws placing the death penalty upon kidnapping is apt to do more harm than good. The gang that kidnaps a man or woman, knowing that death will follow capture, cap-ture, will resist to the end and, if necessary for its own safety, will not hesitate to slay the hostage. I While no punishment is too heavy for kidnapping, which is one of the most horrible crimes, it seems to us that life imprisonment for kidnapping, kidnap-ping, with the death penalty added if the hostage is slain, would have a tendency ten-dency to protect the person of those who are kidnapped and secure their safe return.