Salt Lake Tribune | 1913-02-09 | Page 1 | Execution by Electricity Will be Asked

: II:: EXECUTION BY 1 ELECTRICITY I ILL BE MED I m Senator Rideoul to Present Bill Substituting Iflectrocu- lJ.'! tion in Place of Hanging lijjiS or Shooting. f5jjj PATTERNED AFTER' M NEW JERSEY LAW ji Measure That Exact Date of Inflicting Penalty Shall Not Be Made Public in Pass- W ing Sentence. Hj SUBSTITUTION of electrocution W in Utah for cither hanging or . shooting as the mode of inflict- ii : vU ing the dfath penalty on crimi- j , g&j nale condemned to die i providod in a Iv, Isil bill which will bo presented in the state j ; ln scunte Monday by Senator D. O. Ride- 1 K out of Salt Lake. The bill follows the i gj recommendation of Governor William i ; Spry General A. R. Barnes and the I'lfirl slate board of correctious. g gEfe The bill lo be introduced follows I ! J closely the New Jersey law on tho Hub- f HM n'ect, which is considered one of tho beat - & laws of its kind in existence. The elec- trie chair will replace the gallows and j , ; K the shooting rack. Electrocution, it is declared, lias proved to be more effec- viwL' tivc, more rapid and far less brutal !Sr than any other method of Jegal exocu- j j: l'ou' S H Allows No Option. fij m The bill provides that punihhmont of Hi , dath, in every inutanco, be inflicted by (.JST causing to pass through the body of the convif t a current of electricity of suffi- nfiK ciout i.ntonsityto cause death, as speed- 'rP ily as possible, and the application of fiU w the current must 1)0 continued until tho convict is dead. T Jj Under the provisions of the hill tho U t i 3tatc board of corrections is directed to ft if K provide a suitable placo within tho stato a 8 )rison inclosure for an electrical appar- rtj atus for the inllictiou of tho death pen- H Y E ally, together with the necessary ma- n J fi chinery and appliances for tho execu- KiiK lion of conviclod criminals. h : -I Time Limit Elastic. : j U lu passing sentence upon tho con- R ' ' g victed criminals who aro to bo ese- ti S cuted Iho judgo shall fix tho lime of B3S tho execution by tho week, instead of K , Hps, giviug an exact day. Tho execution Is w shall take place within tho week at a B ' mt timo not less than four wcoks nor $ M more than eight weckB from tho time JS sentcuco is passed. The timo within tho week appointed for tho execution ft'lffm r in whicu tho o:;ccutiou snail actually ImSI take place is left to tho discretion of a Mb tho warden of tho stato prison. No S j previous announcement is to bo mado k j IK of the exact time of tho execution ex- fc' SI copt to persons invited or permitted to & kO bo present. f ' mm During tho timo prior to tho execu- fflji lion that tho person is in tho etatp $ SHI prison awaiting execution ho shall be ; g kept iu solitary 'confinement and no ;g- ' ffli person shall bo allowed access to liim M ' ma without an ordor of the court, except tho otficers of tho prison, "his counsel. 'i8 his physician, a priest or minister oC k fclff tho gospel and the members of his jB! Reporters at Execution. B At ho exocutiou there shall bo pres- SBj cnt tho warden of tho prison, twelve '4 i Ball reputable citizens, two of whom shall $ be physicians, not more than two rain- isters of the gospel, four assistant war- dens to attetid to the execution, the 5 mffii duly accredited ropresenlativos of daily Sf' newspapers and the representativos of nH any standard news association, and tho ixfSS total number of representatives of the j ress not to excoed six. fi jB If the body of the crimi ual is not Ill ' claimed by relatives it shall be interred 'IS? at tho prison cemetery with a sufficient quantity of quicklime to consume it irSH without delay. No roligious sorviees h i shall bo held over tho body except with- M j in tho prison enclosure and no ono shall jt .mm j be permitted to attend the services es- (' ? wl ; copt tho members of the criminal's im- mediate family, tho prisou officers ai the jierfron conducting tho services. Tho bill provides that tho. punish- ment of electrocution shall apply only f'lf ; in case of crimes committed after tho , i.!g& act becomes efl'uefivo.