Show pital Punishment nt Mooted Question I By Arthur Evans Evan the the death penalty a deterrent to torand torand rand erand a protection to society luch uch argument over this is liked like like- d enliven the legislature I at ati i Iii m. this winter in er The stion becomes acute as as a result he judges' judges decision in the Leo- Leo I Loeb case u is s the old old- atte attempt rpt to ab abolish tal punishment in Illinois It is isly isly ISIf If ly for the ordinary citizen to toi toi i i IB e up on the subject The ce ce of other states affords ne ne Ile ap ap- ch tithe lIthe last ten years five states d the Hie death penalty and men ored red it it The general reason was crime had increased j ona abolished the gallows as mum penalty for in 19 1916 restored it in 1915 19 IS abolished the death penIn pen- pen 1 In 1917 and restored it In to 1919 homicide rate had increased for Cor each million population ot 03 r regon gon abolished capital punish punish- u 1914 and arid restored it in 1921 ashington took the death penalty and nd put it back in 1919 tto increased dee deeds s of violence abandoned capital run pun tent l nt in 1915 and reestablished it it- 9 7 i mentalists hu humanitarians and and andrs rs who oppose the death penalty I e that the increase in crime i impelled these states to put gibbet et back Jacl Into the the list list o or penas penas pen- pen was as due to the war and that thata a wide country It does not al althe althe the e fact that hat after tine tile tr tryout ou l nt in these five states chang nd the death penalty was vas regard regarda isa a protection of the social in- in t least east three I oth other r states abold abol abol- d wand and restored re capital punish punish- ears jears before th the war ar and the theis thel l Ie wave that tra trailed led it is f History in Town ja x Ia a In 1872 got ri rid of the d death ath iffy Wy- t But Ix years yeara later that re restored it by bj allowing juries jl ries Ix meat ment for murder which ther r dl death death ea h or imprisonment fora for JI In hn a bulletin Issued in l Life le e. e in a bulletin issued in li tithe 4 the Massachusetts Civic alli- alli i ald Murder in Iowa illIS m- m IS d very rapidly from 1872 to too o for this reason UIe t. t th la Penalty was restored i rado abolished capital punish punish- I l in n 1897 but as as' asa a result of a ai a. a t hung i ng outbreak In 1900 dIn Un 1901 ermont rm repealed th the death p pen penin n Jn i in 1911 except that a jury could coul l ter a verdict with capital pun- pun hrent The law however was r Dosed Posed to be a cO complete rel repeal a of ital tat Punishment The result so o 1 vic alliance bulletin sets that In 5 the first year after the eat eal ehl there i ere were twenty murders tie th 6 it little mile state of Vermont But nut Butr nuth i r h ia a Jury gave a v verdict with capi cap cap- in ill ih the Eloy liloy Keton Keten ha eland had sent him to tho the gallows hue ne wave subsided almost on en This illustration of the marked I effect ct of r t the hanging of one man enthat on en that state says the C Civic vic alliance was so great greal that t the le Vermont legislature legislature leg leg- in Iii 1913 restored fl full fiUl I captaI capital cap capi tal taI pun punishment by mandate for murder murder murder mur- mur mur mur- der iby by an overwhelming o majority Even Eyen In Rhode Island which elimInated eliminated elim elim- the d death th penalty in IS 52 murder increased and violence among lifers in the state prison became became be be- came so serious that In 1883 1583 capital punishment was w-as partially restored restored for m murder by a life convict within the prison Thus at least one-eighth one of ot the states appear to have l learned arned from Crom actual experience that the death penally is a service to society and and that it it posse possesses possesses' es value as a deter deter- rent The mere presence mere presence of ot capital punishment punishment punishment pun pun- in the criminal code of course Is not sufficient in Ln itself In Inevitably Inevitably inevitably In- In o of pun punishment s alwa always s is a afar afar afar far greater deterrent of crin crime e than is severity 0 of f a threatened penalty pel penalty When combined they are th the greatest greatest greatest great great- est discouragement nt of crime Chicago saw w th this s a few years ears ago The crime commission pointed out that on April 1 I 1920 there were wert per persons ons awaiting trial for murder murdel mur mur- mar der del in Chicago and nd of those were out outon on bond many many of them committing omm other crimes dimes Four judges judges' in l the civil co courts I Iv v volunteered ed l to sit In the criminal court until the docket was cleared In the trial of these cases twelve were sentenced d to hang gang and aud twelve to the penitentiary Ci Print Crime line line- Decreased C i The Tho effect upon crimes o of violence n ui-ders ui burglaries burglar es and and robb robberies rie was was electrical The murder rate was cu cut in m half Vb Where ere there w were re 30 30 unifiers Ul 3 r Ii in CM apo MI in II 1911 here were were 19 0 in 1921 The burglary burglary burglary burg burg- lary and robbery rate rale fell rell off and where whore the police in 1919 received cr criminal in 1921 the they r received i a re reduction of third one In eight states c capital punishment has been heen abolished Michigan 1 was the fi first st ba back k in In 1 1847 its S 4 Its last last hangIng hangIng hang- hang Ing lug was vas i in l 1837 VL Wisconsin r ed 00 the death penalty el alty in 1850 1550 Maine in 1878 Kansas in n 1907 Minnesota and South in III 1911 North Dakota Dakota fa in 1915 Rhode Ish Island l in in n 1852 although it still applies to lifers iter who kill kiH Insl inside o sta states state's es e's prison u l. l In addition California ornia abolished hed capital punishment in 1921 for tor her her- jer- jer The sons soils under 18 IS' years of age tho the depth death Philippine islands repealed penalty in 1911 Much or of the propaganda for repeal repeal repeal re re- seeks to peal of the death penalty s i rove that fewer murders our o in instates instates n rove prove states without the gallow sallow than in 11 those with it The figures how however v r. r are the reverse of or convincing In the first place statistics on haphazard and unsatisfactory ls crime crimo are not standardized ConI Con Con- Conditions Conditions Con Con- I factory and according to 10 vary ar greatly states the makeup of population the Mie he cities of people in tn centralization I a II aOn aOn ohe Oha pamphlet seeks to compare I On Last Page t |