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An Alternative to
CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT
Many criminologists advocate the death penalty
for capital crimes. But others
soy
capital punish–
ment doesn't deter crime. Many feel it is cruel and
inhuman. ls there
a
workable alternative to capital
punishment? This article examines both sides of the
J
OSEPH BERNARI) MORSE, at agc 20,
murdered his morhcr and sisrer.
His morher, 58 years old, was
bearen ro death wieh a rock. His
12-
ycar-old sisecr, who was crippled wi eh
cysric fibrosis, was :.morhered wi eh
p illows and beacen wieh a ball bar and
a rock.
.Morse was convicted of firsr degrec
murdcr and sencenced ro deach. But
bccause of a legal rechnicaliry. rhc
convicrion was ovcrrurned and a re–
erial ordered.
A
new jury gave rhc
accused life imprisonmcnr. Eighc days
laccr Morse killed again. This rime
rhe vicrim was a fellow inmare in jail.
Proponenrs of capital punishmenr
arguc rhar if Morse had been execuced
afrcr bis firsr convicrion, a life could
havc been saved.
1
n anocher case. a woman was
rapcd in che bascmcnc of an apare–
mene house while doing her laundry.
A
suspecc was guescioned, submirrcd
ro a líe derccror resr, and afrer ques-
PlAIN TRUTH November 1972
controversy.
by
William F. Dankenbring
cioni ng, he admirred che crime. He
larer repeared his confession and dic–
rared ir ro a rypisr. Bur because of a
legal rechnicali ry. he was rcleased
from jail.
A
few years laeer he rapcd
agai n.
How should socicry deal wirh such
crimes - by senrcncing rhosc guiley
ro dearh? But whar abour che ochcr
probkm of possibl)' putting che
wrong man ro d<.-arh?
Capital Punishmem Vanishing?
Naüons from rime immemorial
have resorred
to
che dearh penalty for
serious crimcs ranging from murder
ro rape or rreason. For rhousands of
years. men havc believed rhar che
dearh penalt}' for scrious crimes was
fitting punishment for major offenses.
They have bc lieved thar capital
punishmenr dcrcrrcd furrher crime -
char other would-be criminals would
he-.u and fear and dcsist from commic–
ting rhe same acrocity.
Today capital punishmenr is falling
into increasing disuse. or one cnmt–
nal has been exccured in che United
Srarcs since June 2. 1967.
Brirajn. which had hanged crimi–
nals for 800 ycars, el iminarcd che
dearh penalcy thrcc )'Ca rs ago. Wcst
Germany oudawcd capital punish–
menc in irs 1949 consritucion. follow-
Wide
World
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