The United States has used various methods for inflicting the death penalty, and within living memory these have been used not only on murderers, but also burglars and armed robbers.
When electric power was first coming into fashion, there was a large battle between DC power, supported by Edison with huge financial backing by JP Morgan and AC power, backed by Westinghouse. Edison made sure that an electric chair was built for a state execution, to show how dangerous AC power was. He even helped a circus electrocute an elephant.
In England when the state moved from the short drop hanging, where the condemned should jerk around alot and thrash, to the long drop, where the spinal cord was to be separated instantly. There were riots from the disappointed mob.
The US Army still has a manual on all revenant procedures to be followed for an execution by hanging.
After WW2 the US Army appointed the most incompetent hangman they could find. Everyone he touched died hard. They also made the trapdoor opening small, so the condemned would smash his face on the way down, and slow the velocity of the drop to ensure they strangled, rather than sever their spinal columns.
Albert Pierrepoint was the absolute best hangman in modern history.
Just in the last week or so I believe a convict was deleted by firing squad in the US. I would say that is particularly unusual these days. as I think they are offered other methods in the few places that use that. But apparently he is not the first to choose that method when given a choice. Regardless I would say executions in the US are not that common based on the numbers of serious offenders that would be eligible.
The only issue I have with executions in the US is there are not enough of them. What is the point of warehousing criminals that can't safely be released back into society? Most life sentences should be death until the current wave of crime is stopped.
Dead criminals don't commit new offenses. Often when you see a criminal brought to trial they have committed many offenses. I remember a burglar who was caught an allowed bail. By the time he was tried and sentenced he had committed 90 more burglaries. That's 90 more victims. When you bail a criminal, chances are he goes back to the same crime because it's his way of making a living. When you bail a plumber, he goes back to plumbing.
My father saw a public hanging about 1915. His lesson from that was to never do anything in life that resulted in his hanging. Bring back public hanging.
In Britain, bring back the execution dock, the tower, or the block. It might do wonders.
Oh I was just thinking. Someone says the US Army still has manuals about hanging? If alot were printed I would expect that surplus copies would be high priced collectors items with many wanting to add to their unusual books collections. I forgot who was in charge of hanging Saddam Hussein not so long ago. Was that US military or locals?
When electric power was first coming into fashion, there was a large battle between DC power, supported by Edison with huge financial backing by JP Morgan and AC power, backed by Westinghouse. Edison made sure that an electric chair was built for a state execution, to show how dangerous AC power was. He even helped a circus electrocute an elephant.
In England when the state moved from the short drop hanging, where the condemned should jerk around alot and thrash, to the long drop, where the spinal cord was to be separated instantly. There were riots from the disappointed mob.
The US Army still has a manual on all revenant procedures to be followed for an execution by hanging.
After WW2 the US Army appointed the most incompetent hangman they could find. Everyone he touched died hard. They also made the trapdoor opening small, so the condemned would smash his face on the way down, and slow the velocity of the drop to ensure they strangled, rather than sever their spinal columns.
Albert Pierrepoint was the absolute best hangman in modern history.
Just in the last week or so I believe a convict was deleted by firing squad in the US. I would say that is particularly unusual these days. as I think they are offered other methods in the few places that use that. But apparently he is not the first to choose that method when given a choice. Regardless I would say executions in the US are not that common based on the numbers of serious offenders that would be eligible.
Why not the gulliotine? Surely the most humane method? (Apart possibly nitrogen.)
The only issue I have with executions in the US is there are not enough of them. What is the point of warehousing criminals that can't safely be released back into society? Most life sentences should be death until the current wave of crime is stopped.
Dead criminals don't commit new offenses. Often when you see a criminal brought to trial they have committed many offenses. I remember a burglar who was caught an allowed bail. By the time he was tried and sentenced he had committed 90 more burglaries. That's 90 more victims. When you bail a criminal, chances are he goes back to the same crime because it's his way of making a living. When you bail a plumber, he goes back to plumbing.
My father saw a public hanging about 1915. His lesson from that was to never do anything in life that resulted in his hanging. Bring back public hanging.
In Britain, bring back the execution dock, the tower, or the block. It might do wonders.
It would surely have some effect upon the crime rate!
Oh I was just thinking. Someone says the US Army still has manuals about hanging? If alot were printed I would expect that surplus copies would be high priced collectors items with many wanting to add to their unusual books collections. I forgot who was in charge of hanging Saddam Hussein not so long ago. Was that US military or locals?
Locals. It's all filmed.
The most novel method in the US is suffocation by pure Nitrogen. Supposedly more humane than lethal injection, well...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Kenneth_Eugene_Smith#:~:text=The%20execution%20of%20Kenneth%20Eugene,to%20use%20this%20particular%20method.&text=Alabama%2C%20U.S.&text=Holman%20Correctional%20Facility%2C%20Atmore%2C%20Alabama%2C%20U.S.