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1. Attorney Clarence Darrow (center) saved the lives of thrill killers
Nathan Leopold, Jr., and Richard Loeb, sons of wealthy Chicagoans.
2. Murderess Barbara Graham, mother of 20-month-old son, died in San
Quentin gas chamber after suffering through cat-and-mouse reprieves.
3. Mass-murderer John Christie's testimony once sent his neighbor to
the gallows for a crime many now believe Christie himself committed.
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the 1920s, walked out of the Illinois State Penitentiary
a free man. He had been paroled after 34 years behind
bars. Many people thought he never should have
been freed. Still others thought that he and his partner,
Richard Loeb, should have received the death penalty
for the kidnap-slaying of a 14-year-old boy. Both Leopold
and Loeb (who died in prison) came from wealthy
families which were able to hire the best legal talent of the
day, and it is generally agreed that the brilliant defense
tactics of attorney Clarence Darrow saved them from the
gallows. Leopold's parole has focused attention again
on the controversial question of the death penalty, and
this article examines the pros and cons of the issue.
The Fight
over
Death Row
Does capital punishment prevent crime, or is
it barbaric and ineffectual?
by Jack Ryan
A blood-splashed trail of violence ended in the thick
woods near North Vernon, Ind., some months ago
when the surviving member of a two-man holdup team
walked hands-on-head toward a mile-long ring of police.
The meek surrender climaxed a 12-hour manhunt which
began when a Michigan state trooper stopped the bandits for
speeding. Without warning, they shot him down. In the
ensuing pursuit, the gunmen killed officers in Michigan and
Indiana and wounded three others who blocked their escape.
One of the gunmen also died in the running battles.
Ordinarily, Michigan could be expected to demand extra
dition of the captured gunman, but not in this case. Michigan
has no death penalty, Indiana has. And authorities seemed
content to let the killer take his chances with more stringent
justice in Indiana.
For people who have long argued for or against capital
punishment, the incident had special significance. In the eyes
of those who oppose the death penalty, Michigan is a model
of "civilized justice." Now "civilized justice" appeared inade
quate, and supporters of capital punishment claimed new
proof that sometimes society must have the right to exact
the supreme penalty.
In the age-old controversy over capital punishment, how
ever, both sides can usually cite (Continued on page 14)
12 Family Weekly, April 13, 19SS