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Execution (Carrying out of a death)

the carrying out of a death sentence by court order. Such cruel methods, as burning at the stake, starving, drowning, poisoning, bleeding to death, breaking on the wheel, etc., are no longer employed as modes of punishas modes of pun ment in the progessive countries. In progessive countries.

In Belgium, Holland, Norway, Portugal Rumania, Finland, Argentine, Brazil, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Ecuador life imprisonment is the heaviest punishment inflicted and no person is ever put to death. In England and Spain, hanging is the common form of execution. In France, a death sentence is usually carried out by the use of the guillotine for decapitation.

In Italy the death penalty is not inflicted in any case. In modern times the tendency has been toward the employment of the least cruel methods of execution.

Capital punishment is retained in 36 States of our Union. The usual method of execution is either by hanging or electrocution. The Federal Government may punish high treason by death penalty. In most States death penalty is inflicted only for murder, in some others also for arson and rape. Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin do not inflict any death penalty.