Posted on 11/17/2016 7:21:21 PM PST by nickcarraway
Just off the top of a google search, here's a short article excerpt:
The cost and supply of Helium has caused chromatographers to use Nitrogen gas generation as a cost effective alternative. Helium has been used as makeup gas in gas chromatography for decades, but the global shortage of helium has caused costs to skyrocket and availability to decline. Helium is an inert gas generated by the radioactive decay of thorium and uranium. Trace levels are found in the atmosphere and higher levels in natural gas fields. ...
Hanging would seem like the best way to dispatch condemned prisoners.
The art of hanging was perfected by the US military in the aftermath of the Nuremburg trials.
Until the UK abolished the death penalty in the 1960s, hangings for murder were quite common; each major jail in the UK had its own gallows and “suite” for the condemned person. Executions were almost always carried out within 30 days of the verdict, with the “Home Secretary”, the elected MP serving in the prime minister’s cabinet, having what was in effect the final say on whether a prisoner should be reprieved.
This guy was opening the trap doors at Nuremburg, and was the official executioner in the UK for a long time; he offed over 400 murderers: interesting read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pierrepoint
Here is the story of the last woman to be hanged in the UK, Ruth Ellis; back in 1955 she got justice within 4 months of the commission of her crime.
http://murderpedia.org/female.E/e/ellis-ruth.htm
Sounds good, but for ‘old school’ I’d go with the guillotine - instant and final, no room for error, though a bit messy (for the clean-up crew).
For a ‘kinder and gentler’ solution nitrogen asphyxiation would work well (as many have opined) - just flood the death row cell at any given time (without prior notice) with nitrogen; they’d get a bit giddy and just fade out to death. Most humane.
Well, of course nitrogen is more abundant. And yes, there’s considerable demand for a limited supply of helium. It’s still not exactly rare if we can use it to inflate toy balloons.
Ohio Replaces Lethal Injection With Humane New Head-Ripping-Off Machine
moot point....... he’s dead
a few minutes after too many years is no problem
So true.
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