I was reading the capital punishment in Canada wikipedia entry, and it mentioned that in the case of botched military executions--which were by firing squad--the condemned had his sentence automatically commuted to life. From my reading of the article, there was one round of shooting, after which if the guy was still alive, he got to stay alive.
Is this true, and does anyone know if someone survived an execution like this? That would be quite a break.
The last death sentence carried out in Canada was the early 60s or so. So no, I have no idea.
Quote from: Barrister on April 12, 2009, 10:34:38 PM
The last death sentence carried out in Canada was the early 60s or so. So no, I have no idea.
Wow. You guys really are orderly!
Quote from: Barrister on April 12, 2009, 10:34:38 PM
The last death sentence carried out in Canada was the early 60s or so. So no, I have no idea.
Well, get on it.
That sounds fishy. If I was made to be in the firing squad I'd then deliberatly aim for the arm or somesuch and hope the real bullet man does the same.
I guess its a joke.
Reminds me of Father Ted where a guy says that a (stolen) whistle has special sentimental value for him. His grandfather had stood before a British firing squad and all bullets were deflected by the whistle over his heart.
"So they let him go?"
"No, they reloaded and shot him dead."
Yeah, I find that hard to believe.
Quote from: Barrister on April 12, 2009, 10:34:38 PM
The last death sentence carried out in Canada was the early 60s or so. So no, I have no idea.
The last death sentence carried out in Texas was the 11th of March.
Quote from: Caliga on April 14, 2009, 06:46:09 AM
Yeah, I find that hard to believe.
No, I've heard something like that before...
Well all civilian executions apparently took place by hanging, and I can't seem to find any info on military executions...
Beeb, so seriously: if some army dude went on a rampage and killed 10 people, and everyone at his firing squad execution missed, he'd be guaranteed a life sentence? That seems archaic and bizarre.... almost like old-school Germanic trial by ordeal in a way.
I'd have the shooting instructor executed for incompetence.
Quote from: Caliga on April 14, 2009, 10:38:56 AM
Beeb, so seriously: if some army dude went on a rampage and killed 10 people, and everyone at his firing squad execution missed, he'd be guaranteed a life sentence? That seems archaic and bizarre.... almost like old-school Germanic trial by ordeal in a way.
Presumably they wouldn't miss totally, just shoot him in the limbs or gut or something.
Quote from: Caliga on April 14, 2009, 10:38:56 AM
Beeb, so seriously: if some army dude went on a rampage and killed 10 people, and everyone at his firing squad execution missed, he'd be guaranteed a life sentence? That seems archaic and bizarre.... almost like old-school Germanic trial by ordeal in a way.
Well first it's not like they'd miss - they guy would get hit multiple times and receive medical treatment if not dead instantly. So it would seem cruel to shoot the guy, patch him up, then shoot him again.
But from what little I can find there were only 26 military executions in WWI and 1 in WWII (all for desertion), and I can't find any record of a botched execution.
Wikipedia backs up the claim, but that's all I could find.
The claim is unsourced.
I would be willing to bet some serious cash that this is just another rumor, like the identical ones about other firing squads.
There almost always is, in fact, an officer assigned to provide a "mercy shot" for the condemned if the firing squad fails to fulfill its mission.
Yeah, I kinda figured if the 'official' volley didn't work, someone would just walk up to the guy and cap him in the head.
Never heard of anyone walking away from a military execution - doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
My favourite (though admittedly not the same thing exactly) was the "joke" played on Dostoevsky by the Tzar:
QuoteIn 1847 Dostoyevsky began to participate in the Petrashevsky Circle, a group of intellectuals who discussed utopian socialism. He eventually joined a related, secret group devoted to revolution and illegal propaganda. It appears that Dostoyevsky did not sympathize (as others did) with egalitarian communism and terrorism but was motivated by his strong disapproval of serfdom. On April 23, 1849, he and the other members of the Petrashevsky Circle were arrested. Dostoyevsky spent eight months in prison until, on December 22, the prisoners were led without warning to the Semyonovsky Square. There a sentence of death by firing squad was pronounced, last rites were offered, and three prisoners were led out to be shot first. At the last possible moment, the guns were lowered and a messenger arrived with the information that the tsar had deigned to spare their lives. The mock-execution ceremony was in fact part of the punishment. One of the prisoners went permanently insane on the spot; another went on to write Crime and Punishment.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/169765/Fyodor-Dostoyevsky/59052/Political-activity-and-arrest
I wish we still had Tsars like that around today. :cry:
Quote from: Caliga on April 14, 2009, 11:09:23 AM
I wish we still had Tsars like that around today. :cry:
Just think of what other hilarious pranks they could play. :D
Quote from: Malthus on April 14, 2009, 11:08:03 AM
Never heard of anyone walking away from a military execution - doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
My favourite (though admittedly not the same thing exactly) was the "joke" played on Dostoevsky by the Tzar:
QuoteIn 1847 Dostoyevsky began to participate in the Petrashevsky Circle, a group of intellectuals who discussed utopian socialism. He eventually joined a related, secret group devoted to revolution and illegal propaganda. It appears that Dostoyevsky did not sympathize (as others did) with egalitarian communism and terrorism but was motivated by his strong disapproval of serfdom. On April 23, 1849, he and the other members of the Petrashevsky Circle were arrested. Dostoyevsky spent eight months in prison until, on December 22, the prisoners were led without warning to the Semyonovsky Square. There a sentence of death by firing squad was pronounced, last rites were offered, and three prisoners were led out to be shot first. At the last possible moment, the guns were lowered and a messenger arrived with the information that the tsar had deigned to spare their lives. The mock-execution ceremony was in fact part of the punishment. One of the prisoners went permanently insane on the spot; another went on to write Crime and Punishment.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/169765/Fyodor-Dostoyevsky/59052/Political-activity-and-arrest
That would make for a cool Punk'd episode.
Quote from: Malthus on April 14, 2009, 11:11:30 AMJust think of what other hilarious pranks they could play. :D
"That atomic strike I order against your city of 'Las Wegas'... was yust a yoke by me. Funny, funny! What a country, yuk yuk yuk!"