A paragraph of some interest may be taken from the current press. It is headed, _Optional Suicide: Choice for Murderers_, and it runs as follows: “A novel law providing an alternative to hanging for murderers on whom the death sentence has been passed was presented to-day to the Nevada Legislature. It sets forth that any person about to suffer capital punishment, may, if he pleases, swallow a dose of hydrocyanic acid. The new law was framed by a Code Commission, partly as the result of the difficulty in finding an official executioner in Nevada. The officers of the law, it seems, have frequently objected of late to figuring in executions, on the ground that though the death sentence is provided by the law, they are in fact guilty of voluntarily bringing about death. The members of the Code Commission, therefore, adopted a suggestion based on the cup of hemlock drunk by Socrates. If the new law is passed by the legislature, condemned murderers, after the sentence has been pronounced, will be allowed in future immediately to designate the method of death they prefer. Ten minutes before the time appointed for execution, a physician will visit the prisoner in his cell and hand him (or her) a packet of poison, and explain its effect and the proper way of taking it. The Bill sets forth that on the receptacle containing the poison it shall be plainly written: ‘There is contained herein a sufficient quantity of hydrocyanic acid to cause instantaneous death. You are authorised to take the same for the purpose of carrying into execution the sentence of death heretofore legally pronounced against you.’ It is further provided that ‘if the defendant, after having elected to take the hydrocyanic acid, shall fail or refuse to take the same, he shall forthwith be hanged by the neck until he is dead.’ The majority of the Legislature are reported to favour the Bill as framed by the Code Commission.” The alternative of suicide given to the person under death sentence does not recommend itself to English ideas. The sensibility of “the officers of the law” in Nevada should be remedied by an infusion of new blood. It is noticeable that the suicide suggestion is an alternative to hanging, which appears to be the form usual in the State of Nevada. Perhaps, the execution by a volley of muskets would appeal to the requirements of the Nevada Legislature?[29] Particularly, as the shooting could be done by the soldiery, or by marksmen other than “officers of the law.”