Legislators Claim Death Penalty Bill Doomed to Failure in Mass. House

Despite the backing of Gov. Peabody, Atty. Gen. Brooke, and the great majority of Massachusetts penal authorities, a bill to abolish capital punishment appears to have no chance of passing the Massachusetts House this year.

The bill, which passed the Senate 20-18 last week, outlaws capital punishment for all crimes in Massachusetts except the murder of prison, employees of court officials by persons convicted of awaiting trial for homicide.

Two legislators, one in favor of the bill and another against it, agreed yesterday that the bill will probably get no more than 30 votes in the 240-member House when it comes up for vote on Wednesday.

"Almost all the passionate advocates of capital punishment are in, the House," said Rep. Mary B. Newman (R-Cambridge). "The House has perennially voted overwhelmingly against abolition of the death penalty, and there's no reason why it should do any differently this year."

Rep. Newman, who said she is "a strong proponent" of the abolition of capital punishment, attributed the Senate's passage of the bill to the "active leadership of majority leader John Powers and other senators." Unfortunately, she said, there is no such strong House leadership.

Sen. Francis X. McCann (R-Cambridge), an opponent of the bill, predicted that "It will get murdered in the House." Members of the House, he claimed, are more aware of "the deterrent factor" of capital punishment than members of the Senate.

McCann had proposed the Senate amendment which provided that murderers of prison employees and court officials would not be included in the abortion.