Today -100: May 21, 1911: Of lynchings, recall, divorce, electric shocks, and ice

A lynching in Bluefield, West Virginia of a “foreigner,” evidently not a black person, for attacking some woman. Hanged on the cross on the steeple of a Catholic church and shot 150 times.

The debate on Arizona statehood is still focused on the provision in its proposed constitution for popular recall of judges. Rep. Rufus Hardy (D-Texas) offers a rather odd historical analogy: Rome had the recall until Caesar refused to be recalled from beyond the Alps, and from that moment Rome lost her former liberty of popular action. Well, I’m convinced. Wait, was that Caesar thing an argument for or against the recall of judges?

Italy may legalize divorce. Currently, rich Italians hop over to Hungary or Switzerland, become citizens, get divorced and return home.

General Electric attempts to revive one of its electrocuted employees by repeatedly shocking him with 50,000 volts. The defibrillator is a long way away. 50,000 volts is closer to barbeque.

Fun Fact of the Day -100: “The President sits over a ton of ice each day”.