The execution of the Lincoln conspirators WARNING GRAPHIC

Smoothcat,

Reference to post #50.

When Captain Rath went around supervising the noose adjustment, with the guards/soldiers there, it would be rather easy to tinker with the noose, in addition to the prisoners moving around and fouling the original adjustment. If the soldiers knew how important the placement of the coil side of the noose was, as to make it quick or not--the potential to be sadistic was there. Mind you -- "potential" and or "opportunity" was possible.

Nobody really will know for sure what was going in the minds of the soldiers handling the prisoners after Captain Rath stepped away and gave the command.

I'm sure he would be as humane to all as possible...but, certainly shows he favored at least one man out of the bunch.

M. E. Wolf
 
Here is a Gardner stereoview showing the moment the platform supports were knocked away.
Execution 9.jpg
 
I just finished reading Michael Kauffman's "American Brutus:John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies" and he said that the umbrella for Mary Surratt wasn't them being nice as it was 100° . It was to keep her upright until she was hung.
 
Do a Google Search for Black Jack Ketchum hanging (image). Gained too much weight in jail and the hangman failed to compensate. :smile: Accidents happen, particularly in hangings. Even Judge Parker's hangman,
George Maledon, didn't get it right ALL the time.
Am I correct that Saddam Hussein was decapitated when hanged? That was probably deliberate though!
 
Well I would hate to think it was deliberatly sadistic but given the emotions at that time I guess I could understand, and I alluded to the possibility that it may have been deliberate. I say may...but as you note, we will never know. They knew how to hang in those days and as dvrmte pointed out there were known formulas for this kinda thing. Well, I would hate to be tagged a conspiracy nut so I will just be content I reckon to let it lay. Now, gotta get back to the website I just joined about the moon landings being a hoax! Heh
 
Well I would hate to think it was deliberatly sadistic but given the emotions at that time I guess I could understand, and I alluded to the possibility that it may have been deliberate. I say may...but as you note, we will never know. They knew how to hang in those days and as dvrmte pointed out there were known formulas for this kinda thing. Well, I would hate to be tagged a conspiracy nut so I will just be content I reckon to let it lay. Now, gotta get back to the website I just joined about the moon landings being a hoax! Heh

Dugger, we have never met, but I like your moxie, sir!
Im a little knowledgeable on Civil War hangings, at least official ones anyway. Reprisal hangings and outright lynchings I know not. The theories you advance have merit. Drop distances, knots, etc all were the tools of the hangman, and instantaneous death was the goal for every executioner of this period.
The executions of 7 of the Andrews raiders, held in the Confederacy in June 1862, was similarly botched. The leader Andrews, hanged a week previously, actually strangled. At the end of dropping from the scaffold, it was discovered that his toes scraped the ground, and his neck was unbroken. Assistance was provided, in the form of scraping the dirt beneath the condemned's feet, while another held Andrews body, hanging by the rope to one side. James J. Andrews eventually died of strangulation some 5 minutes later. You think thats wild, lemme tell you about the 7 Raiders, hanged a week later. My point is, I guess, that mistakes happen, but one would think that one ofthe biggest executions in American History couyld have been properly carried out. As we say in these parts- there was some baaaadd blood.
 
Dugger, we have never met, but I like your moxie, sir!
Im a little knowledgeable on Civil War hangings, at least official ones anyway. Reprisal hangings and outright lynchings I know not. The theories you advance have merit. Drop distances, knots, etc all were the tools of the hangman, and instantaneous death was the goal for every executioner of this period.
The executions of 7 of the Andrews raiders, held in the Confederacy in June 1862, was similarly botched. The leader Andrews, hanged a week previously, actually strangled. At the end of dropping from the scaffold, it was discovered that his toes scraped the ground, and his neck was unbroken. Assistance was provided, in the form of scraping the dirt beneath the condemned's feet, while another held Andrews body, hanging by the rope to one side. James J. Andrews eventually died of strangulation some 5 minutes later. You think thats wild, lemme tell you about the 7 Raiders, hanged a week later. My point is, I guess, that mistakes happen, but one would think that one ofthe biggest executions in American History couyld have been properly carried out. As we say in these parts- there was some baaaadd blood.
My hunch is that hangmen of the time just did not know any better. It's not like American executioners had an academic journal where they could share drops and knots. English hangmen were a smaller group with better exchange of information. All that assumes that the executioners were intent on a quick death. Hanging was intended to be slow and ignominious. The idea of quick and humane death for criminals did not evolve until later in the century.
 
If I recall correctly Henry Wirtz was also hanged in a manner that did not break his neck and the crowd sensing this started to chant in unison, "Andersonville, Andersonville". Perhaps some people thought a quick death was not in order.
 
Back
Top