Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-03-28
HANGING IN LOUISIANA.

The author Of Rural Life in louisiana
thus describes hanging in the rural dis
tricts of that State.
Why exclaimed we. as We approached
the jail, we thought the law required that
the execution should take place within an
enclosure9'
so it does says the Sheriff, and don't
you call that an enclOsure-sayT pointing
with his long cane to Worm fenee Sur.
rounding the building; 1 put that there
this mOrning-the law don't require rae to
build stone wall nor brick one nuther.
just to hang fellOw;-nOr does it require.
that am aware Of, that should elink the
cracks betwixt the rails, nuther, to keep
anybody from seeing
Where have you erected your gallowsg
oh, faint erected yet but soon viii be;
here Bill he continued, take this rope
drawing from his pocket piece Of plough-
line about eighteen inches in lengthy and
go and tie one end Of it round Tolley's
neck, and fetch him here
The deputy departed, and soon returned,
leading the culprit. secured as commanded.
He was a short, chunky, 'don't-care-a-cuss
looking fellow, who sauntered earelessly
along with his hands in his pOeketA
He was placed by the side of long cot
tOn-WOOd sapling, which was lying on the
ground. 1t had recently been stripped Of
its bark except the fork at one end
The Sheriff drew off his blanket coat,
threw it across the fence. looking full in
the culprit's face, and addressed him:
Mister TOlley, you're a mean looking
sneak, now, amt yer? Durn yer. III teach
yer how to set fire to shanty, and be gull
ty o arsOn-pull off yer hat, sir. and hold
up yer head
The deputy having fastened the other
end of the rope to the sapling. Mr.. +. seized
prong Of the fork in either hand, and
poised it above his head as high as he could
reach, but not quite clearing Mr. TOlley's
toes from the ground. while the deputy
stood BY, watch in hand, counting the min
utes as they passed The Sheriff. still
with arms alOft, becoming quite rcd in the
face, called out:
4 say, Bill how long has he been
hanging?'
jest three minutes and half answer
ed the assistant.
Then he's got one minute and half
more, and he don't begin to be dead yet
'Aleck,' observed we, if may be per.
mitted to venture an assertion, 'twOuld ba
that the supreme law of the land mades Il
obligatory upon you to keep him in sus-
pense until the vital principle is no more
Counselor, shet up; / know what I'm
about You may know all about the theo-
ry of law, but you don't know nothing
bout the practice; and it stands to reason
that you should know nothin' bout the du-
ties of sheriff; but tell you Pve heard
ever since was born, that arter gentlc-
man had hung a given length o time, and
want kilt-and think five minutes is the
time-he's entitled to life, and l think he
Oughter be, too. KNOWN that to be tho
law, (fOr how cOnld 50 many people be mis-
taken if 'taint) I'm going to let him DOWN /,
So saying, he threw the sapling as far
from him as he was able, jerking the cub i.
prit very hard to the ground. thereby pref
udicins his comfort much more than his
pendant position did LoOsening the hal
ter from his neck, and smashing his hat
down over his eyes, the Sheriff seized hin
by the collar, planting the toe Of number
eleven pegged boot extremely low dewa in
the dorsal region, and exclaimed:
Look a'here, Mister TOlley. you've %.
caped death by a fiction o law-nOx 60:
but hang me, if ever l keteh VOC in this
parish again, I'll kick you till you're
jelly-6sh, dye hear? then scOot Come.
boys, let's go and get up small game Of
draw.
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