The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1873-11-19
The English i.aGsmaa.
HOW A yENDER OF HOT COFFEE ROSE To
.as DISTINCTION.

/
Since Calcraft, the English hangman
has retired on Il pension. ~ mhrrlrS.
stories are ailaat regarding him. This
is from the Boston Globe:
AS our London namesakr, writing on
this some subject. once declared, it
would only be reasonable to suppose
that there must he something very ex-
ceptional in the circumstances which
would induce ii man to engage in the
occupation of hanging. Mr.. Calrralt
appears. however, 10 have dropped. 81
! to speak. unawares into his sinecurc
office. IN TIE early part of his married
! life the res augusta iom TO be IA
miiur to him, and, like Other men who
have bern in the same situation. he
looked about him for The means. of in
ereasing Il slender income. In al. hui
man probabilities nothing was more re-
mote. from Mr.. CELEBRATES miUd when he
started in quest OF the WhereW.iIial to
Keep up his modest establishment than
til c idea of gathering Sovrreigus by
hanging his fellow-sitinei'S. But, as
luck would lave il, Mr.. Caicrait fell
upon his legs as suddenly as he ru> hes
other people of theirs. just forty -four
years ago he was engaged Ia that pleas
ant London occupation, requiring bet :,
moderate capital, and not all expensive
stock in trade, selling slick slices of
! bread and butter. and big cups Of smo-
King hot coffee to the weary night cab
by and Il homeless tramp, from an OPEN
air cafe, in q well-kuowu square not Il
stones throw irom the Bank Of Eng-
land. 1t was whist Sir. Calcrait was
serving out this appetiSing refreshment
to hungry comerS in lle earlier hours
Of the morning that he made the ac-
tquaintauce of his predecessor in Office,
probably iu,t about to drop into New
gate or Horsemouger Lane to perform
his, at that time, very regular official
duties. As Mr.. CaicrAit explained to Il
gentleman Of The Lonton press interest
ed in the matter. ''ihe old man came
along one morning. looking Uncommon
queer, and he said he thought he should
be obliged to give mp his berth" said
Mr.. Calcraft. His health was far from
good, and tho struggling work had been
very heavy OF late aud was getting too
much for him. BY one of those lucky
! hits of decision. MIR. CalcrAtt took the
tide just in the nick Of the turn and
! iloated on ~ fortune. says |, when
you give it up, III take to it, Thus
the present ahout-to be SuperaunliAted
hangman Of London fell into bis office.
! The authorities sent for him and made
Il contract, tolerubly generous i'll its
terms, and the matter was settled
Since 1929 Calcralt has hanged, with
very few exceptions, all the murdcrers
sentenced to death in tie United King
dom. The old fellow vac asked if he
had studied bis trade in any way
sWho showed him how TO hang?' he
was asked in the course of a conversa-
ton with him. ''Nobody," was the
prompt reply. You really had moth
| ing in the way of Instruction, semi
medical or otherwise z" "Nothing ut
all" "Now, weren't you bit nervous
the first time:' Not Il biz" But Of
course your first job upset youa litlle?''
"Not a bit in The world; why should it:
1t was only doing my duty why should
| feel upset." 1t is thus Mr.. Cacrait
looks at the matter. Duty is'duty.-
There is no more actual unpleasantiiess
in strangling y man than i'll digging a
knife iuto an innocent lambs throat
Necessity governs both actions; only i'll
the first case duty lends strength to ne
cessity. Mr.. C;lirrait won't have il
that he kills anybody. Might us well
say that doctor hilis his patient when
he leaves him in arti,nlo morris, and
declares he can do no more: that death
must have its sway. Il never Kilt d
anybody" Mr.. Calrruft most indignant.
Ily declares, at the bare limiting OF such
II thing. 9 never killed anybody