The New York herald., 1879-12-24

taking himself to n semi-private parlor reserved by
the host for specially favored customers. would sit
un%.rs,oos ~ Snjoy 10y sahe y, .;,. ~ $50,
that 40 reference mis- calling should ever
he made III Caicraft's presence Now and again.
however AN il1udicions conner would ailude 20 me
tabooed subject. When this occurred. caicrait.
without comment. wonld Immediately rise from tho
table and taking his hat, abruptly leave the room
aud the house. IN Hoxton ne always spoken OF
ana addressed Galley" and Is not too much
to say that man residing in this densey pop
ulated neighborhood better thought Of among
the iaboring classes than old Galley" At some
period of his life he had acquired the recipe OF
hostrum Tor relieving tho aches and pains with
which rheumatic subjects afflicted. or this link
ment ne always kept large supply on hand and
Tor it.
HEMPEN HORROR cHAaDER
10 this house very few but the immediate mem-
pers OF MS family were ever admitted. and
fewer still were ever permitted to inspect tho
ghasuy array OF hempcn curiosties that in
small "Bluebeard's chamber were neatly
labelled and arranged around the walls. It
had been the hangnans custom to preserve
piece of rope as Il memento OF each execution he
had conducted. and when he did happen to unbend
to favored guest from his habitua taciturnity lie
would chatter on by the hour each piece labelled
rope he handled giving the name or its victim and
date OF his execution atording fresh food for the
paper men and speculative publishers to obtain in
formation for publication from Calcrait .werc una
vailing.
FREEZING OUT puBLrsHEK.
One incident viii show the way i'll which the hang
man treated all such attempts. a well known lub-
Usher of No. i3 Paterncster row, whose father in
conjunction with the late Sydney o. Beeton made a
fortune by the publication OF Mrs. Beecner Stoves
Uncle Tom CABIN. asked the writer 70 intro
duce him to old Galley" his object being pub
lish an autobiography by that mysterious ill.,
dividual When assured that nothing would
of the interview G, with ovvrweaning
confidence in the united powers OF his check book
and persuasive tongue still persisted on an intro
burIesque writer then occupied a suit of gloomy
chambers in Barnards Inn. Holborn, and there one
frosty evening in November Calcraft aud the writer
dropped III to play IA friendly hand at whist After
hand or two had been played the cards were aban-
doned and MIR: Galley" for so the hangman had
been introduced, was entering freely into the con-
versaton and was generally having good time,
when the publisher. gradually eading up the sub
ject to the gallows wound up by saying:-
II would willingly give Mr.. Calcratt. If knew
where to find him. $500 tor enough information of
his life and experiences to fiji out book Of 200
pages; and if sold over twenty thousand copies
would give him u royalty on every succeeding copy
l issued" sees
and then Calcraft. turning the publisher. said:
The party you speak OF. sr, is an intimate friend
Of mine, ana you may take my ~ora ror ~ snai ina,
only be wasting your own time and rendering your
self personally offensive to who thoroughly
respects the condolences of his patients as Sir james
Ferguson or Dr. Paget"
Pleading the lateness of the hour the hangman
then lett. On emerging from the shades Of Bar
nard Inn into Holborn he sulenly reiuurked:-
81 don't think shall play whist outside the Prin-
Alice parlor for some time to come. unless pub
playing double dummy at home.'
HIS HANGING CLOTHES.
There GOODNESS between the writer and
"Callcy" for some months atterward. On the scat
fold Calcraf always appeared dressed in Of the
darkest of blue serge, and these habiliments
known in Hoxton as his hanging clothes. He would
put them when leaving his home to start for
the scene Of the execution aud take them off
again ON his return. and never wore them on
any other occasion. No one ever saw him outside
his house during the three days Immediately sue
ceeding m execution aud stolidly as he comported
msa II ri n acana ha
invariably arrived homo suffering from extreme
nervousness and great mental prostration. II on
fine summer evening the aged hangman with down
cast eyes. bowed shoulders and his chin sunk his
breast arrayed in his hanging clothes and carrying
on hs wuy %s Ss hsmos neS
bors gathered on the sidewalk smoking their pipes
and chatting after the days toll would stand aside.
aud pausng in their conversation make way for the
old man to pass without much bidding him
good evening. tor it was well known that on these
occasions he was q silent and would not OK.
change a word even with his most intimate friends.
HOW HE LOOKED.
In appearance, as the writer knew him any time
during the last fifteen years. Calcraft . stout,
power ully built man Of some five feet eight, with
long snow white beard and whiskers, the upper lip
broad forehead. coarse. thick nose and eyes of
peculiar cold blue tint; mouth expressing deter
mination and sccreveness i'll its tightly compressed
thin lips and absence of curve and fu heshy face
utterly wanting in color. pretty accurately describes
the general appearance of this remarkable man.
Many good stories could he told OF incidents in the
hangman apart FROM his intimate connection
with criminals. but in this place OF these incl
dents will suffice.
Strawberries WITH THE srRAHGLER.
On one occasion the writer in the course Of his
reportorial duties had to attend an execution at
Stafford when Calcraft oniciated. They travelled
down together. and at Bushbury Junction. where
the Trent Valley limo connects with the London and
Northwestern, two ladies' entered the carriage In
quires the distance to Stafford led to further
conversation on tho beauties of the surrounding
country and so forth in which Cacraft freely joined
He had with him a basket Of strawberries and some
sweet biscuits, OF which. at his solicitation. the
ladies graciously consented to partake Arriving at
Stafford early in the afternoon. Cacraft cordially
shaking the profered hands OF the ladies. left the
and proceeded to the Jail, but the writer, hav
ing business ut Stoke-upon-Trcnt, some few miles
further on that afternoon remained in the ladies'
company until reaching that point. They were loud
in their praises OF "that NICE old gentleman" and
but for that unhappy curiosity which lovely woman
tnherits from our common mother Eve, might have
this day abored under the hatteripg deluson nat
they had devoured Strawberries in the company OF
patriarchal duke, nibbled biscuits in with
o county magnate. But the temptation to adinin-
lister wholesome check to the scarcely we'll bred
curiosity of these danes was too strong for the
writer, and just the train drew up at Stoke
Station he gratihed their thirst tor knowledge by
informing them that tho venerable gentleman with
whom they much taken other
than tho common hangman. Hurriedly raising his
hat the writer lett the carriage amid the only half
suppressed shrieks Of the Mortified ladies.
In addition to the house property belonging to him
in Poole street. Cacrsft owned considerable houses
and lands ut Phipps' Bridge. mile and half west
of Mtchen, nine miles from London, in the county
Of Surry and altogether he has probably died worth
100000.
DiNGEDS M THE DEEp