Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-23
THE GUITEAU SCAFFOLD.
How the Assassin OF President Gar.
field will be Executed.

field will be Executed.
The scaffold upon which Bedford and
Queenan were executed will be used
for strangling Guiteau. 1t is standing
in the north wing of the Jail, and has
been painted drab shade. 1t is of
Georgia pine, and stands twenty-one
feet IL height. The cross-beam is of
six by eight timber strengthened by a
heavy top piece for double work sup.
ported by timbers eight inches square
The platform is thirteen feet from the
ground, and is made of two-inch boards,
on stout joists, mortised and bolted,
and is eleven feet square. It is sup.
ported by six eight-inch uprights in adj
dition to those supporting the cross
beam. About three and half feet
above the platform there is a
surrounding rail. The trap is
five feet square, framed in the
center of the platform, and is flush
with it 1t is attached to the platform
by two heavy strap hinges, and is held
in place by the ends of the U-shaped
iron. AT the bottom of the iron is at
tached Il small but strong rope passing
over pulley at the back of the struct-
IRE into box about four inches square,
through which the rope runs into one
of the cells, where some person, I'M
known to outsiders, at the signal from
the warden, usually motion with a
handkerchief gives the fatal pull. The
platform is reached by flight of steps
with railing on either side.
TO complete the structure and make
it ready for use, it is necessary that the
rope should be attached and the hinges
oiled. For single hanging it is Gus.
tOmary to use rope Of manila seven
eighths of an inch II diameter and
thirty feet long. 1t is not the custom
here, as in some cities, to use a rope
specially made for the purpose and
have it made outside the building, for
the officers of the Jail here are always
equal to the occasion. In fact, with
the exception of the manufacture of
the rope and the iron, the structure
has been made in the building. There
are on hand now several ropes pur-
chased for hanging purposes, and
recently several have been re-
ceived at the Jail contributed by
persons anxious to have them used
on Guiteau. When it is necessary
to "rig" the scaiiold, rope will be Sc
lected and hangman's knot will be
made by one of the guards, who is
quite an expert at it. Then it will be
run through the center hole of the cross
beam, thence to the side, passing down
one of the uprights to q cleat on the
side, where it will be made fast. Gen
orally the slack is four to six inches.
and commencing near the knot the rope
is for three or four feet Amounted with
soap, that it may slip easily. In some
parts Of the country tallow or other
grease is used, but Gen. Crocker and
his associates prefer the soap.
There is also on hand full sup
ply of small rope to use in pinioning
the arms and Legs of the victim of the
law, and black caps to draw over his
face. 1t is customary to rig the rope
the day before the execution and test
it by letting drop bag of sand weigh
ing from &c 10 80 per cent. more than
the doomed man. Never having met
with an accident or mishap in hang
ing, the jail officials look on this
test as almost useless; but it is al
ways made as matter Of pre-
caution. To make sure, however, Of
carrying out the sentence within the
hours specified therein usually two
hours being allowedl, the prisoner is
brought on in time to allow fifteen or
twenty minutes for services prior to
the trap being sprung, and with thirty
minutes or more to spare beside. Thus,
should there be mishap of any kind,
there would still be ample time to pre-
pare and rig another rope, if neces-
sary.