The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-08-04
SENSATIONS IN HANGING.

There are many instances on record in
which the punishment of sus. per col.
has failed, either through some peeul-
iarity in the neck of the individual, or a
want of tact in the hangman. More
than six centuries ago-if old records are
true--Juetta de Balsham, convicted of
harboriug thieves, was sentenced to be
executed, She hung for three days, re-
vived, and was Tardoned as q phenome-
non who had somehow or other over
mastered the gallows. There is the au--
thority of Obadiah Walker, master of
New College, Oxford, for q story that a
Swiss was hanged thirteen times over,
every attempt being frustrated by pc
culiarity in the wind pipe which pre-
vented strangulation. We are not told
whether the thirteenth time was sue
cessful, or whether justice was merciful
at last. Ann Green was hanged at Ok
ford for infanticide in 1850; nay, her
legs were pulled, aud her body struck
with soldiers muskets, in accordance
with q barbarous custom sometimes
adopted of making assurance doubly
sure. Nevertheless, she survived after
hanging some considerable time. Her
body was given up for dissection. The
surgeon Observed faint signs of anima-
ton, tended her instead of anatonlizing
her, and in thirteen hours she was able
to speak. She remembered nothing dis
tinctly of what had occurred, but seemed
to herself to have been in deep sleep.
The crown pardoned her; she married
and became the mother Of family. and
her husband forgave her the errors of
her past life, possibly for q kind of &C.
lebrity which the singular episode had
brought to her.
Other examples of a more or less anal
ogous kind are the following; A woman
--narne unrecorded--w hanged in
1903 She came to herself after a sus-
pension for the prescribed period, not
by slow degrees, but suddenly. John
Green experienced an ordeal something
like that of Ann Green. After being
hanged at Tyburn, his body was taken
to Sir William Blizzard, a celebrated sur
geon; and while out on table in the
dissecting room he displayed signs OF
life and effectually recovered. A female
servant of Mrs. Cope, of Oxford, con-
victed of some penal offense, was exc
cuted in 1860. After hanging an unusu-
ally long time she was cut down and fell
heavily to the ground. The shock re-
vived her, but the unfortunate wretch
was effecually hanged the next day.
Margaret Dickson, century and half
ago, was convicted of concealment of
birth, and was subjected to the last pen
atty of the law. Her body, after hang
ing ON the gibbet at Edinburgh, was cut
down and given to her friends. They
put 1t in coffin, and drove off with it in
a cart six miles to Musselburg. Some
apprentices rudely stopped the cart and
loosenod the lid of the coffin. This let
IN the air, and the air and the iolting
revived her. She was carried in doors
alive, but faint and scarcely conscious !:
minister came to pray with her, and
she effeetually recovered. No mention
OF collision occurs in this narrative, al
though some incidents would seem to
point that way. Margaret lived many
years, and had other children born to
her, and was Familiarity known in Edin-
burgh, where she sold salt, as "Half>
hanged Maggie. :"
Instances are known in which re-
hound after the fall has enabled the feet
of the victim to touch the platform, and
with what ultimate result has 30 be de-
termined by conflict between mercy
and sternness on the part Of the author
tiles. A disgraceful scene took place at
Edinburgh in 1878 The rope with which
n man was hanged being too loose his
toes touched the platform, the assembled
mob got mp riot on some pretext, the
hat hanged man was carried off. re-
canturea, and finally hanged on the fol-
lowing day. A scene of q similar de-
plorable nature had been witnessed at
JERSEY few years previously.
A whimsical legend, made the subject
of one of Southey's ballads, relates to
man who was resuscitated after hanging,
and disappeared from the gibbet in a
mysterious manner. In ninety-one
stanzas Southey tells the story of
Roprecht the robber, believed in Ger
many to have some foundation in fact.
Roprecht, who had long been terror to
the inhabitants of Cologne, was at
length caught, tried, sentenced and ex-
ecuted.
On the next morning, TO the surprise
of the earl y passers by, the gibbet was
found to be empty. One week later
Roprecht was seen hanging there again,
but wearing boots and spurs instead of
shoes. What this could all mean was
left to Peter Suoye to tell. He and his
son Pet were driving home late on the
night after the execution. Passing near
the g1bbet they heard low moan. Look
ing up they found it to proceed from
Roprecht Robber and rascal though
he might be, they did not like to leave
HIM IN such pitiable state. They cut
hlm down, put him into their cart. and
carried him to their home. revived him.
and concealed him from the authorities.
Whatever virtues Roprecht NAV have
possessed, gratitude was not one of them.
for we are told that one morning early,
before the family was astir, he took Pc
ter's horse and Piets boots and spurs
and absconded But Frau Suoye, who
had some little suspicion of the man.
overheard some of his movements and
aroused her husband and son. These
two mounted spare horses. galloped
after him, kept him in sight. overlook
HIM, seized him after desperate strug-
gle, dragged him to the gibbet and there
hanged him most effectually.
His own rope was ready there
To measure the length we took good care:
And the job which the bungling hangman began.
MS ume, think, was properly done
by me and Pet Peterzoon, my son.
Many instances-how many we are
never likely to know-have occurred in
which the culprit and his friends made
arrangements beforehand 20 defeat the
hangman's endeayors. NJ. Vande2kiste.
in his six Years Mission Among the
Dens of London" mentions a woman
who was condemned to death for passing
forged bank notes. Her friends, with
surgical aid, caused a silver tube to be