Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-05
A TALK WITH GUITEAU,S HANG.
MAN.

TALK WITH GUITEAU'S HANG.
MAN.
He Defends the Execution Against Un.
favorable Reports.
THE GUITEAu HANGING COMPARED WITH OTHERS
THE WORK DONE QUIETLY AND wELL-soME REM
NIsCENSEs OF A WASHINGTON JACK KETcH.
Mr.. Robert Strong, Of the Jail guard, who pre-
pared and rigged the rope for the execution OF
Guiteau on Friday last pinioned his arms and legs
| and at the proper time put ON the black cap and
adjusted the moose, was interviewed last evening
with especial reference to published statements
| charging that the hangman did his work in
bungling fashion.
"In regard to the preparations. Mr. Strong" the
| reporter asked. "were they all regular orthodox
preparations; that is, was everything prepared
just the same as usual-probably with little more
| care?"
certainly" said Mr.. Strong. "The ceremony
| was little shorter; there no singing on the
gaIloWS; they were not up on the gallows halt as
| long as some others have seem"
| was there not some delay in the preparations"
MO- sir; not any. / went into his cell and PIN
| toned his arms, and he was Immediately marched
out and up onto the platform"
"How about the knott" asked the reporter
"Wel, so far as the knot goes" said the veteran
guard. there could not be any knot that would
work any better than that one. If they tried all
in the right place, right behind the left ear The
Knot Knot always works backwards, and as long as it
Ns}eS MafeS back + 1T s, Is all right Dr. Young says
breaks the neck. AS Tong as the knot does not
come under the chin it is all right DR.. Young
says If it was right behind it would work all the
| better He had drop OF feet inches He and
| Deputy Warden Russ We're exactly the same
height as,n ~ Ihe rope touched the scaod and that
| hauled taut from above about inches more,
making the drop about feet inches. He fell all
! hnnd colnn
way he fell he must have had pretty good fall.
, II his head @ had come off he would have had too
"After all, his neck was not broken?"
| They say 1t was not" said Mr. Strong. "Iwas
| tnere when the skin was drawn down on each side
,i. OF the ne neck; and the muscles underneath were
.,"Id I'm the New York Herald account they say
remarked marx hs ths reporter 1a ga1on n' Oh 'ne
There was no delay" answered Mr. Strong.
" HIS feet were apart and it was his own fault il
to pull his legs and knees together and it took me
| no time at all to do that"
were you there In the morning, Mr.. Strong,
when John Guiteau was on the scanold?"
"Did he go there with Dr. Hlcks?"
Yes, Sir; he came ana examined the rope.
SAID then to Gen. CrCcker that 1t would not do"
What did John Guiteau say?" asked the re-
81 did not hear him say anything. He merely
examined rne rope.'
.. "Dr Hicks was with him. was he not?"
| lI ".
there by the assassin to seef everything ingood
working order, and John Guiteau went with him.
During the execution John Guiteau stood right in
'front.' OF and close TO the gallOwS He came up and
shook hands with somebody, talking and laugh
ing. Afterwards he went in where they were
holding the post -mortem examination, but they
would not allow him to remain. The last thing
ne dd was TO go into Guiteau's cell and gather up
nd all his od papers traps books and one thing
came to Washngteh5 asked the the repofer @ Hs0s you
ut fdniH Tho sl,,,$T
or IS, as near as can Remember When was in
Sydney, Australia, they hanged two or three at a
ina tme' have seen d i've hanged there one MORN
colony. AFTER two years good behavior ecBzs
yicts were released on 'tcket of leave' and after
laws they were hanged"
WAS this when you were in the whaling ser
'Yes, sir"
''Then you never had anything to do with any
hanging before you came here, did your" said the
81 never had anything to do with any
hanging before coming here" said Mr..
Strong: "Grady was the first man 1 fixed the rope
1or, ana MS neck was clear break. He did not
struggle at all, just worked his shoulders little.
Jenkins was the next Barney Wood never moved.
johnson M struggled more than any of them. Tom
Wright didn't struggle very much; he weighed 2S6
pounds when ne was hung; Henry Young strug-
gledd very " little tn stone didn't struggle any-hs
this mans neck worse than in the cases of Bedford
ana Queenan They drew their knees up little
him."
Mr.. Strong then asked the reporter: SHOW
many men have you seen hanged? No doubt but
you have seen a great many? ?"
II believe, y said the reporter, 81 have seen 4O-sl
executions in Maryland and Virginia; some few by
lynchlhg, ana. with the exception OF Stones
hanging, this one is the best ever saw"
To this statement Mr.. Strong replied: ssIt could
not be any better. will go forward and take my
oath there was no delay on my part. The cap
was tied quick. What 1 did was done right and
quick His knees had to be pulled together, for he
around both legs passed it between his legs that
made 1t so firm that IL was impossible for the rope
TO come OIL l was certain that no mshap would
occur like that one in Kentucky, where the mans
kick him off. The way put 1t on Guiteau-each
leg separate and crossed between-it could never
come loose.
WHAT GUARD JOHNSON SAYS
Thos. T. johnson, one of the guards at the jail,
formerly one OF Bakers detectives during the war,
who has witnessed. all told, In the army and out.
over fifty executions states that in no execution
did everything pass off better, nor did the appur-
tenanceS work With any more ease than in that OF
Gu1teau, With the exception of the hanging OF
Stone, where the head was taken OF.
Removal of lsuiteaIlsS BODY.
On Monday night wagon drove into the inclo-
sure Of the jail and was for a short time out OF
sight When it reappeared it was driven to the
city and into one OF the alleys through which the
rear part of the Army Medical Museum is reached.
This wagon, without doubt, contained the body OF
Charles J. Guteau, but the removal having been
made with secrecy, there were but few even of the
jail guards who knew OF the departure of the re-
mains.
UNWILLING TO TALK ABOUT THE REMOVAL
At the Army Medical AJuSaum fo.dar mono of t,o