Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-02-12
THE GUITEAU SCAFFOLD.
Hoic the ASSASSIN of President GARFIELD
HiI be Executed.

Htil be Executed.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.--The scafold
upon which Bedford and Queenan were
executed will be used for strangling Gui-
teau. 1t is standing in the north wing
of the jail, and has been painted drab
shade. 1t is of Georgia pine and stands
q feet in height The cross beam is Of
6xS timber; strengthened by a heavy top
piece for double work, supported by tim
bers Sinches square. The platform is IL
feet from the ground, and is made OF 2
inch boards on stout joists, mortised and
bolted, and is II feetasquare, supported by
six inch uprights in addition to those
supporting the cross beam. About three
and half feet above the platform there
is surrounding rail. The trap IS i've
feet square, framed in the centre of the
platform, and is flush with it, It is at
tached to the platform by two heavy slap
hinges and is held in place by the ends OF
the u shaped iron. At the bottom OF the
IRON is attached small but strong rope
passing over pulley at the back Of the
structure 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 a fight of steps
with railing on either side.
To complete the structure and make 1t
ready for use it is necessary that the rope
should be attached and the hinges oiled.
For single hanging it is customary to
use a rope of manila seven-eights of an
inch in diameter and thirty feet long. 1t
is not the custom here, as in some cities!
to use rope especially made for that
purpose and have it prepared outside
the building, for the officers of the Jail
here are always equal to the occasion. In
fact, with the exception Of the manu-
facture of the rope and the iron the struc-
ture has been made in the building. There
are on hand now several rope pur-
chased for hanging purposes, and recently
several have been received at the jail con-
tributed by persons anxious to have them
used OF Guiteau. When it is necessary
to ssrig'' the gallows rope will be select
ed and the hangman's knot will be made
by one of the guards; who is quite an ex-
pert at it. Then it will be run through
the center hole of the cross beam, thence
to the side, passing down one Of the up
rights to cleat on the side, where it twill
be made fast. Generally the slack is four
| to six feet, and commencing near the knot
the rope is for or feet anointed with
soap, that 1t may slip easily. In some
parts of the country tallow or grease is
| used. but Gen Croker and his associates
prefer the soap There is also on hand
| full supply Of small rope to use in pin
Joining the arms and legs of the victim of
the law, and the 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 weighing
from 80 to 80 per cent. more than the
doomed man. Never having met with an
accident or mishap in hanging, the jail
officials look On this test as almost useless;
but it is always made as matter of pre-
caution To make sure, however, of
carving out the sentence within the
hours specified therein usually two
hours being allowed), the prisoner is
brought on in time to allow fifteen or
twenty minutes for services prior to the
trap being sprung, and with thirty min
utes or more to spare beside. Thus,
should there be mishap of any kind,
there would be ample time to prepare and
rig another rope If necessary.