Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-09-07
HANGMAN MARWOOD.
Death of the Man Who Became an
ExeCutioner by Choice.
A Preacher With a Leaning Toward the
GaItows-A long Drop" That Was
Not Appreciated.

New NCEK, September 6.-The report by
cab.e OF the death OF William Marwood,
lie English executioner, created great
deal Of comment among those Englishmen
in this city who were acquainted with the
dead man. Marwoods complaint was con.
gestion OF the lungs, aggravated by an at.
tack OF jaundice. He was G3 years OF age.
The Life Of - IIangmRn
He was born in Gruleeby, a few miles
from HernCastle, Epgland, in 1870, Foriyears
before he became an assistant aud then
chief hangman MarwOod was Wesleyan
preacher. From his youth up he had been
an ardent reader, and in appearance he was
anything but a typical hangman. In TACT
he looked more like respectable trades
man than anything else. In stature he
was about five feet eight lIches high: He
had dark, restless eyes and a beetling brow,
a high and expansive forehead.
During his caree. Marwood has hung
over one hundred persons, among them
four females. His first execution was that
OF one Mr.. HorTy, who had killed his wife:
Another OF his Jobs was the turning oil
of four men at once-four sailors at London
for murder on the high seas. lie had
charge of all the executions in Dublin OF
murders. lie has never visited the United
States.
The Long Daop.'
For his system" OF hanging Marwood
claimed a vast superiority over any other
in the known world, both for the quick
ness and the minimum OF pain TO be con-
demned. This system" consisted OF the
long drop" which was invented by the
bangman about four years ago. Before
that time only four feet Of rope was used.
Marwood, by clever mechanism, had this
increased 10 ten, thus making the stop
more sudden Consequently death would
result almost instantly. For a long time
Marwood became almost crank" on the
subject OF long drops. Al one execution
he had the drop heightened 10 thirteen
feet When the body OF the hanged man
reached the pit the extreme violence OF
the shock YVES such as To- cause the head %
come of. This caused great outcry at
the time and yarwOod was forced 10 short.
en- the distance Of the fail.
An UusuccessTuI Lecturer.
At one time Marwood announced that he
would give a lecture. About 800 people at
tended with the expectation OF hearing
something regarding his professional eT'
perience. In this they were disappointed.
Alter some rambling talk on the Bible,
the Irish question, the Queen. and the
eleC ion, MarwOod abruptly sat down, be.
ing, a. the Chairman said, very nervous
man. In the course OF the fifteen minutes
during which he spoke. Mr.. MarwoOd sur.
vCyed mankind from China TO Peru. Iiti.
mately the audience became Clamorous, as
Nj Marwood, after second attempt 10 go
on, sat down in despair. They shouted that
they bad bt en- sold and cheated, and loudly
demanded their money back.
- TnoIopI is nm N
in which no sympathy need ever be expect
ed from the community at large. The
Ssnsons in France were hereditary heads
men. Generation after generation they
piled their terrible vocation, intermarry.
ing with the families. OF provincial execu.
TONERS until at last they formed KIND ol
guild, to which the prescription OF age had
impaired something akin 10 respectability'
Hereditary HanEmen.
Similarly in Germany and Holland the
executioners vocation was continued from
father 10 son; and a vocation 1t strictly
was, since the eKecutioner's heir was liter
ally born "in the crimson II not in the
purple" and found bis black p itrimony IN
the axe, the visor and the block bequeath'
ed to him by his "sire." In Italy, Spain
and Russia, the 'eIecutioners were very
often criminals who had been abso'yed
from condign punishment on the condition
that they should devote the remainder oil
their lives TO taking away in cold blood the
lives OF the wretches doomed by the law n
death. In EDgland, however, the hang
man has always been free agent, and ha'
OF his own free will adopted his horrible
craft.
Their Office has always been one Of deiib
crate choice 10 the hsDgman OF England
and, with the exception Of the early eigh
tenth century, Jack ketcb, not By an,
means the Dennis in Dickens "BarDa5!
| Nudge" who was so unfortunate as 70 ge
| himself hanged at Tyburn for robbery
| most OF the London hangmen whose name
| have come down to our times have eKei
cised during a long course of years thei
| grim functions, and have died at ripe oil
age without in anyway manifestipg thei
dislike q an abhorreut trade.
Base Ball
Alleghenvs. IL. Cincinnatis, 4.
Tolsdos. IL. Peoriss, 6.
| springfslds,. :, Saginaw', 3.
| Metropolitans, 7: Eclipse, IT,
Athletics 4: St. Louis, 3.
| Baliimores, 7; Columbus, II.
| Bosiors. ]; Providence, @.
| CIfvFlsnts. 2: Bufalos, I.
Chicagos, :6 Dtroits, q
September IL, 1880.
HOP BIrrERs Co ToEoHIo:-I have pee
sick for the psst six years, sunerng iro'
dyspepsis and general weakness 1 hss
rsed ,tres bottles OF Hop Bitters, and the
bxve rone wonders for M. I sm well m
ah,e ,o gg Tt, and eat and sleep well.
~Sr-c. l.. 700 ruch &c; ucr S::te-I.