Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-05
Death Of MarWOcd.
London Standard.

LOl0CA SGdDUaru.
Marwood, the executioner, died at 9
o'clock yesterday afternoon at Horncas-
tie from CONGESTION of the lungs and jaun-
dice. He was sixty-three years of age,
end had held his post for twelve years.
He leaves a widow, but no son, as has
been stated. Some incidents of his life
are narrated by local correspondent
who WIS personally acquainted with
Marwood, and who bad a long CONVEX
sation with him only q fortnighta ago. He
says: There were many attempts to
get q portrait OF Marwood. but he always
refused. An enterprising photographer
offered him fifty pounds one day for a
sitting, but he declined, his explanation
being that one Of the things he enjoyed
more than anything else was to go into
q town by an earlier train than he was
expected. and mix in the crowd that
wss awaiting his arrival. IF his COR
respondence has been preserved it
will be very curious. Quite recently he
showed me sword of a Japanese exc
cutioner which had been sent to him
by 4 gentleman from Brighton, and it
was certainly of considerable intrinsic
value. He had contemplated. he said:
putting another story on to his shop,
and making, a kind Of museum, where
he could show his friends and neigh
bors the peculiar things he had coI!ec-
ted during his experience as an exc.
c,1tioner. Once only had he an inter
view with Calcraft, ank that was when q
patty of Americans had asked to be al
lowed to see Calcraft. Marwood went
with some official to ask Calcratt if he
would receive the visitors He used to
declare that previous to the execution
IN Ireland. when a prisoners arm
caught in the rope he had never had
single slip in his work. With regard to
the Durham execution, concerning
which he was summoned to the home
office, immediately after the question
had beeu put in parliament, he stated
that the prisoner tainted at the last mo-
ment, and that this was the cause Of the
rope catching III his arm, and he was
particularly careful to mention that at
the inquest and satisfactorily cleared
himself. His opinion Was that in a II flu
ture executions warder should stand
on each side of the prisoners on a
plank extending over the drop and the
loose portion OF the rope be tied up to
the beam by a slight cord, which should
give way by the weight of the body. ana
he declared that he should never under
take an execution again without these
precautions being adopted. Many of
the Irish experiences were a source of
great amusement to him. An escort
used to meet him at Chester, and accom-
pany him across the Channel. After.
some of the early executions connected
with the Phoenix Park assassinations
Marwood had to proceed to Glasgow, and
he related how an escort which was to
accompany him were disappointed when
he found that he declined their COM
pany and intended to move about Eng
land without any protection whatever.
It was at Glasgow while he was prepar-
ing che prisoners on the scafold that a
letter was received by the governor of
the jail which might have been q re-.
spite. The governor signalled to Mar.
wood while he read the letter, which
proved to be on other business. Mar
wood received very few threatening let
ters, s&s. y Nd