The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1883-05-16
BRADY's EXECUTION,
Interesting DeteiIs-Resolufe 90 Il
Last-Wbat the ExecuffOner SAYS


DR.. Carte, who was present at the execu-
tion of Joe Brady, gives the following de-
tails:
Brady retired early to rest on Sunday
night and rose at o'clock Monday morn
ing. He was rather depressed for about an
hour, but he soon recovered his usual
spirits. After writing letter to his
mother, in which he babe her farewell and
asked her to pray earnestly for him, he
partook of small breakfast, and shortly
before accompanied Canon Kennedy
and Father o'Reilly to the chapel, where
ho confessed to his spiritual director
and received the last rites of the
Church. At 1853 tho doomed
man and his spiritual advisers left
the chapel In the hall outside Marwood
was waiting with the officials who were to
take part in the melancholy procession to
the scaffold. Brady submitted quietly to
the process of pinioning. Holding prayer
book in his right hand he earnestly re-
peated the responses. The distance to the
foot of the scaffold was one hundred yards,
and this was traversed slowly. The gov
ernor of the Jail led the way; the medical
officer and the principal warder followed
and then came the prisoner and Canon
Kennedy, Marwood, Sub-Sherif Ormsby
and three warders bringing up the rear.
At the foot of the scaffold Brady turned
to the warden and said, "Take the book"
He never uttered another word, but slowly,
deliberately, without apparent falter,
mounted the eight steps leading to the drop,
Canon Kennedy keeping by his side, and
Marwood with the leg straps in his hand.
A moment more and he stood on the fatal
plank. Only when Marwood went to place
the moose round his neck did he finch. He
jerked his head suddenly on one side, but
recovered himself in q second. Exactly on
the stroke of eight Marwood touched the
lever. Death was instantaneous, the YER
tebI@ of the neck, as DIR. Carte said, being
literally smashed to pieces The length OF
the drop being eight feet eleven inches, the
effect of this on the neck of man who
weighed fourteen stone can easily be i'm
agined.
The body, after hanging the legal hour,
was cut down and laid on rude bench be-
side the small scaffold, to await tho post.
mortem view of the jury. 1t was attired
in the clothes in which Brady was ar
rested.-small round jacket, dark trousers,
vest and wooden shirt. He was in his
stocking feet. boots, by Marwood's advice,
not being allowed The inquest was held
in small arched room close to the yard in
which the scaffold was erected. The pro-
ceedings did not commence till ten, when fif
teen jurymen were sworn and filed out to
look at the body with its blackened
face. The coffin was ready, and tho jury
had no sooner given their verdict than the
remains of the murderer of Thomas Henry
Burke and Lord Frederick Cavendish were
placed in the grave dug not far from the
scaffold. The only evidence at the inquest
was that of the doctor and the chief warder
The verdict was of course death from the
severance of the spinal cord, caused by
hanging, according to the sentence of thu
law. Marwood, in brief interview with
the Telegram reporter, stated that he neve
hanged criminal who gave him les
trouble or anxiety, or displayed calmer OF
more unflinching front.