The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-12-13
A New Invention to Cause Sure and In
stant Strangulation.

Five minutes after the receipt of the
telegram announcing Marwood's death
a tall, stalwart man of some 90 or 60
years of age, entered a newspaper Of
fee in London and asked for the editor.
On being interviewed he explained his
business as follows: "Some time ago
read an article saying that the recent
horrible scene at an execution at Dur
ham should direct public attention to
tho necessity for adopting more hui
mane methods of execution. Since
read that, SIR" he exclaimed, 81 could
mane method here, and he brandished
nously resembling the bag in which the
late executioner was accustomed to
carry tho gallows rope from Jail to Jail.
''Here is the invention that is wanted;
it is perfectly simple; anybody can
hang a man with that l invented it
years ago, and it is absolutely certain.
I have tried it over and over again, and
never found it to fail yet. When saw
all the papers writing about the cruelty
of the long drop couldn't rest. l am
only workingman and don't want any
money for it; but l have travelled 800
miles in order to bring you the inven-
ton, 30 that you may see with your own
eyes exactly what is wanted" AS he
said this he opened his black bag and
extracted horrible-looking arrange
ment of hemp and brass. 'Look at
this" he said as he fondled the grue-
some machine; ''here is all that is
wanted. There is no slipping of the
moose with this, no bungling-every-
thing simple and expeditions. On
nearer examination it was found that
the rope was the ordinary half-inch
white hemp, passed double through a
brass clamp, forming a loop which
could be adjusted to the exact thick
ness of the neck of the criminal. In
mediately before the clamp was fitted
a brass crescent, measuring nine inches
from tip to tip, and projecting three
inches from the rope. This brass cres-
cent is SO adjusted as. to lie onHthe
shoulder of the condemned, while the
double rope is looped on one side 50 as
to allow drop of from two to four
feet. The principle of the invention is
that the moment the criminal is swung
off the crescent presses against the side
of the head, while the rope pulls the
neck sharply in the opposite direction,
swapping the spinal column ike stick
of sealing wax, and occasioning instant
death. ut cannot fail,' said the in
ventor, as he lovingly fitted the hemp
en- loop round the neck of one who was
present at the interview, and screwed
the clamp tight at the proper distance.
at will hang you sideways, back or
front, just as you like it; it cannot fail;
just drop off this table and it will be
quite sufficient. No need of Il long
drop, no pulling mems heads off their
shoulders; everything painless; the very
invention that is wanted. The lever
age gained by the three inches of pro-
lection of the brass crescent will snap
any ones neck" ''But might not the
rope snapp" he was asked. mo, be-
cause it is double; Marwood uses five
eighth-inch for long drop; half-inch
double for short drop will be more
than is necessary. Jack Ketch always
uses the half-inch. The thinner the
rope the surer the job. You can hang
a cat with whip cord, but not with
half-inch rope" "How did you make
your experimental" ''By making lay
figures of various weights, fixing u
block of wood as head on stout
pole, surrounded by wire springs
to represent the vertebr@ of the neck.
l have tried it with many weights and
many lengths of drop, and never found
it to miss. In the cause of humanity
and civilization 1 appeal to you to &C.
euro the adoption of this humane in
yentiOn."