The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-07
HANCMAN HARDWOOD.
a Man Who Abandoned the Ministry to
Adopt an Infamous Cailing-His De-
light in His profession"

William Marwood the English execution
er who died on Tuesday was born IN Can
leeby, England, few miles from Horn Cas-
tie. From his youth he was an ardent read
or, and some years ago was a Wesleyan
preacher He was looked up to by the lower
classes as a man of learning; they called him
the Counsel" He started small shoe-shop
in Horn Castle Lincolnshire, England, ad-
joining the churchyard. His neighborhood
was known as the ''hangman's corner" He
was soon placed in effigy in Nine. Tussand's
wax exhibition, owing to the notoriety he
had gained. His appearance was quite
at variance with his profession. He
was in stature about five feet eight inches,
always dressed we'll, and looked to be
well-to-do tradesman. He had dark,
restless eyes, and betting brow, a high and
expansive forehead. 1t was Marwoods GUS
Tom to always carry supply OF cards on
which was neatly printed: William Mar
wood, Public Executioner, Horn Castle" In
this way he advertised himself and his cheer
full occupation. For many years Marwood
was the assistant to Calcraft, public execu-
TONER and succeeded that individual some
twenty years ago. When not engaged hanging
her Maesty's criminals, he worked at the
shoemaking trade at Horn Castle He did
dashing business in selling Leather laces"
to people who had morbid curiosity to see
the hangman, and who visited his shoe-shop
for that purpose. Marwood thought he was
great man, and was proud of the fact that
he hung all the criminals. He was always
willing that the public should know who he
was, and he joked and laughed with stran-
gers about his different executions Once he
met fellow with bad cold who asked him
if he knew of anything that would cure it.
YES" said Marwood, 'one of my drops is a
sure cure"
He was devoted to his profession and loved
TO talk of the artistic manner in which he
shuffled off his victims. He has frequently
been heard to say: Hi never makes a
botch of my work; when Hi lets the chap
drop 'e's done for, and don't make no fuss
by kickin' and strugglin'. Use always civil
with the poor devils as can't help themselves,
and the neater the job the better he's salts
fed"
When on his way to hang anyone Mar
wood always carried little leather handbag,
in which were the rope, black cap, and other
paraphernalia of an execution.
Many stories are told about Marwood in
the North of England, and so great was the
dread of him that he was often refused per-
mission to hotels by supersttious proprie-
tors. When hangings are numerous the pro-
fessonal hangman makes a good deal of
money. He gets 800 for every man and S75
for every woman he swings into eternity
1t is estimated that Marwood had stretched
at a ropes end between $50 and 400 persons
since he took charge of this department of
her Majesty's service.
The first execution he assisted at was that
of one Mr. Horny, who had killed his wife.
nj n
four men at once-four sailors, at London
for murder on the high seas. He had charge
of all the executions in Dublin OF the men
implicated in the Phoenix park murders, and
had been since then an object of aversion
among the Irish on account of these execu-
tons. Charges of drunkenness and care
lessness have recently been made against him,
and bungling execution has been noted.
Not long ago his presence in the gallery of
the House of Commons was commented upon
in the English press.
Marwood was announced some time ago in
London to give his great lecture" on the
times" and about 900 people assembled to
listen to him, The great lecture proved to be
very small one. After some rambling ia k
on the Bible, the Irish question, the Queen,
and the election, in the course of which he
repeated himself again and again, Marwood
abruptly sat down, being, as the chairman
said, very nervous man. In the course of
the seventeen minutes, during which he
spoke, Marwood surveyed mankind from
China to Peru. Commencing with a relig-
ious exhortaton, he reminded his hearers
that the wheel of time was constantly casting
people off into eternity, whereupon a man
shouted: And so is thy rope" Ultimately
the audience became clamorous, as Mar
wood, after a second attempt to go on, sat
down in despair. They shouted that they
had been sold and cheated, and loudly
demanded their money back. Apparently
most OF them had come expecting to hear
something of Marwoods professional eXpe-
rience, which the chairman said it was i'm
possible for him to give Beyond all doubt,
intemperance had much to do with Mar
woods death, as he had of late years been
much addicted to strong drink.
The way in which Marwood became hang
man, is interesting. Twelve years ago, when
Calcraft was retired, Marwood went before
the Government Medical Department and
asked for the position, saying that he had a
system by which he could cause instantane-
Gus death to the condemned, and being quite
an anatomical student he convinced the de-
partment that his system was superior 10
Calcrafrs, and he was given the place.
When Calcraft was public executoner
he used rope but three feet
long, and when he had drawn the
bolt it was his custom to seize the hanging
mans legs and swing on them until certain
that death had ansued. That" said Mar
wood on one OCCASION, lied me to increase
the length of the rope to nine feet which
length secures much better result. The
way do it, the neck is quickly dislocated,
the spinal cord broken. and the air-pipes
closed Thus, the lungs cease to perform
their functions and artificial apoplexy is pro-
duced, so that death is always instanta-
neous"
In 1880 Marwood visited America, and
while in New York visited the Tombs There
he held short conversation with Christine
Cox and Pietro Balbo, who were then under
sentence of death, and looked them over
closely from a professional stand point He
aslo inspected the gallows in the yard and lis
appliances. He pronounced them semi.
barbarous, and explained that the system in
vogue in America caused man needless