The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-09-07
MARMNon rnE HAsGnAS,

Something About the Distinguishes
EnElishman VINO Has Passed Away.
Marwood was nervous man eff tn,
gallows, but was fond Of discussing learn
eddy on his profession. From his youth hi
was an ardent reader, and some years age
was Wesleyan preacher. He was looked
up to by the lower classes as man o.
learning, and was called Counsel" Hi
neighborhood was known as the "Haug.
mans Corner" He was early in his official
career placed in efligy in Madame Tus
sauds wax exhibition, owing to the noto'
riety he had gained. In one respect Mar
woods procedure at the sCaf'old could be
improved-the pinioning took good deal
OF time, The convict was literally harnessed
by the hangman, with belt around the
waist and straps fastening the hands
to it, an elaborate apparatus, for
which 1t is now proposed to substitute a
strong, elastic Jersey. The mental agony
was much more terrible than the sensation
Of physical pain" AIarwood said. In this
he was supported by such investigators as
DR.. Wakley, long London coroner ami
founder OF the Lancet. 1nnumeta6le au-
thorities from Lord Verulam to FleiSh-
mann, Jscquenain and Hammond were
quoted by MarwUod, and all agreed that
death by strabgulation was comparatively
almost carbohydrates. Dr.. Ham
mond felt pressure in the head and noise
in the ears like the murrnur OF seashell,
vision disappeared almost instantly, and
consciousness vanished in from tiity.tive to
eighty seconds. II the rope, therefore, was
well adjusted, so as to compress the vessels
OF the neck and Instantly exclude the air
from the lungs, sensation must be instantly
abolished, and death be painless and GER
tain. Marwood's experiment proved the
correctness Of his theories. Few criminals
continued to give signs OF life when they
came to the end OF hisroPe. "None OF my
men," Marwood once said, "acted like VIII
liam DUEL, who was hanged in 1740 and re.
vived on the disseCting tables OF Surgeons
Hail." Richard johnson, hanged at
Shrewsbury in 1896, obtained as favor that
his body should noe be stripped when it
was put in the coffin, and as this excited
some suspicion they examined him when
be was cut down alter hanging half an
hour and found that he had arranged TO
have the rope fastened 10 series Of cords
and hooks placed around his body and
concealed by u wig and beard, and SO
had cheated the gallows by bribing the
langman. His ingenuity was, however,
was III vain, for they hanged him again,
and this time etfectually. William Rrodie,
hanged at Edinburgh in 1883, had arranged
Tor an easy fall, after which he confidently
expected that his friends would bring him
round, but his calculations were baflled by
his getting more violent fall than than he
had bargalned for. "Half.hanged Maggie
Dickson" sent to the scatIold IN 1874 for
concealing The birth Of dead child, rev
vired through the Jolting OF the coffin as
they were taking her TO the graveyard at
Musselborough, and, being pardoned,
lived to bear several other children.
These stories, which are quoted from a
recent interview with Marwcod, reveal the
garrulous humor OF the hangman and the
Dent OF his mind, which was siugularly
cold blooded. His. first execution was that
OF Mr.. Hony, who had killed his wife.
The next WAS the turning Of, as be ex.
pressed 1t, OF four men at once-iour sailors
at London for murder on the high seas.
He had charge OF all the haugings In Dub.
lin OF men implicated in the Phoenix Park
murders. Marwood was then probably
the most odious and abhorred man in
England and was constantly attended by
a body guard OF detectives.