Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-17
Pail Mall Gazette.

Five minutes after the arrival OF the
telegram announcing MarwOod's death
tall, stalwart man Of some 30 or 60
years Of age entered a newspaper Office
10 London and asked for the editor.
On being interviewed he explained
his business as follows: Some time
ago | read IN article in the Pail Mall
G ,zttte saying that the recent horri-
BILE scene at an executinn at Durham
should direct public attention to the
necessity for adopting more human
Methods Of execution. Since | read
that, sill" he exclaimed, II could not
rest, because | have the more humane
method here" and he brandished in
his right hand small black bag, omi-
nously resembling the bag in which
the late executioner was accustomed
10 carry the gallows rope from Jail to
Jail Here is the invention that is
wanted; il is perfectly simple-any,
body can hang a man with that. |
invented it years ago, and it is abso-
lutely certain. 1 have tried it over
and over again, and never found it 10
fail yet. When | saw all the papers
writing about the cruelty OF the long
drop | couldn't rest. ! am only a
working man, and ! don't want any
money for it, but I've travelled three
hundred miles in order to bring you
the invention, so that you may SEA
with your own eyes exactly what is
wanted" As he said this he opened
his black bag, and extracted
therefrom a horrible looking arrange
ment in hemp and brass. Look
at this" he said, as he fondled the
gruesome machine; here is all that is
wanted. There is no slipping OF the
moose with this, no bungling-every-
thing simple and expediotius On
nearer examination it was found that
the rope was the ordinary hali-inch
white hemp, passed double through a
brass clamp, forming loop which
could be adjusted to the exact thick
ness OF the neck Of the criminal. I'm.
mediatly before the clamp was lifted
brass crescent measuring 8 inches
from tip to tip, and projecting s inches
| from the rope. The brass crescent IL
so adjusted as to lie on the shoulder
of the condemned, while the double
rope is looped on one side so as to al
low drop OF from two to four eet
The principle of the invention is thai
the moment the criminal is swung Of
). the crescent presses against the side
of the head, while the rope pulls thu
neck sharply in the opposite direction
swapping the spinal column like a stitch
Of sealing wax, and ocoasioning instan
death. ut cannot tail," " said its in
ventor, as he lovingly fitted the hemp
en- loop round the neck Of one VIII,
was present at the interview, AM
screwed the clamp tight at the RICH
distance 1T will hang you sideways
back or front, Just as you like; i
cannot fail; just drop off this tabl
and it will be quite sufficient. N,
need Of a long drop, no pulling men
heads off their shoulders; everything
painless, the very invention that i
wanted. The leverage gained by tn
3>inch protection OF the brass crescen
will snap any ones neck.
But might not the rope snapY" h
WIS asked.
No, because its double; Marwoot
uses a ( inch rope for long drop; !
ZACH double for a short drop will b
more than is necessary. Jack Ketcl
always used the l.inch. The thinne
the rope the surer the job, You cal
hang a cat with a whipcord, but no
with a inch rope"
How did you try your expert
ment2"
by making clay figures Of variou
weights, fixing a block o! wood as
head on a stout pole, surrounded b!
wire springs to represent the vertebi o
Of the neck. | have tried it witt
many weights and many lengths o
drop, and never found it to miss. Ii
the cause Of humanity and civilization
| appeal to you to secure the adop
ton of this invention" The inven
tor, after disengaging the apparatus
then left for the Home office, carry
ing with him his invention for pre-
sentation to the Home Secretary. Hi
name is Schole6eld, and he is nov
working at Palmer's shipysrd at Jar
row. When Marwoods successor i
appointed he may possibly take thi
invention into consideration.