Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-26
THE UNWILLING sCAFFOLD.
Scene at Exter, England. that SickeneC
the Hardest Heart

Scene at Exter, England, that Sickened
the Hardest Heart.
The details of the attempt to hang John
Lee a brief account OF which appeared
in Tuesdays MORNING NEWS, who MUIR
dered Miss Emma Keys at Babbacombe on
Nov. Is, make the case the most horrible
that ever disgraced the gibbet in Eng
land. At first Lee was perfectly firm. and
went to the scaffOld undaunted. When
the first attempt to hang him failed the
prisoners spirit remained unbroken. He
was led from under the gallOws, and
walked back to his cell with firm step
and erect bearing. When he was first
placed upon the trap he resigned himself
completely, but firmly, into the hands of
the eXecutioner. He stood motionless
during the preliminary ceremonies, and,
when the moose was placed and the spring
was about to be touched, he made an ap-
parent effort to adjust his body to the ex-
pected drop, so that death might be as
quick and easy as possible, and when the
click of the spring sounded he drew a
breath, as if he felt he was taxing his last
When the murderer was made to realize
that the gibbet had not done its work, and
that he was not yet hanged, he appeared
to start as if from a nightmare, but he
quickly recovered himself. The machinery
was carefully examined, and the wood
work was found wet and swollen, so that
the spring and trap would not move
quickly and smoothly. The machinery
was then oiled and moved until the Off
cials were convinced that 1t was in per
feet condition to carry out the sentence
of the law.
Lee was again brought out from his cell.
He stood firmly again upon the trap, and
when the moose was fixed once more tried
to fit his body for the fatal fall, and when
the spring clicked it's signal he seemed
again to drop in perfect physical surren-
der. But the machine of death again re-
fused to do its work. The victim shud-
dered as if shaking himself out OF some
horrible dream, and the executioner
pounded the framework and stamped up
on the trap: but the trap would not move
Lee Strengthened himself up, and was a
second time removed to his cell. 1t was
evident, however, that his spirit was very
much broken, and those in charge of the
gallOws were very nervous.
A third time the machinery was over
hauled and adjusted. A third time was 1t
pronounced all right, and third time
was the murderer led out and nOOsed and
black-capped. The spring was again
touched, and again it refused to operate.
The strain and suspense had now over
taxed Lee. He sank down in swoon
and had to be carried away from the
place. No words can give an adequate
idea of the painfulness of the scene. A
kind OF OverpOwering dismay, like that of
superstition, seemed to have got control
of the Sherif's officers. The gallows was
deserted and no one made any more at
tempts to put it in working order. The
man that was to have been hanged was
limp, mOtiOnless, and in most pitiable
condition, lying in his prison cell, dazed
and stupefed, and physically exhausted.
The Sheriff decided to abandon his task.
He closed up the execution yard and
went down to the post office and tele-
graphed to Sir William Vernon Harcourt,
the Home Secretary, full history OF the
horrible failures to execute Lee, and
asked for instructions what next to do.
Lee was respited by order of the Home
office, and the punishment was cOmmuted
to imprisonment for life.