Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-11-10
Mistellaneuns &eading.
NEW YORK HANGINGS.

A great many customs surround hang
ing in New York. They have been modi-
fed by law, which allows only the sheriff
and assistants, twenty deputy sheriffs, a
sheriff's jury, the judges of the higher
courts, the district attorney, the doctors
and the hangman to be present. Former
ly the coroner could bring party of his
friends as jurors, and the sheriff gave out
cards Of invitation az he would to ball.
That has been stopped, and Sheriff Grant
keeps the number of spectators down to
the lowest legal number. 1t is customary
for the sheriff to present the man to be
hanged, when he is poor, with black
suit to be hanged in. The care of the city
for his burial goes no further than to see
that he gets to potter's field.
1t is the duty Of the sheriff to be per-
sonally present at hanging. One sheriff
lodged this duty once by going to Long
Branch. In a case like that the under sher-
iff has charge. The hanging is set down
for as early an hour as possible in the
morning to avoid crowd. The sheriff
and his deputies, dressed in mourning,
gather at the sheriff's office and march to
the Tombs. Each bears his staff of office.
At the hanging they take off their hats as
soon as the weights fall, and put them
on when the body is cut down.
In a case on the wall in the sheritt's
Office are score of slaves and two swords.
The slaves have been present at every
hanging since the time that no man can
recall. They are about thirty inches long,
and are made of dark hardwood. The
On each end is a brass tip shaped like an
Indian arrowhead. The sheriff's staff has
crutch at one end instead of dart, and
the under sheriff's has crook. The two
swords have not heen taken to a hanging
for a long time. No matter where in the
State hanging may be the slaves are sent
for and the sherff's men carry them.
They would as soon think Of trying to
have hanging without rope as without
their slaves. They are a relic of colonial
days, when hanging would draw as large
an assemblage as a circus, and the officers
who had charge of it appeared pompous-
ly in their official robes.
The same gallOWs, rope, moose and
weights are used time after time until
they are lost or wear out. The galloWs
now in use is about four years old. The
uprights are about five inches square and
| fifteen feet high. The cross piece Is the
same size. The construction is simple, and
it is easy to take the gallows apart and
put it away. The only trace left on the
gallows by hanging is the mark OF the
axe where it cuts through the rope that
keeps the weight from falling.
Two men do all the hangings in New
| York. One is short, lean man, with He
brew features. Hehas thin, full beard that
curls, dark hair, mild eyes and a shrink
ing face. The other man is short, stout
German, partially bald, with black-gray
mustache. He is in charge. These two
men have a number6f names. They do
not want to be known, and the sheriff
himself has nothing further to do with
them than to give them charge of the ar
rangements and to pay the bill. The one
man is commonly known as Isaacs, and
the other as Minzesheimer. The bills are
made out to Joseph B. Atkinson. The
cost of hanging varies from two to five
hundred dollars. The men are hangmen
not only in New York, but they travel
around over the State and country. Hang
ing is their trade.-Ne,o York Star.