The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-10-07
NEW YORK HANGlNGS.
The Forms Observed When the Law Takes
Mans Life at The Tombs.

Mans Life at ihe Tombs.
A great many customs surround
hanging in New York. They have been
modified by law, which allows only
the sheriff and assistants, twenty deputy
sheriffs, sheriff's jury, the judges OF
the higher courts, the district attorney,
the doctors and the hangman to be
present. Formerly the coroner could
bring party of his friends as jurors,
and the sheriff gave out cards of invita-
ton as he would to a 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 a 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
personally present at a hanging. One
sheriff lodged this duty once by going
to Long Branch. In case like that
the under sheriff has charge. The
hanging is set down for as early an
hour as possible in the morning to
avoid a 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.
Atthe hanging they take off their hats as
soon as the weights fall, and put them
on when the body is cut down.
In case on the wall in the sheriff S
Office are score of slaves and two
swords. The slaves have been present
at every hanging since time that no
employe in the Office can recall. They
are about thirty inches long, and are
made of dark hardwood. The middle
is covered with thin, dark velvet. On
each end is brass tip shaped like an
Indian arrowhead. The sheriff's staff
has crutch at one end instead of a
dart. and the under sheriff's has a
crook. The two swords have not been
taken to hanging for a long time. No
matter where in the State hanging
may be the slaves are sent for and the
sheriff's men carry them. They would
as soon think of trying to have hang
| ing without rope as without their
slaves. They are a relic of colonial
days, when a hanging would draw as
large an assemblage as circus, and
the officers who had charge of it ap.
| peared pompously in their official robes.
The same gallows, rope, moose and
| weights are used time after time until
they are lost or wear ont. 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 tits easy to take the gallows
apart and put it away. The only trace
left on the gallows by a hanging is the
mark of the axe where it cuts through
the rope that keeps the weight from
falling. s.s
Two men do all the hangings in
| New York. One is short, lean man,
with Hebrew features. He has thin,
full beard that curls, dark hair, mild
eyes and shrinking face. The other
man is short, stout German, partially
bald. with black-gray mustache. He
is in charge. These two men have q
number of 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 1saaes
the other as Minzesheimer. The bills
are made out to Joseph b. Atkinson
The cost of hanging varies from two tc
five hundred dollars The men are
hangmen not only in New York. bu
they travel around over the State ap(
country. Hanging is their trade,-N
Y. Star. st, ssss F7as5