Evening journal., 1889-08-24
FOUR MURDERERS SWING
A Quartet of Women Slayers
Pay the Penalty.
HANGED BY THE NECK TILL DEAD.

Patrick Packenham, John Lewis, Charles
Cnrolin and james Nolan Swung Into
Eternity Together at the Tombs Prison.
Scenes at the Quadrupie Execution.
NEW York, Aug 24--Of the four men
hanged in the Tombs for numbering women,
Nolan and PaclSenham were chosen 10 die
first. Both bore themselves firmly and died
courageously. Both walked TO the gallows
praying, and died with prayers on their lips
Nolan was looking straight before him, and
Packenharn, with his gray head thrown back
ward, was looking up TO the sky when tho
1,OoOpound weight fell, jerking them off
their feet and breaking both their necks in
stantly. They suffered probably as little as
is possible with such method of killing.
A Description Of the Gallows.
This is what the simple machine for killing
men was like. Imagine an ordinary cross
beam supported by two uprights, such as
may be seen in Fairgrounds with children's
gymnastic implements suspended from them.
From this beam hung two short ropes, with
a peculiar clasp at the end. Each rope
equally distant from the other and from the
supports at either end, dividing the cross
beam into three equal lengths The ropes
were on pulleys, ana ran along the beam TO
the right and down out Of sight behind a new
pine boarding built up close to the Franklin
street wall There the two ropes were joined
together, and fastened to them was large
lump Of iron thousand pounds in weight,
held in such way suspended in the air that
by cutting rope il would fall and bring its
full weight with jerk equally upon the two
hanging ropes.
Hangman "Joen Atkinson reaching up,
took hold Of each of these short ropes and In
turn tested them In various ways, and assure d
himself carefully over and over that the big
weight would drop without failure at the
blow OF the ak upon the bedticlS stuffed
with hay and spread upon the pavement be-
low to receive it.
During the time Of waiting Atkinson, the
hangman, was busy testing before all the fit
condition of his apparatus. Another hang
man was on hand, in case of an emergency or
Of failure on Atknson's part. This was
Hangman Van Hise, Of Newark. He profess
sionally hoped for a chance to shine Atkin.
son plainly hated him and displayed extra
care.
The Men Seemed in Dream.
AT last came the intimation Of the first
half of the horrible business ON hand There
was the same hustle at the new prison exit
The sheriff again came out and walking be
hind him, pinioned ready for death, cam
the two men who were to hang together OF
the gallows first Fackenham and Nolan, tn,
eldest and youngest 81 the four murderers
/ Il was useless 70 try to remember at thnt mo
ment that they had biutally killed womer
and were suffering deserved punishment
nothing was visible then to the eve on mind
but two men, helpless and uncompaining
each with a moose around his neck, going u
death The hangman was at the side Of his
victims, anxious but ready and eager, sur
veying carefully his work as the men slowly
/ paced the few yards that separted them from
the gallows
The mems arms were pinioned tightly Z,
their sides, giving the impression Of a soldier
in an exaggerated correctness Of attitude Oh
drill Fastened at the back of each MANY
neck was a loose black sack, with long black
ribbons fiuttering from it, These death cap
were soon TO come in use. The men did not
look around nor at each other No spirit o
drug had been used to dun their senses. Thei
eyes were clear, their step firm, and theii
bearing upright. But the men seolned walk
ing in dream.
The Coming Of Death.
They arrived under the fatal beam with
ont seeming to see it. Each was put righ
beneath a dangling rope Nolan to the righ
nearer the Franklin street wall, and for few
dreadful seconds the hangman and an as
sistant were busy tying each mans legs TO
gether below the knees with thin white rope
the clasp at the end Of each moose was snap
ped into the corresponding clasp at the en-,
of the ropes, the black caps were hastil,
pulled up over the backs Of the mems heads
down over their ashy faces. One quick, gen
eral survey from the hangman, then comes
vigorous blow of his fist twice repeated oi
the yellow boarding that hides the big weight
The blow of an ak is heard. Almost at thu
same instant there is dull crack, and th
two necks break simultaneously. This wa
precisely at $50 by the warden's clock Par
Of a second later the listeners hear the heav,
fall OF the l 900 pound weight on the thicl
straw mattrass, and the active work Of law
judge, jury and hangman is over.
The Last Scenes.
Then they wait till life passes out Of tn
two mems bodies The falling weight ha
jerked them Off their feet, not high in th
air, but just above the pavement. The con
vulsive movements Of their bodies were hor
rible to see With Packenham, the old man
it was soonest over He hung with heaC
thrown back slightly on one side, and should
ers spread so as to develop his chest to its ut
most extent. Nolan seemed several times I,
be quite dead, but continued to move at in
tervals for eight minutes. Packenham wa
pronounced dead by the doctors one minut
sooner, but was allowed to hang until half
past Z, and Nolan five minutes longer Cof
fins were placed beneath them, their bodie
lowered, arms folded, and the legal killinl
was over.