Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-27
TO BE HANGED THURSDAY.
Preparations at the Jail for the Execu-
ton of Benjamin Hawkins.

DESCRIPTION OF IRE sCAFFOLD on WHICH THE
CONDEMNED wIFE-NURDERER WILL EXPIATE HIS
CRINE-PREPARED TO MEET BIS FATE-TBE
PRISONER WHO HAD his SENTENCE COMMITTED.
Undertaken George Campbell in South Wash
ingtOn has been selected as the person to re-
move from the District Jail next Thursday the
body OF Benjamin Hawkins. who is to be ex-
ecuted there On that day for wife-murder. The
condemned man has announced that his friends
who desire to do so can contribute toward the
burial of his remains. The scaffold on which
more than a dozen murderers have been ex-
ecuted Is a stationary structure in the corridor
81 the northeast corner OF the building and can
Be seen from some of the cell windows. The
execution will take place between the hours Of
III and l. and before 1t takes place the prisoners
on that side of the prison will be removed from
where they can see the scaffOld. That Is done
because otherwise many OF them who are
superstjtious would imagine they saw the
ghost OF the executed man at night and IN
their fright would arouse and annoy the
sIeeperS. Some OF the prisoners, however. are
SO curious to see a hanging that they manage
TO do 50 with the AID OF a piece OF looking
glass held from the window as soon rs the
march to the gallOws is started. In that way
they are able to get view OF what takes place
OIL the scaffOld
PREPARATIONS IN PROGRESS.
The officials at the jail are now making
preparations for the execution. The hinges
and bolts Of the gallows are all well oiled. and
a small rope running through pulley with a
weight attached Is fastened to the trap to pre-
vent the door from swinging after 1t falls.
The floor of the scaffOld Is twelve feet from the
ground. and from that will hang a curtain of
dark cloth to hide from view the body after
the trap Is sprung, also the beam through
which the rope is run and from which the con-
demned man will be suspended. The rope
used IS usually seven-eighths inch MANILA, and
before making the moose the kinks are all
taken out TO prevent it from spinning after the
trap Is sprung. The part of the rope that Is
brought into play Is creased soaped. The
scaffOld and rope will in all probability be
tested tomorrow with sand bag weighing
about fifty pounds more than the man who is
to be executed. The rope is about fifty feet
long, and from where the moose hangs down
from the beam If is passed through wooden
conduit into a cell where
The MYSTERIOUS HANGMAS
Ia located. The rope in most instances is ar
ranged to give the condemned man a fall the
length from his feet to his shoulders, about
five feet. but the stretching of the rope gives
1t short distance more. When the moose is
placed about the neck the hauGman's knot is
placed directly behind the left ear. 1t is so
pAaCGU tiiiit itiI Will cause II sup
and stop behind the medulla OblOngata. When
the action Is perfect the head is thrown for
ward and the neck 5 broken. The black cap
l. made OF ordinary black cambria and is about
fifteen inches long. In the rear of the cap
there Is ali opening which gives the knot plenty
OF room to work. The cap is gathered at the
end and piece of cord run through the
gathering Is used to secure il.
ExPECTED TO MEET HIS FATE CALMLY.
The jail officials are OF the opinion that the
execution of Hawkins viii be a repetition of
the Colbert hanging two years ago. when the
condemned man walked to the scaffoId with a
firm step and singing III = loud tone, I'm GO
ing Home TO Die No More At that execution
the condemned man was apparently as uncon-
cerned as any OF the spectators.
HAPPY PRISONER.
Yesterday afternoon, when Lewis Williams
was notified of the action OF the President in
committing his sentence to life imprisonment
he was the happIest person in the Jail. Al
though he has said he was ready to die he still
appreciated the tact that life was worth living
even if II was within the walls of New York
prison. He very thankful for the Presi-
dents action. and his thoughts were soon di-
rected toward the railroad trip he is soon to
take to Albany. Hawkins also learned of
Williams good fortune and said he was pleased
to hear II. Speaking of what the President
had done for Williams. Hawkins said he would
appreciate similar action i'll his case, but added
that he ready and willing to die