The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-11
4 NOTABLE PIECE OF WORK.
James Fl. Rabbett, Who Built the New
 Hanging Machine.

Hanging Machine.
 James H. Rabbett of Stamford is one of the three convicts at the state prison who were given their liberty on Monday by the board of pardons. There are several formalities to be compiled with, and the men will not leave the prison until late this after noon or this evening.
 James H. Rabbett is something more than the ordinary convict. He is an expert mechanic, and a man of consid- erable inventive genius. Even the life of state prison convict could not keep him down. His genius made for him a place above his fellows even behind prison bars. Warden Woodbridge was quick to recognize his worth and has made him very useful since he has been in charge. Rabbett has drawn the plans for all the improvements about the prison, the new piggery,' the ~ssa hles, etc., and the work has been done Under his direction. He was quick to grasp ideas and originate ideas of his own.
 When a new style of hanging ma chine was proposed. MT. Woodbridge secured description of the Colorado hydraulic gallows, and RaJbbett was set xo,Ir IE f TJ1 ciples and their application in a mo- ment, and without further instruction he went ahead and constructed work ing model of the execution machine. which embodied the Warden's ideas. The machine. it will be remembered, der with water lifted a piston which at certain point sprung a trap and dropped the weight. Certain improve ments were desired. The hydraulic machine was too slow in it's action at the critical point. The warden made some suggestions and put the matter in Rabbett's hands, saying! Make me better machine" Rabbett went to work and invented an entirely new machine, which depended for its &C., tion upon the flowing of quantity of fine shot from receptacle. This ma chine has proved much more satisfac-' tory in Its series of experiments upon the 170-pound dummy. This is the ma chine which will be used in the exe- cution of John Cronin on December 1s
 During all the series of experiments made upon the automatic hanging ma chine Rabbett has been in charge of the machine. Once 1t was desired to- test the machine in the evening after the prisoners had gone to bed. A num- Der of prison directors were at the pris- on. Rabbett was summoned from his cell where he had been asleep, and re- ported at the warden's office.
 Well. Rabbett." said one of the di- rectors. it is pretty tough to pull you out of bed"
 "Oh, I'd get up any time of night to get out of prdson,' quickly responded the convict.
 Rabbett was sentenced to three years Imprisonment in September, 1892; 50 he had nearly another year to serve. having time for good behavior. His crime was forgery. He was contract or in Stamford, and 1t is alleged that he forged an order and appropriated some lumber to his own xse. Rabbett himself stoutly maintains his own in- nocence. and has sadd that when he got back into the world he would use every cent he possesses to try and bring to Justice those who were the cause of his overthrow. Each of the conyicts liberated Mon- day by order of the board of pardons. | was furnished with a complete new suit l Of clothing, including, hat, shoes and | overcoat. | s@t{g.sa39g .44sss