The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-18
DEATH ON THE SUICIDE oIBBEr.
Connecticut's New Machine Used for
the First Time.


Hartford, Conn. Dec. 17.-John Cronin
was hanged at I:O2 o'clock to-day and at
1:Os O'Clock his pulse had stopped beating.
He was snatched in the air twenty sec
onds after he stepped on the platform.
The automatic gallows worked perfectly.
No sensational features marked the execu-
ton
An interesting point in connection with
Cronin's fate is that he was hanged on
the Nutmeg States wonderful new gibbet.
There is nothing on earth that is just like
this singular hanging machine. II is
often called the suicide gallows," for the
reason that by a curious and ingenious
device the criminal is compelled indirectly
to execute himself.
In its general appearance it is much IKE
the ordinary old-fas hioned Connecticut
gibbet, but connected with it is a con-
cealed clccl5work apparatus that operates
IT, II is a hydraulic, automatic affair
with wheels and cOgs and springs and
catches, and the whole sinister and
stealthily working machinery is invisible.
not only to the condemned man on the
scanold, but also to the officials and spec
tators
In charge Of his prison escort, the con-
demned man was marched up TO the gal
lows stairs and led upon the drop, his
arms and legs strapped, the moose ad-
Justed and the black cap drawn over his
FACE. Then his guard and attending cler-
gyman ranged themselves about the gal
lows platform. In an instant, then, with
out warning, without a signal on the part
OF anybody, without an aggressive move
ment from the hangman or others, with
out any preliminary noise whatever on
the part Of the concealed machinery, the
body OF the criminal shot into the air.
It's operating machinery is so contrived
that the murderer in stepping on the drop
springs a catch that puts in motion a
water power apparatus that, in a careful
~ regulated period of time, which may be
heightened or shortened, as the hangman
desires, springs the trap and launches the
victim INTO eternity, just as the old time
gibbet was won't to do. Hence it is that
the sentimentalists of the state, melted
thereto in the first instance by the presi-
dent of the Connecticut Board of Chart
Ties, strenuously objected to the new
tangled hanging contrivance, and they
contributed scores of letters to the Con-
nectlcut press affirming that the state has
no right to compel a man. even a muir
derer, to take his own life, even though
the act be done unconsciously on his part
Probably the most curious and inter-
esting fact in connection with the Warden
Woodbridge gibbet is that it was invented.
designed and built by state prison con-
ford, who was recently set free by the
state board Of pardons. Rabbett was SEN
fenced for three years late in 1892, and so
had nearly another year to serve, but
there was always a slight doubt that he
was guilty of the crime charged against
him, so the board readily released him.
he is one of the most expert machinists
and inventors in the state, and in the last
Among the works accomplished by him
many improvements about the prison
Among the wokrs accomplished by him
are the new prison stables, pig pens that
are masterpieces of their kind and the
execution house.
As soon as the warden, who had every
confidence in Rabbett's trustworthlness
and mechanical skill, decided to construct
his new gallows, he called the Stamford
man into his Office and told him briefly
what he wanted
Now them he added you know pref
ty nearly what 1 would like: 90 ahead
and build it just as you think it ought
to be"
Rabbett went ahead, but he embodied
so many ideas of his own in his work, all
OF which were vastly superior to those in
the warden's hastily .sug gesteds4 model,
that the warden seareels was able to
identify his model in the new creation
Rabbetts machine was tested with 40
pound dummy, and it worked perfectly.