The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-11-14


ent, according to the New
{ York Herald, than in any
country in the world, but there arc
no professional cxecutioners in that
war-rilden island. Garroting in Cuba,
although under the requirements OF
Spanish law, is very rare occur
renee. The circumstances must he
very grave before Cuban Judge will
sentence prisoner to death; not from
any sentiment, but from the fact that
powerful pressure is usually brought
to bear by the friends Of a condemned
man upon the judiciary. General
Campos has firmly objected to the re-
vival OF the garroEe as e means ofpUn-
ishment for rebels caught under arms,
although O. strong effort was snade by
Cuoan tories to have the barbarous
relic brought to nse again. Tue gar
rote has been considered baroarous
because of the horrible spectacle it
makes of victim dying under it's
grip. After the victim is secured III
the chair, and the ''cra7at' placed
around his nec!i--tbe cravat being the
band which presses against bis throat
tile executioner gives sudden hall
turn to the garrote handle, ana almost
instantly G screw punctures the neck
at the back and grinds into The vcrSe-
brac, breaking the bone AMI piercing
the marrow canal. For al instant the
body OF the victim sh!vers, tremo!es
and stiFers, as i suffering intense
agony. This lasts but an instant, for
death comes as soon IS tic screw has
broken his neck. There is no profcs-
sional garroter in Cuba. That Office
is always performed by some attacho
Of the prison where the execution is to
take place. There is the usual Span
ish accompaniment Of priests and pla-
toons of soldiers. At present most OF
the executions in Cuba, being O;
military character, are by the bullet,
and sometimes the poor craftsmanship
Of the soldiers makes the scene lar
moro painful than if the prisoner were
suillotined.
There is probably no legitimate
trade followed by man more Gepulsive
and abhorrent to the average person
than that Of professional execut;onec.
No matter how jot--- and lishs hearted
they may be, no matter how hey may
60 to church and pray anil nlingle
! with their neighbors, they ere always
regarded rs living haunted lives and
: stepping il tie oll2auy g haaaless-
ghosts.
In this State, where condemned
prisoners are executed by electricity,
! the man who turns on the current
stands in another room AMI is public
" unknown. Tais makes the lot OF
the executioner Z comparatively easy
one.
In Scotland the duty Of Witnessing
executions is imposed on the civic
mngistracy, one Of whom attends Tor
this purpose. Since 1917 Edinburgh
hes had no regular exeeutioner, but
depends one the London e1ecrtioner,
who is hired iof the occasion. For
merly this parsonage was William
Calcraft, 1t is related Of Calcraft
that be himself, together with his
father and brother, was imprisoned IN
! the Tower and condemned TO death.
Nobody could be found willing to car
~ out the sentence. Finally Calcraft
! himsel offered to execute bis father
and brother, provide! he was given
his freedom. Tie compact WAS made,
and the father aud brother were duly
executed. Ca!crnft was then made
regular executioncr ana Travelled all
over England in the performance OF
his duties. Hc never seemed to worry
over public opinion, bit rather en-
! joyed the notoriety he gained. lie
amassed snug little fortune from his
peculiar trade.
Besides the usual fees OF 81 per
month as a retainer, the English ex-
ecutioner received :e10 for every eX-
ecution. In addition to this the Eng
lish executiouers from early times
have claimed the clothes Of the ez-
ecuted rs q perqulslte.
So numerous we're the public e1'
ecutioas in England in former times
that almost every town and county
had an executioner Gs al acknowledged
officer Of Justice, with q salary. On
many noteworthy occasions specle!
execntioners were emploJed' When
Charles I. was put to death the execu-
TONERS concealed their faces under
visors, but this WAS n ore IN the way
of precaution than Of custom. The
Office of execntioner seems to have
been at one time hereditary IN Eng
land. This custom died out in time,
and the Office was filed by appoint
! ment.
Caller aft was succeeded by Marwood,
vino became quite as celebrated IN his
way as his predecessor. The last es-
pecial headsman of the Tower o; Lon
! don died in 1851 Latterly the Office
has been mere sine2Hre.
Probably the most noted ezcnsloner
of France vas the late -. Samson, who
oficietea at the death Of Louis XVI.
IN his latter years be was assisted BY
his son, The French people do not
seem to entertain any particular aver
sion tor executioner$. There was moth
ing particularly luguhrious about
either n. Samson OF his son. They
mingled with the crowds AZ executions
with the greates gooa nature. This,
however, Was before th" days Of the
anarchists. Since the latter have mon
opolized the guillosioe French exccn-
tons have lost many Of the features
that made then so Characteristic.
Nowadays fearsSricken c-ords press
against the barriers th&t l1se,t 10 !-tep
mobs OF merry makers back. Tie "-e-