Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-07-01
A WALKING GALLOWS.
lieutenant Hepcn~tnII. Who tscd to
Hang Wen From Ills Own Neck.

tteutenant uepcnstn1l. Who sed to
Hang Wen From Ills Own Neck.
Among the examples and records of
British tyranny during the terrible year
l'9S there is none more extraordinary
according la writer in an English
magazine. than that uf Lieutenant Ed
ward Hep"nstall known hv the nick
name Of the Walking Gallows for
such he certainly was literally and
practically
This notorious individual who had
been brought up as an apGthecary in
Dublin. obtained commission in the
Wicklow militia in which hp attained
To the rank of lieutenant in l791 He
was man Of splendid physique. about
feet inches in height and strong
and broad in proportion Referring To
this handsome but brutal giant Sir
Jonah Darlington in his Memoirs
states
Il knew him well and from his
countenauce should never have suspect
ed him uf cruelty but 81 Geld blooded
man race never yet existed
AT the outbreak Of the sanguinary re
belliOn when the common law was sus
pended and the stern martial variety
flourished in its stead Lieutenant Hep
enstall hit npun the expedieni Of hang
ing on his own back persons whose
physiOgnumies he considered character
s.sea = 4.
day the story seems almost incredible
but II is Il nuturious fact revealed 10y
the journalism nf the period that when
rebels. either suspected or caught red
handed were brought before him. Hep
enstall would order the cord Of drum
to hr taken off and then rigging up Il
running nu,>c. would proceed To hang
each in turn across his athletic shoul.
ders until the victim had heen slowly
strangled To- death after which he
would throw down his load and take up
another
The walking .:allows was clearly
both II new and simple plan and mode
of execution not nearly 81 tedious or
painful a~ II Tvhurn or Old Bailey
hanging II answered his majesty S
service aS we'll as two posts and crow
bar When rope was not AT hand
Hepcnsiall : own silk crayat being
softer than an ordinary halter became
II meruiful substitute
In pursuance of these benevolent in
tentions the lieutenant would frequent
ly administer an anRsthetic Ia his
trembling victim in other words. he
would first knock him silly with blow
His garters then did the duty as hand
cuffs and the cravai would be slipped
over the condemned tian neck
Whenever he had an unusually pow.
erful victim TO do with Hepenstall took
a pride IN showing his own str ength
With dexterous hinge IT his body the
lieutenant used to draw up the poor
devils head a. high as his own. and
then when both were cheek 10y lowl
begin To- trot about with his burden like
lolting cart horse until the rebel had
no further >olicitude about subiunary
affairs 1t WAS after one Of these trOt
ting executions which had taken place
in the barrack yard adjoining Stephen 5
green that llepenstall acquired the sur
name Of the Walking Gallows He
was invested with il by the gallery of
Crow Street thcatcr Dublin
AT the trial of = rebel in that city
the lieutenant undergoing cross exami-
nation admitted all the aforementioned
details of his method of hanging. and
Lcrd Norbury the presiding Judge
warmly cumplimented him on his 10y
atty and assured him that he had been
guilty of no act which WAS not natural
To II Jealous loyal and efficient officer
Lieutenant Hcpenstall. however, did
not long survive his hideous practice
Tie died in lSul Owing Ia the odium
in which he WAS universally held. the
authorities arranged that his funeral
should take place secretly. while "a Dub
lin wit suggested that his tombstone
would hr suitably inscribed by the fol
lowing epitaph
Here hc tn. bones oi Hep"nsiall
Judge. jury g,llow-. ruil. and all
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