The times., 1899-02-12
THE WALKING GALLoWs.
A Characteristic "Reminiscences a
the Irish Rebellion of '9S.
rom the Cornhill Ma

4
| Among the examples and records of Brit
ish tyranny during the terrible year of
ninety eight lately recalled by the CEN
| tenary of the Irish rebellion. there is none
| more extraordinary than that OF Lieut..
| Edward Hempenstall. known by the nick
| name of The Walking Gallows," for such
| he certainly was, literally and practically.
| This notorious individual. who had been
| brought up as apothecary in Dublin,
obtained a commission in the Wicklow
| militia. in which he attained to the rank
OF lieutenant in 1895.
He was a man of splendid physique.
about six feet two inches in height, and
strong and broad in proportion. Referring
to this handsome but brutal giant, Sir
| Jonah Darlington, in his Memoirs,
states: II knew him well. and from his
countenance should never have suspected
him of cruelty but SO cold blooded and &C.
| centric an executioner OF the human race
never yet existed
At the outbreak of the sanguinary re-
| bellion, when the common law was sus-
| pended and the stern martial variety -four
| ished in its stead. Lieutenant Hepenstall
| hit upon the expedient of hanging on his
| own back persons whose physognomies he
ccnsiderede characteristic of seditious te-
nets. At the present day the story seems
almost incredible, but it is a notorious
| fact, revealed by the journalism of the
period, that when rebels, either suspected
or caught redhanded, were brought before
| him, Hepenstall would order the cord Of
| drum to be taken OFF, and then, rigging
| up running moose, would proceed to hang
each in turn across his athletic shoulders
| until the victim had been slowly strangled
| to death; after which he would throw
down his load and take up another
The walking gallows'' was clearly 10th
| new and simple plan and mode of exc
| cuticn not nearly SO tedious or painful as
| a Tyburn or Old Bailey hanging 1t an
swered his majesty's service as well as
two posts and a crowbar. When rope
was not at hand Hepenstall's own silk era
vat, being softer than an ordinary halter,
| became a merciful substitute. In pursu-
| ance of these benevolent intentions the
| lieutenant would frequently administer an
| anaesthetic to his trembling victim-in
| other words, he would first knock him silly
| with blow. His garters then did the duty
| as handouts, and the crayat would be
slid over the condemned mans neck
Whenever he had an unusually powerful
victim to do with. Hepenstall took pride
| in showing his own strength. With dex-
ferrous lunge OF his body the lieutenant
used to draw up the poor DEVILS head as
| high as his own, and then. when both were
cheek By jowl, begin TO trot about with his
| rebel had no further solicitude about sub
lunary affairs.
1t was after one OF these trotting execu-
tions, which had taken place in the bar
| rack yard adjoining Stephens Green, that
Hepenstall acquired the surname of THE
Walking Gallows." He was invested with
it by the gallery of Crow Street Theatre
Dublin. At ,he trial OF rebel in that
city, the lieutenant, undergoing cross-ex-
; animation, admitted all the aforementioned
details of his method of hanging and Lord
NOrbury, the presiding judge, warmly COM
plimented him on his loyalty, and assured
him that he had been guilty of no act
which was not natural to Jealous, loyal
and efficient officer,
Lieutenant Hepenstall however, did not
long survive his hideous practice. He died
in 1904. Owing to the odium in which he
was universally held, the authorities ar
ranged that his funeral should take place
secretly. while Dublin wit suggested that
his tombstone would be suitably inscribed
by the following epitaph:
Here lies the bones OF Hepenstall
Judge, jury, gallows, rope and all.