The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-03
RADCLIFFE, TUE AII6hlL.
4 CANADIAN OFFICIAL VINO 1AS
10 slxECrRE.


Special Dispatch TO the Post Inte!iigencss;
OTTAWA, July z@Parrott. the brutal
0atricife. who suffered the Death penalty
hast week at Hamilton. Ontario. damnod
the hangman at his latest breath on the
enliows But his hansmsn was mot Rad
elf. the public executioner for the
Dominion RadciiH has been out TO the
Pacific coast stunning OF a couple OF NOR
tai coils that the law Of the land con-
oIdered vou1d be better for the shutting:
and wf1iie tnere the hangman horraned the
good people Of British Columbia by his
genial composure and business~like In
souctance. It seems that before he did
the trick Ter the two murdereFs he patd
Z professional call to the cells. gauged the
weight Of thsfr bodies and the thickness
~ their neeks, and then went Out ana
built y scafYoid with just the right drop
90 Enun them out quickly and rAinlessiy.
In Canada RadciiH In the lord high exc
eutioner. lie has the whole Domination
from coast to coast and from the forty
ninth parallel 20 the north pole for hts
haiiiwick. There Ii none 70 dispute Ms
title. He has the proud record Of never
having bungied an execution since NJ
went into business fifteen years ago All
his subjects fRadclin speaks of them like
I medical mani have had their necks
neatly broken. and not one OF them has
ever squirmed-
Radcii6, when he IL at home. lives
quietly In Parkdaie. n beautiful suburb
of Toronto. In the directory he IL cata-
1ogued as a wheelwright. He IL quite
boon companion. who loves his pipe and
his glass, but he In not roysterer, and
few would suspect the public hankman
In the joytal. fresh-faced. etalWart York
ohireman who IL 30 fun OF good stories.
Ra.cliR has all the domestic virtues. He
loves HIS wife and children. and takes
pride In Ms bit OF garden. Every year
he travels many thousands OF miles. for
Among six millions of people there Is al
ways good grist Of snurderefs awaiting
his services. The Judge. when he puts
on the black cap. must run over Rad
cliffs engagements In his mind before he
passes sentence II would naxer do TO ix
! date when RAAcitR could not be pres
ont. He IL busy man. ~ will be seen
~ taking the last three months for ex-
ample First thAfe was q murderer TO be
dispatched away down in Nova Scotia:
from fhere he had . taunt to Quebec,
where he sent two people, man and
Woman--info eternity at one stroke OF the
levers from thence he went 20 London.
Ontario. and usheted "Peg-ae9' Brown.
the negro murderer. safely out OF this
Me. then he went up 10 Winntpeg and
hanged two Galictans. and from there
he sped on 10 British Columbia, where
he did the business Tor an Indian ana an
Italian. hat he was not able to get back
IN time 10 namlttou 10 attenu 70 Easfots,
for whom q volunteer had to be secured
90 perform the hanging.
Radciin Is not very we'll paid for his
9hAstIy dutlea. He n down on the secret
service list Of the Dominion government
FOR 500 per annum IN n salary. he. how
ever. derives mAst Of hts income from
the sockets OF the sheriffs in whose coun-
Ties there happens 10 be murderer
awaiting execution. Under Canadian law
Il II the duty Of the sherin TO hang those
sentenced to death. but the sheriff most
always does this by proxy. Radciin Is
the man. ana hlp FER r. %. travelling ex-
penses. board and lodging during his stay
In the neighborhood. When. however. ne
hangs two at one kiliing--as sometimes
happens-he charges SIS. working on the
ordinary commercial principle of making
= reduction TO the man who takes guam
fifty. There have been meAn.spirited
sheriffs who have argued that a scaffoid
with doubts icaf was no more trouble
than one with q single leaf and asked
for the go rate. To all such Radeiiff has
invariably returned one answer: II have
no bargain days: n you don't Hike my
prices you can do the Job yourself" This
usually ends the argument. for RadciiK
has the hanging market In Canada cor
nered. In this way the public exrcu-
TONER makes about q. 40. for 1t II poor
year In the hanging business when there
are not twenty-five executions In Canada.
RadclifY's facility In hanging has a sci-
entiflo basis. He has no formula Of
weights and distances He Is not
mathematician. He explains that II Is
''aii In his eye" Short and thick necked.
] xive 'em the long drop. long and thin.
not so much" He does not measure his
man nor weigh him. lie simply aixes him
up With his eye and ono visit IL usually
enough. Rsdeltn has never made mis-
take. and he uses "A rope until repeated
cuttings Down makes II too short for
further service. This r. not matter Of
affection for particular cord. but one
OF convenience. X II not an easy task
60 oil and stretch rope for this grim
function. A faithful public servant. Rad
ciizf has found his true occupation, and
hc has queer. defiant sort Of pride in II.
ONE EFFECT o. SIBERIAN LINE.
An Enormous Increaae I'm Murder
and Robbery.