The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-06-22
A WALKING GALLowS.
Lieut.. Hcpenstali. Who Used 60 Hang
RebeIIious Britons from His
own Neck.

Among the examples and records OF
British tyranny during the terrible year
of l79s there is none more eNtraor-
dinary, according to IA writer in an
English magazine, than that of Lieut..
Edward Hepeustail, 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 an apothecary in
Dublin, obtained a commission in the
Wicklow militia, in which he attained to
rank of lieutenant in 1895. He was
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
John harrington, in his Memoirs
statesI
II knew him well, and from his coun-
tenance should never have suspected
him of cruelty, but so cold-blooded ana
eccentric an cNecutioner OF the human
race reyer yet existed"
At the outbreak of the sanguinary
rebellion, when the common law was
suspended and the\stern martial vari-
ety nourished in it's stead, Lieut.. Hep
enstall hit upon the expedient of hang
| ing on his own back persons whose
physiognomies he considered character
| istic of seditious tcnets. At the present
| dav the story seems almost incredible,
! but it is notorious fact, revealed by
| the journalism of the period, that when
rebels. either suspected or caught red
handed, were brought before him,
! Hepenstall would order the cord of a
drum to be taken off, and then. rigging
up running moose, would proceed TO
hang each i'm 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
both new and simple plan and mode
of execution not nearly Sc tedious or
painful as n Tyburne or Old Bailey
hanging. 1t answered his majesty S
service as well as two posts and a crow
bar. When rope was not at hand,
Hepenstalrs own silk cravat, being
softer than an ordinary halter. became
merciful substitute.
In pursuance of these benevolent in
tentions. the lieutenant would fire.
uuently administer an anesthetic to his
trembling victim-in other words he
would knock him silly with blow. Iii;
garters then did duty as handouts anC
the cravat would be slipped over thu
condemned mans neck.
Whenever he had an unusually power
full victim to do with Hepenstall tool
pride in showing his own strength
With deNterous lunge of his body thu
lieutenant used to draw up the poo
DEVILS head as high as his own, an,
then, when both were cheek by jowl
begin to trot about with his burden lik
a jolting cart horse, until the rebel ha'
no further solicitude about sublunar,
affairs. 1t was after one of these trot
, ing executions. which had taken plac
! in the barrack yard adjoining stephen
! Green, that Hepenstall acquired tn
surname of "The Walking Gallows.
: He was invested with ii by the CALLER
) of Crow Street theater, Dublin.
At the trial of rebel in that city tn
lieutenant, undergoing cross-eXamina
ton, admitted all the aforementioned d,
tails of his method of hanging, and Lor
Norbury, the presiding Judge, warml
complimented him on his loyalty an
assured him that he had been guilty {
no act which was not natural to yea
I Gus, loyal and efficient officer.
Lieut.. Hepenstall, however, did M
j long survive his hideous practice. II
died in 1904. Owing TO the odium
. which he was universally held, the al
Il thorities arranged that his funeri
I should take place secretly, while
a Dublin wit suggested that his toni
e stone would be suitably inscribed /
S the following epitaph:
Here lie the bones of Hepenstall.
n Judge jury, gallows, rope and all
e baltimore Sun.