The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-22
A WALKING GALLOWS.
Lieutenant IlcpcnxtmiI. Who Uncd &c
HING Men From lIfn Own Necl.

Lieutenant HcpcnxtnII Who Used 70
ii"ni: Men From lIis own Neck.
Among the examples and records OF
british tyranny during the terrible wear
1913 there Is none more cxtraordinorv
according to writer in an Enrlish
magazine. than that of Lieutenant Ed
ward Hcpcn>tall. known hy tho nick
name of ''thc Walking Gallows. far
such hc certainly was. litcrallv uu,
practically
This notorious individual. who had
been brought up rs al apcilircnry in
Dublin. obtained Il commission in thn
Wicklow militia, in which he attained
10 the rank of lieutenant in 1873. lie
WAS II man of splendid physique about
4 feet inches III height. and stlon.
and broad i'll proportion Referring to
this handsome but brutal giant. Sir
Jonah harrington. in his "Alcmors.
states
Il knew him we'll and from his
countenance shonld never have suspect
Ell him OF cruelty. but SO Geld bloodei
and eccentric an cXccutioner of the hu-
man race never yet existed.
AT the outbreak OF tho sanguinary re-
orllior. when the common law was sus-
| pended AMI the stern martial variety
itouriScd III its stead. Lieutenant Hop
cilSthll hit upon the cxpcdicnt Of hang
lhE on his own back persons whose
physioSnoillrs he considered character
lstic of scdi,iuus tcnctS At the present
day tho story seems almost incredible.
hut 1t Is II notorious fact. revealed by
! Of I'm. l,,t
rebels. either suspected 81, caught red
handed. We're brought before him. Hep
cnstAll would order the cord of n drum
10 he takcn of anu then. rigging UP Il
running M"psr. would proceed To hang
each IN turn across his athletic shout
ders until the victim had been slowly
stranglrd 10 death. after which he
would throw down his load and take up
| another
Tho walking saluws' was clearly
l'oth new and simple plan and Il nlodo
OF execution not nearly SO tedious or
painful ais Il Tyburn or Old Bailey
hanging 1t answered his majesty )
service rs well as two posts and Il crow
bar When rope was not ut hand.
Hepcnstnll's own silk cravat being
softer than an ordinary halter became
u mcrciful substitutes
In pursuance of these benevolent in.
tcntions the lieutenant would frequent
| ly administer an anTstllrtic to his
trembling victim-in other words, ho
| would first knock him silly with blow
His gartcrs then did the duty rs hand
cuffs. and the cravat would be slipped
over the condemned mans neck
4 WhpnrVp1 In, had M, ,,,,p.t,.1l,. ,,,,,.
erful victim To do with Hcpcnstall took
Il pride i'll showing his own strength.
With Il dextcro,is lungo of his body tho
lieutenant used to draw up the poor
devils head as high as his own, and
then. when both were check by jowl.
begin to trot about with his burden like
II joltiny cart horse. until the rebel had
no further Solicitudc about sublunary
affairs 1t was after one Of these trot
ting executions. which had taken place
III the barrack yard adjoining Stephen )
greer. that IIcpcnstall acquired the SIR
name of tile Walking Gallows He
was invested with it by the gallery OF
Crow Street tilra;cr Dublin
AT the trial of rebel in that city
the lieutenant. undergoing cross cxa,ui
nation. admitted all the aforementioned
details Of hi, nlctl,,d of hanging and
Lcrd Norb"ry. the presiding judge
warmly cuinplirnnntr.! him on his 10y
atty and as>ur,"l him that he lla,! been
guilty OF no act which wis not natural
To II ZralnnS, loyal alsl efficient officer
Lieutenant licpcnstnll. however. did
not long survive his hidcons practice
He died i'll 1904 Owing to the .n,lum
in which he was universally held. the
authorities arranged that his funeral
should takc place secretly. while IL Dub
lin wit suggested that his tombstone
would be suitably inscribed by the fol
lowing cpiiarh
Here lie the bones Of li"rnStnll,
Judge. jury, Hallows, rope and all
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