The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-07
ENGLAND's HANGMAN.
Dies From Cold Caught While Treat
 ing a Friend.

London Express.
 There is dramatic element in the death of William Ellington, the public eXecutioner.
 A fortnight ago he executed at Man chester 1 fellow-tow lsman named Pat rick McKenna. who for many years was one of his personal friends.
 On the scaffold Ellington contracted a severe cold, from the results of which he died on Friday night last at the Derby Hotel. Churchgate, Bolton.
 Ellington. who was % years old. had acted as public eXecutioner for thirteen years.
 The hangman, writes Major Arthur Griffiths, is Iio more than a contractor, and the responsibility for his engage ments rests with the sheriff, who may take any person he chooses. but who will obviously accept the services of some one with experience. It is in this way the business has come to he moro or less monopolized by one individual. As we have heard the same name con tinuously for a period of years-Calcraft, MarWool or Billington-an idea has g own up that the office of hangman eN- lsts which is not the case.
 It might be better if there were more system and if the authorities arranged for someone to become familiarized with the work as the assistant of skilled practitioner. Marwood told me once that 1t was a source of profound regret that he had no young man in training-no one to whom he could leave his secrets and his most approved methods.
 Amateur candidates have not been wanting to assist in the gruesome work. For some tim Marwood was accompa- nied by d young doctor. who went ey- anywhere with him, and society not long since was shocked at the morbid tastes of a certain baronet who ofticiated as the hangman's assistant under hlmsy disguise.
 It may be that now Billingtons sue firct hut as d matter of fact, there is not much mystery about hanging a man. EXecu- uoners have varied in their processes. Thus old Calcraft was for a short drop. Marwood for d long" and the latter used to be very particular in knowing all about the height and weight of his pa tients before he prepared the rope An other specially is in tying the knot: and 1t is curious fact that many hangmen have followed the trade of shoemaking and sold shoe laces, which. presumably, were warranted to tie very tight.
 The sensation of being fitted with the rope is not an agreeable one. On one occasion Marwood was summoned to the Home Office to show how he worked. and it fell to my lot to he pinioned and tied up The worst part of this perform ance was the feel of his knuckles around my throat. Mdrwood was gifted witE very muscular and bony h1nds-nO doubt a valuable qualification for his post.
 The Home Office does not actively in- terfere as to the selection of the hang man beyond assuring itself that he is l sober, steady. reputable person-not al ways the case. But it closely supervises the machinery of execution SD t1 speak. since the miserable failure at Exeter d few years back. when the rope broke moro than once. aud the convict in con sequence escaped with his life.
 The hanrman lrI.iNcs at the jail on the evening preceding the execution, and IS lodged within the walls. where he IS hos pitably received. In old days it was GUS tomary to give him what he called for