Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-16
THE HANGMAh'S ROPE.
arx MANUFACTURE a CURIOUS AND
IrTLE-kNowN TRADE.
noW THE FATAL KNOT is TIED
a.,ert., and Construction OF the
Rore-r,n. i. r.ed and Not Hemp
How pen,h results by Hanging
M. On, sheriff Got Ills Rope.

one OF the few old mysterious oau.s
,hst were handed down from 1a''iei
ron. which still exists. IS the "a''ip'''
ton of hangman's rope
7, primitive times hanging was accom-
wished by means OF a leather fhohe y.
..-sn ono end of which was rasseo
,,ronrh a slit In The other. 4 $40" ANU
cruel death resulting from stranE "ia''''''
Tho-e arc but few makers Oh hahs
MANS ropc in this country. ana IL 10 ~
,,ncwn that any Of these ropes az 49,
In Virginia They arc. for the 1h"st "a
manufactured by foreigners. WIZ, VIZ =,
the trade is hereditary. Eaes' con-
snecially made. and must be ordered con
.;acrahi,. in advance. A local house op-
,airs from, the North most OF the ropes
TIN. arc used IN hangings in TINS @'a
Each rope costs GID ,.o,
,s,- rome is used on each OCCASION
md what becomes Of all these Iopes -
. mystery Some OF them may pe 49,
on exhibition in the museums. 1t. are
,,o,ice headquarters and Jail. DINERS arc
sac,red hv the crcdulous, who behe'e
no. a norton Of the rope with "hicii q
,e-eor, has been hanged VIII protect ''ie'''
from all dangers. seen and unseen.
..Sirc,chinr hemp is a common phrase.
I'm, as a matter Of fact, hehP - NO
,,s.d The rope is occasionally mace ol
silk. but 1t Is not common, iei' ~
~ ,,s great strength. it is too ia ~
..rn.ch t,luyerius. who. after one OF inc
,,,s. sensational trials ever seen IN Rlci'-
mond was convicted on circumstance
evidence Of the murder of fanh'e lI'i.,a'
Madison. was hung with rope Oh ''''s
material. rone
In making the regular hanEman rope.
I'm fi.1pS
selected and laid into strands by ha''o'
mn machinery entering into its man"iac-
-uro lis composition is work OF se.-
,ral DAYS and when it is finished IL Is
about twenty feet in length ana 'iie
half or ive-cighths Of an 1nch IN nlahi-
ster. After tho rope has been mace ~
Is carefully taliowcd, SO that the grease
,pcnc,ratcs each fibre. rendering =. shio''"'
slippery and pliablc.
TYING THE KNOT.
Tho rome is knotted by its maker, ana
e sent out all ready prepared 10! u.s.
The making of this knot is of the Erea'-
est importance. for upon II dePehus ,is
success Of the execution. In t!ils tiie
knot, the rope is doubled loosely IN ,hs
hands. and one Of the free ends is doubled
s-ajn This last end is then plousi.
over itself and the already doubled rope
fo,r times passed through the loop ana
RULED fast This makes a, large. stfons,
and compact knot. through when me
rope slips easily. hut in which IL can
not become twisted OF caught. Nheh
Tho time for the execution arrives the
rome is placed about the prisoners neck.
the knot Is adjusted under the let ear
and the moose drawn tight
Death is not the result of strangula-
ton as mary persons suppose. "he" d
hanging is properly conducted. out IS
caused by the breaking of the neck.
When the drop Is released and the VIC
lin, shoots downward. the rope Is lerked
,.ut and the knot throws the head
sharnly TO one side. seyering the spinal
cord
The writer had once brought to his OBJ
servance an amusing episode "hlch oc-
CURED in a northern city in connection
with hangmans rope
A man had been convicted OF murder
and was sentenced To hang on certain
GATE The sheriff at once went TO a local
dealer and ordered n rope. The dealer
in turn ordered ii from an old German
living IN Cincinnati. A month passed by
and there arrived in place OF the rope
the original order. the envelope being
marked. No, found. The order was
at once sent 10 another maker week
rassed by. and reply was received
stating that to furnish q rope by the date
rtca;ired would he Impossible. The order
was sent 10 still another rope-maker, but
The rope came not
AN EXCITED SHERIFF
On the morning before the execution
The sheriff called up the dealer by phone.
ac DIDN'T stop to say geod-morning
Have you got that rope YETI he
shouted.
No replied the dealer II am ex
pecting il every moment.
.'Hcllitydcviltydam cried the sheriff.
..Don't YOU know that that man must
hang a, SUNRISE ordered that rope six
weeks or more ago. What am ! to do?
Can't YOU take the man out and shoot
l,im?' o,lericti the junior partner, who
was at the phone.
THAT would be murder. the sheriff
answered. Indignantly Cant YOU find
me some one who could tie an ordinary
ropco have depended upon YOU, and
1o, must get me q rope. or am ruined
man.
A brieh, idea struck the dealer You
shall have the rope, il ! make 1t myself,
he said.
The Junior partner Tas an ingenious
man. and he determined that ne could
tie the knot himself. From his stock he
selected twenty feet Of his finest manila
rope, and after many attempts he sue
cceced in ,ieinG the fatal moose to his
satisfaction. The loop was put over a
heavy casting and the rope and knot
thoroughly tested The rope was then
sent by messenger to the sheriff.
John said the senior partner to his
son, after the boy had gone with the
rope. how many turns did sou put in
that knott"
Thirteen" he answered.
'Thirteen Well. guess that knot will
shout behead the man. said the senior.
-Four is the proper number
The junior partner picked up the next
DAYS paper with trepidation. but his
fears were relieved when he read that
the hanging had been most successful.
and that the Sheriff was to be praised
for the complete and careful prepare tons
he had made for the execution
EARLY WESTERN DAYS
in the troublous early western days.
when men We're more frequently hung for
horse stealing than for murder, they were
not so particular about the manufacture
and material Of the rope.
The late General Field the famous
western poet. in one of his ininntable
poems brcezily comments on one of these
little affairs as follows:
We never seen that stranger In the