Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-17
A GALLONS MYSTERY
John Lees Remarkable Expert
ence on the Scaffold.
FACED DEATH THREE TIMES.
And Three Times the Trap, Which Had
Previously Been Tested and Found
sin Good Working Order, Refused to
Open When the Bolt Was Drawn. rs

Previously Been Tested and Found
.ln Good Working Order, Refused To-
Open When the Bolt Was Drawn.
One Of the most remarkable scenes
ever witnessed on the gallows took
place In England in the last century.
Early on the morning OF Feb. %,
| 1885, a considerable crowd Of people
gathered before the grim front OF ok
eter prison. 1t was silent crowd,
shivering in the keen Wind that blew
around those frowning walls ON that
dull, misty morning, and its eyes were
all bent on a Flagstaff which stood bare.
They were waiting for flag to be
hoisted the terrible black flag which
should announce that Justice had been
done on murderer.
! Inside the prison warder stood
i ready, holding in his hand the cord
4 which should hoist the hideous black
i drapery lying on the ground at his feet,
but the signal did not come Instead
. OF It there arrived an excited prison
officer
saThe flag Will not be hoisted. Lee
i win not be hanged today" he said.
John Lee, the prisoner whose death
/ signal that crowd had awaited, had
had one Of the most remarkable es-
capes from capital punishment record
] ed In our prison history. To this day
i it remains somewhat Of mystery
how John Lee lived so many years
after the events Of that terrible morn
ing. .ss
II had Dream the wretched man
wrote to his sister the day after his
fearful experience on the scaffold
4 had q dream on Sunday night (the
i night before the day fixed for the exc,
cution) that the scaffoh was not5ready
and that they had to make another.
I told the officers that were on watch
I over me at 6 O'clock In the morning,
/ but I did not think 1t was coming true.
But 1t did. It was the Lords will that
4 I should not die yesterday at the time
appointed by man. / believe what oc-
CURED was a miracle. Twas on the
brink Of death three times. 1T Is my
/ wish to die. ( am tired Of this world,
and / am waiting for the time to come,
and hope it viii not be long. have
been dead to this world three times"
4 John Lee did not exaggerate his aw-
full experience.
4 AT 8 In the morning OF that Febru-
| ary day he had been led from his cell
to- die. In what had been the coach
/ house Of the prison the galloWs had
been erected. Beneath was deep pit
1 1Novu
when the condemned man was placed
4 In proper position, should, at q signal
from the execntioner, fly open, q bolt
being withdrawn by an assistant pull
Il ing lever. The whole arrangement
had been tested several times and had
worked satisfactorily But now, with
4 John Lee standing there with the cap
drawn over his face and the hangman's
rope around his neck, the flap doors
beneath his feet would not give way!
i Berry made the fatal signal, the assist
ant pulled the lever. the bolt few back.
i but the doors kept their place. Then
j warders rushed forward and stamped
1 with their feet upon the doors. They
remained firm. Lee was led aside, and
h carpenters were called In to saw some
OF the woodwork away. Again all was
ready. The clergyman once more came
q to the words, In the midst Of life we
are In death. Again the signal was
4 given, the bar was pulled, but the doors
refused to part.
& John Lee stood there before them
alive!
!, Three times did that happen For no
! fewer than eighteen minutes Lee stood
there tasting the agony Of momenta-
4 rily expected death. 8ss s33
Then the white cap was taken from
his face and the rope from around his
neck, and he was led back to prison,
while the jail authorities hastily con
+ ferred as to what should be done. "a
& telegram was dispatched to the home
secretary, Sir William Harcourt, In
forming him OF the extraordinary oc-
eurrence and requesting instructions.
Later the undersherifs proceeded to
London to interview the secretary.
Il felt" said Sir William Harcourt
later in the house OF commons, that ii
{ would shock the feelings OF every one
Il this man were called upon to again
undergo the pangs Of imminent death
and I consequently signed respite
during her maJestyss pleasure. Lon,
don Tit Bits. b