The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-21
A WALKING GALLONS
The Horrible Deeds of Lieutenant
Hepenstall.
HANGED MEN FROM HIS NECK

This Handsome but Brutal Giant Of
the Wicklow Militia Mas the Most
Cold RIooded and Eccentric Exseu-
TONER That Has Ever Existed.
Among the examples and records Of
British tyranny during the terrible
year 1898 there is zone more extraor-
binary, according to a writer in an
English magazine. than that Of Lieu.
tenant Edward Hepenstall. known by
the nickname of 1.-The walking gal
lows" for such he certainly was. lit
orally and practically.
This notorious Individual. who had
been brought up rs an apothecary in
Dublin, obtained a commission in the
Wicklow militia, in which he attained
to the rank of lieutenant in 1875. He
was a man of splendid physique, about
six feet two inches in height and
strong and broad in proportion. Refer
ring to this handsome but brutal giant,
Sir Jonah Darlington in his memoirs
states:
II knew him we'll and from his III
tenance should never have suspected
him of cruelty, but so cold blooded and
eccentric an executioner of the human
race never yet existed"
At the outbreak of the sanguinary re-
bellion. when the common law was
suspended and the stern martial va
riety flourished in its stead. Lieutenant
Hepenstall hit upon the expedient of
hanging on his own back persons
whose physiognomies he considered
characteristic Of seditious tenets. At
the present day the story seems almost
incredible, but 1t is a notorious fact.
revealed by the journalism Of the Pc
Rod, that when rebels, either suspected
or caught red handed, were brought be-
fore him Hepenstall would order the
cord of a drum to be taken off and
then, rigging up a running moose.
would proceed to hang each In turn
across his athletic shoulders until the
victims had been slowly strangled to
death, after which he would throw
down his load and take up another.
The walking gallows" was clearly
both a new and simple plan and a
mode of execution not nearly Sc
tedious or painful as a Tyburn or Old
Bailey hanging. 1t answered his
majesty's service as well as two posts
and a crowbar. When a rope vas not
at hand Hepenstall's own silk cravat,
being softer than an ordinary halter,
became a merciful substitute.
In pursuance of these benevolent in
tentions the lieutenant would frequent
Iu n6vnfrtHtor M ononcfhntto IN bic
trembling victim-in other words, he
would first knock him silly with a
blow. His garters then did the duty
as handouts, and the cravat would be
slipped over the condemned mans
neck.
Whenever he had an unusually pow
erful victim to do with. Hepenstall
took a pride in showing his own
strength. With a dexterous lunge of
his body the lieutenant used to draw
up the poor devils head al high as his
o-n and then, When both were cheek
jowl. begin to trot about with his
L@rden like a jolting car horse until
the rebel had no further solicitude
about Eublunary affairs. 1t was after
one Of these trotting executions, which
had taken place in the barrack yard
adjoining Stephens green. that Hep.
penstall acquired the n Of 1.-THE
walking gallows." He was invested
with it by the gallery of Grow Street
theater, Dublin.
At the trial of a rebel in that city
the lieutenant, undergoing cross exam
ination. admitted the aforementioned
details Of his method of hanging. and
Lord Norbury, the presiding judge,
warmly complimented him on his 10y
atty and assured him that he had been
guilty~of no act which was not natural
to a Jealous, loyal and eTcient officer