Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-11-19
A WALKING GALLONS
The Horrible Deeds of Lieutenant
HepenStaIl.
HANGED MEN faoa HIS NECK
This Handsome but Srutal Giant OF
the Wicklow Militia Was the Most
Gold RIoosed and Eccentric Eseeu-
tspner That Has Ever Existed.

Among the examples and records OF
British tyranny during the terrible
year 1898 there is none more extraor-
binary, according to a writer in all
English magazine, than that of Lieu
tenant Edward Hepenstall, known by
the nickname Of ''the walking gal
lows" for such he certainly was, lit.
orally and practically.
This notorious individual. who had
been brought up as an apothecary in
Dublin. obtained a commission IN the
Wicklow militia, in which he attained
TO the rank Of lieutenant in 1895. He
was man of splendid physique. about
six feet two inches In height and
strong and broad in proportion. Refer.
ring 10 this handsome but brutal giant,
Sir Jonah harrington in his memoirs
states:
Il knew him well and from his coun-
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-
belllon, when the common law was
suspended and the stern martial va
riety fiourished 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 Ii 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 of 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 new and simple plan and a
mode of execution not nearly so
tedious or painful as a Tyburn or Old
Bailey hanging. II answered his
majesty's service as well as two posts
and crowbar. When 1, rope was not
at hand Hepenstalls own silk cravat,
being softer than an ordinary halter.
became merciful substitute.
In pursuance of these benevolent in
tentions the lieutenant would frequent
ly administer an anaesthetlc TO his
trembling victim-in other words. he
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 pride in showing his own
strength. With a dexterous lunge of
his body the lieutenant used to draw
up the poor devils head as high as his
own and then. when both were cheek
by jowl. begin to trot about with his
burden like jolting cart horse until
the rebel had no further solicitude
about sublunary 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 surname of "the
walking gallows." He was invested
with 1t by the gallery of Crow Street
theater, Dublin.
At the trial Of rebel in that city
the lieutenant undergoing cross exam
nation, 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 jealous, loyal and efficient officer.
Lieutenant Hepenstall, however, did
not long survive his hideous practice.
He died In 1904. Owing to the odium
In which he was universally held, the
authorities arranged that his funeral
should take place secretly, while
Dublin wit suggested that his tomb
stone would be suitably inscribed by
the following epitaph:
Here lie the bones OF Hepenstall.
Judge. jury. gailows. rope and an.