The Detroit times., 1911-07-26
JOLLY HANGMAN
GOES T0[AsT REST
Holds the Record for Hangings and
Used To Send Them OF in
Batches of Six.

FORT SMITH, Ark. July 2e.-With-
In a stone.s throw OF the nnal resting
place OF men whom he sent TO etern'
ity at the end Of hangman's rope
the body OF George Maledon. who for
years served as official executioner OF
the United States court at Fort smith,
was buried this week.
Maledon, despite reports that ne
was haunted by the spirits OF men
whom he had hanged, and that he was
afraid to sleep In an unlighted room
lived TO the ripe old age OF 81 years,
dying In the Soldiers home at john
son City, Tenn.
More than the usual amount OF
trouble allotted To man felt TO the man
who legally executed more than %
men, but he was always Jolly. In his
declining years he performed the
duties of hangman as ably as In days
when he established the reputation
which made him the most dreaded
man In the western country.
Maledon attained his record OF 90
hangings In the % years he was a
turnkey at one Of the most notorious
tails In the world, and would have
hanged many more but for the cleo
ton of a Democratic president OF the
United States. which let out all fed
eral employees In Fort Smith.
In addition to the number he leg
allv executed Maledon shot two men
to death. twenty-five men were leg
ally executed at Fort Smith after
Maledon left the government service.
Deputy Marshal George lawson per-
forming the grewsome function.
With Maledon the hanging OF men
was a business and an art. Few men
who fell through the trap Of the Fort
Smith gallows died Of strangulation--
Il was nearly always case OF broken
neck. His willingness to perform a
duty shirked by most federal en-
ployes kept Maledon in his position
with each change OF marshals until
he finally retired to make room for a
Democrat.
With the passing of Maledon there
remains In Fort Smith but one re-
hinder OF the death dealing machine
which from 1874 to 1890 snuffed out
the lives OF SO men. This Is the trap
OF the old gallows. This trap is now
the front porch of a cabin which
stands near the site of the old gal
lows, and the feet Of children patter
upon II daily. Now the site OF the
old gallows In part Of a business
center.
Maledon came to America when an
4 80. No Aria I'm az
resident OF Detroit until he was
grown, then going to the Indian terri.
tory, where he soon became deputy
marshal During the term Of Marshal
Logan II. Roots he was made turnkey
and hangman, the position he held fol
20 years. s..
While he served as hangman Male
don twice hanged six men at one
| time, the trap OF the gallows, being OF
sufficient size to Accommodate IL with
out crowdjng. Three times he exc
cuted sets Of five. and as many times
| executed four at once. Four times
three men were legally hanged by
Maledon and double executions were
| too numerous for his attention In at
ter years.
Il have never hanged man wnt
came back in after years to have the
| Job done over again, for the ghosts oil
| men executed at Fort Smith never
hang around the old gibbet," Maledor
once said when questioned as to the
| reports OF his mental disturbances.
| After he was relieved as fedora
hangman, Maledon toured the Indian
Territory and other parts of the south
west, exhibiting his ropes and parts
of the gallows, being greeted by large
crowds everywhere. He finally gave
up the venture and went into the
grocery business In Fort Smith. latei
retiring to a farm in Washington
\ county. where he remained until too
aged to work. He was admitted I,