Altered Mode Of Execution...
The Times, 1824-02-23T00:00:00

It has been lonc coriplaircld, IHiLt In the presentmeaeot executiOg crirni oais.huOhti5tv :s olten sh acketi b; tteir bcing subj-cted to uio- uIC:'s,..y tot tu:e, botn ot body anid mii d. 'rile 1tln who t presei:t serte the office of execuitnners frequentl5 -0 i n a slae ot sItoxicatton to perform their horrid duty, and it Tot rnfrequentiy halpezis, tVuat tr-aii an improper adju-tmentr0L the ap^ p LiMaUSt. tue sufLellngs of thie culprits are prolonigedl to a horrible es- tent. jIS5be ttlC r:cent exsecution at iierttord, it wa. teetilmed nece- ,. a toI ick uip the executioner an'i his wssistant on the over ji,,ht, in o-d:r to keep thenii so ,er and in a fit state to pertoril 'ieit du:y. At the last exectmion before the Old Bailey, iltr. SherfiR Laurie objectet to tile pr3c:kie ot' adjunting the rope to the proper length, after It v- as *ix-d on the nialehictor's nieck, xs the Operatioin occupied iuic1i ti:le, allhi gredtly harassed the miids of those about to StIllr. The wvrtbv Sher;1 subsequctndy ineuired wheiher st.re otlier nucthnot could ui;t be adopted to shorten it:e :.ufferings of thb culI-nits. Tbe 1plan in use at 01asgarr wvas mentioned as niuch bet- t-r. tiut on obtainigit it he fon,,d it to be lar tao complicated to be intrusted io tile Oldl Bailey executioners. lie afterwards reeomiertdedl tO his brother she'iff and )te Aitlermein of the GOel ( 'o.nrn ttee, a p)lan sci has met their cntire concurrence, and will oe ad.;pltcd in the esCttiott oi the uuhappy criminal who is to suffer tile las; sentence ofthe la M this orrmi g. From the beans he sulenendled a chain of loopes or circular linkg, which are covered with leather, to prevenit any clanking no,se. itus Cnaiz is rncanri tw.o feet in length. Thc rope is 5Axed to a hook. anid br it attached instahtlv t.i any of tl:e links oftse chatn, as tbe height o1f the eiprit *nav re4uir. 'j'he Sheriff hascomplainlcd of the ustom of platcingtlil malter into the hands of the malciactor afterhis arnis were pinitnned,that i, mmiht be said he Carried his hiater to the scaff/ld, and recommended th4t it sht'uld be abolished, wirh other useleas rustoms which had their origin in : barbarous feelhig. As the 1hviOhts of the culprits are knowvn, the rope will bc adjusted bv Ithe hook on the chain, to the rtquisite lenigth, and all -will be ready before the culprit is brought from the condemned cell. Little time will be taken up in the af3justme)t of the apparatus, and tie feeligs of t he spectators wil.be lcss freouently distre std by witnessircg the pro';on,ed agocies of the s,ufercrs, from the mismanayetneOt ot the cxecutioner& As the sh riffl has ordered the irons in future to be taken off on the over night, the awful cereniony will b - performed irt one third if the *mme heretofore occupii d, anid in the lrst moments. of the mal&eftors., thetr minds will not be distracted, or their prayers be disturbed by the parade of useless preparation. whichi only pro- longed the titme of sufr1ering, and had nb other effect on the specta- tors, than te sink their abhorrence of tbe crnime into commiseratioa ot'hte suff'eriteg of the citmnati. ALTERED .O F (F E,, CuT1ox-