Wilkins hustled Daniel out of bed one night in the wee hours and took him on a dangerous nighttime hay-wain ride to the gaol in Epsom town. 'Fortune has smiled on our endeavours,' Wilkins said. 'The man we are going to interview was condemned to hang. But hanging crushes the parts that are of interest to us – certain delicate structures in the neck. Fortunately for us, before the hangman could get to him, he died of a bloody flux.'