The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1868-07-24 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

SCENE AT AN EXECUTION IN AMERICA.  At Salisbury (North Carolina), on the 26th ult., a man named Rufus Ludwig was hanged for the murder of his wife, to whom he had been married only eleven days. When brought to the scaffold, he spoke a long time, and asked that two hymns should be sung. He delayed under every possible pretext, and the sheriff was at length obliged to take him by the arm and lead him to the scaffold. But the instant he touched the platform a most extraordinary and exciting scene ensued. He at osce made a plunge forward, with the intention of leaping off the platform on the farther aide, and with the evident purpose of making a break and a desperate endeavour to push his way through the crowd and to escape his impending doom. He succeeded in throwing his feet and legs off the platform, but the two officers having hold of his arms and shoulders held fast, and pulling him backward he fell with the upper part of his back still on the platform, his legs and part of his body projecting over the edge. The platform was about 4,1 feet high. Several of the nearest officers of the guard at once rushed te the assistance of the sheriff, and laid hold of Ludwig's legs, endeavouring to shove him backward on the platform. But the visoner struggled with almost superhuman strength. With all the vigour of his powerful and muscular frame, nerved by despair, he wrestled with fate. For a long time he tittered no word, but with convulsive and rapid movements of arms and legs WI ove to erei,,,ll himself from the grasp of the eight or ten men wins had now hold of him. The noose was two feet above his head as he lay, and powerful efforts were used to push him up to it. Meanwhile, the platform grew rickety, and several were employed in steadying it. At the end of five minutes—which seemed to be three times as long —the sheriff was about getting the noose over Ludwig's head, which he threw quickly from side to side to avoid it. He then exclaimed that he would stand up and be quiet if they would release their hold; but this was evidently said only for the purpose of inducing them to relax their efforts, for he showed no sort of disposition to relax his own exertions. The officers persisted in placing the noose over his head, and as he felt that inevitable fate now had him, be is said to have muttered a curse, which was heard by some ef them nearest him. The noose was at last put on, and drawn tight round his neck. He clutched it convulsively, and still used his feet to the utmost in kicking off those who had hold of them. It took several minutes to pinion his bands and feet; he meanwhile lying on his side and choking to death as fast as possible, for the rope was stretched by his weight. His face was perfectly livid, and his eyes, starting from their sockets, presented a spectacle not easily forgotten; the sheriff, being too busy subduing and pinioning him to take time to put on the white cap. By the time his arms and legs were tied, he had become motionless; the cap was put over his face, and the officers sprang off and knocked out the prop. Ludwig, being in a recumbent posture, and the rope at full tension already, when the drop fell he swung gently down with his feet a short distance from the ground. His neck could not have been broken; but he died very quickly.