A request for forgiveness, or maybe a handful of insults against the judge? Not every convict was capable of lofty, commemorative round sentences. Here are some examples of the really STUNNING last words spoken just before the execution.
Serial killer David Mason was very cool when the time came. As we read in Jonathan Moore's book "Hang, gut and dismember, or the story of an execution", the condemned man wanted death to such an extent that ... he asked for it himself. When the warden last asked him if he had changed his mind, he replied, "No, sir. Thank you, but I want us to continue ”.
And while it would seem that it would be difficult to find anything more bizarre, Mason's final words by no means stand out in the list below. These are examples of the most bizarre declarations made just before their authors parted with this world thanks to the executioner.
Bargaining, anger and acceptance
It happens that those who go to death displayed a truly galled sense of humor. Barbara Graham, convicted of murder after hearing from a guard that death by gassing with cyanide fumes would be painless, replied: "How the hell do you know that?" . She found out about it a while later, so the question remained unanswered.
The execution by hanging was quite problematic - and provoked the inmates to utter bizarre last words (illustrative illustration).
It happened that the executioners also gathered for jokes. When Edward Coleman, before hanging, addressed his tormentor with the words, "The disease of treason has touched me," he pointed to the rope and replied, "Here is your medicine, sir." Meanwhile, a certain Hans Porstner suggested to the executioner's assistant to switch places with him on the noose . In return, he offered a pair of shoes and five florins. The offer was tempting, but rather doomed to be rejected ...
James Murphy got a second chance:the rope on which he was hanged broke and the condemned man fell to the ground. However, he was not allowed to enjoy his life. It was quickly picked up and the work was finished. His last words were, "I didn't die? Why didn't I die? ”.
By breaking the rope, he wanted to avoid the death of "Black Jack" Ketchum, who had gained a lot of weight on purpose before his execution . Standing on the landing, he boldly shouted:"What are you waiting for, boys!" Ketchum's excess weight, however, caused that instead of a rope, ... his own head tore off!
Problems during execution by hanging happened quite often. Conscious of this fact, Lord Laurence Shirley even asked, "Are you all right?", Already standing with the noose around his neck. The answer was not yes - the man dropped too low and his feet were touching the ground. Kat and the helper had to hang on his legs to finally suffocate him.
How fear…
However, not everyone in the face of the inevitable showed calm and courage. "Good citizens, set me free! I am innocent, I am one of you, ”she argued before beheading Jeanne du Barry. Later she tried to escape with the guards holding her. In vain.
The curiosity is based on Jonathan Moore's book "Hang, gut, dismember, or the history of an execution", which was published by the Znak Horyzont publishing house.
During the times of the great terror in France, many similar pleas must have been heard. Often, the convicts also demanded intervention in the case of force majeure, which sometimes took on a macabre overtone. Just like when sixteen Carmelite nuns sang a religious song in a chorus just before their execution in Revolution Square. The melody only stopped when the last of the heads fell .
History knows many more examples of truly bizarre last words. "Too tight," William Wood moaned as the rope was wrapped around his neck. In turn, Jack the Ripper from Adelaide told the pastor ... to shut up. As Jonathan Moore describes in his book "Hang, Groom and Dismember, or the Story of an Execution", there were also those who simply shouted:"Help!", "Long live the motherland", or even "Cheers!".
Paradoxically, when he was finally overthrown and brought to death, the terrorist himself and the ardent supporter of the Robespierre guillotine could not say anything. His lower jaw was damaged by a bullet fired during a coup d'état, so he only managed to make a loud grunt. I wonder what he wanted to convey in this way…
Source:
Trivia is the essence of our website. Short materials devoted to interesting anecdotes, surprising details from the past, strange news from the old press. Reading that will take you no more than 3 minutes, based on single sources. This particular material is based on the book:
- Jonathan Moore, "Hang, gut and dismember, or the history of an execution", Znak Horyzont 2019.