Death by Hanging

What time period was it? If it was pre-18th century hanging was a basic suspension in air, then 'the drop' was introduced. Check out forensics books, they'll give you the science.

I have a book on the history of Torture and Exections I'll see if I can find it.

Looks like my sister has been tidying so I'll get back to you.

Off the top of my head I seem to remember the thickness and length of the rope depends on a calculation to do with weight and height.

I think this might help:

http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanging1.html

I know how to tie a hangman's noose, but it's hard to describe. We use it in riding to tie a leadrope around the horse's neck. You can see it on some Cavalry horses. It involves coiling the rope around itself and threading back through. You end up with a long coil of rope as part of the knot. Here are a couple of diagrams:

http://safemarina.com/assets/graphics/hangmans_knot.gif

http://www.whaticaught.com/hangmans-Knot.gif

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...v=/images?q=hangman%27s+knot&gbv=2&hl=en&sa=G

As an interesting aside, our state is in the process of trying to figure out what to do with a guy who was just sentenced to death. We haven't executed anyone since the 1940s, when we used hanging. I don't think they'll be hanging this guy, but nobody knows what they'll be doing yet.

Remember that a lot of people who were hanged didn't die right away. The process of making sure that a person dies immediately is quite a bit more intricate than some might expect, and many hanged individuals suffered quite a bit as they were strangled to death in the noose. There's a biography of the last hangman in Britain that details the death of a person the hangman knew, which was the reason he quit his job.

AH! A historical question! Ya got your short drop (with horses usually), your standard drop (about 6 feet), and your long drop (based on height and weight). Then ya got your gallows or a gibbet. Our museum in Gensee county, NY has a Gibbet on display. It used the counter balance method. Gallows -- floor drops, guy falls. Gibbet - The condemened stands on the ground. A weight was held by a bracket. Bracket is released, weight falls, guy is yanked up.

I have a true crime from the 1850s (self published) "Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch. A gibbet is how my murderess would of hung in that county had her sentence not benn commuted to imprisonment for life.

I've researched all the hangings in Genesee County actually. (Hey, its history) They were very graphic in the newspaper, checking the pulse every few minutes, then just waited. Then there is the tickets,can't forget those. You needed a ticket to attend. (I got a copy of one in my files) Plus the whole religious aspect. At least around here. One guy swore he was an atheist, and it delayed his hanging for a month. Lots of good creative writing stuff you can do with a hanging.

jeseymour said:

I know how to tie a hangman's noose, but it's hard to describe.

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Ok, so no more jesey jokes...

jeseymour said:

As an interesting aside, our state is in the process of trying to figure out what to do with a guy who was just sentenced to death. We haven't executed anyone since the 1940s, when we used hanging. I don't think they'll be hanging this guy, but nobody knows what they'll be doing yet.

Click to expand...

I'm with Jake Brigance (literary reference, bonus points to anyone who can get it without looking it up) on this one: let's go back to hangings on the courthouse lawn. Unless of course you mess with a kid, then I prefer the jerk be drawn and quartered.

Not too long ago, I watched a Discovery show on execution, which included hanging. I remember if the rope was too short, the person's neck wouldn't break and they would strangle. If it was too long, they would be decapitated. So some "weight vs. rope length" math was involved in hanging a person properly. Hummm, perhaps that show is lurking around YouTube somewhere....