• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE taken before T H E C O mm ITTEE appointed to inquire into THE EXECUTION OF CAPITAL SENTENCES. At 8, Richmond Terrace, Whitehall. Tuesday, 16th March 1886. present: THE RIGHT HON. LORD ABERDARE, G.C.B., IN THE CHAIR. THE RIGHT HON. SIR HENRY SELDWIN-Ib­ET- T HE R EVE R END S A M UEL H AUGH T ON , M.D., F.R.S. SON, BArt., M.P. R. M. G OVE R , E S Q ., M.D. SIR FREDERICK J. BRAMWELL, F.R.S. Major A L T EN B EA M I S H , R.E., Sec­retary The Reverend SAMUEL HAUGHTON, M.D. (a member of the Committee) examined. 1. (Chairman.) I understand that you wish to give took place some years afterwards, on the 28th July Rev. S. some evidence to the Committee before we proceed 1870, and was the first execution in private. The Haughton, to call other witnesses?—Yes, I had been for many culprit had nearly the same weight, and the Governor M.D. years collecting materials to write a book on the and Surgeon gave him about the same length of mathematical principles of animal mechanics, and I drop ; the result was that the head was taken off. 16 Mar. 1886. had performed innumerable dissections to obtain Lord Spencer, who at this time was Lord Lieutenant, materials for the purpose; but, before publishing, I sent for me and requested that I would make a per- observed that all my observations were made on those sonal investigation of the circumstances of the case. who died a natural death, and in order to connect these I did so, and found that there was nothing different dissecting room observations with the living man it was in the two cases except the rope ; therefore, with the necessary to have a co-efficient determined from a man assistance of our Professor of Engineering, I made an who died in perfect health and strength, so as to convert examination of the two ropes, and I found that the the measurements made on the dead body into those rope used in the first execution was much more elastic of the living man. I watched for months in the hopes than that used in the second ; the stiffness of the of dissecting a man who died from the result of an second rope acted like a wire rope and cut off the accident ; but you are never allowed to dissect a man man’s head. I communicated this result to Lord who dies in such a manner, and under these circum- Spencer, and the officials were cleared of blame, but stances I waited on Lord Mayo, who was then Irish a wish was expressed at the same time that those who Secretary. There was a man under sentence of death were competent would take steps to avoid such acci- in Dublin, and I asked Lord Mayo’s permission to dents in future. On making inquiry I found that a have a post-mortem dissection made for the purpose long drop, sometimes amounting to 17 feet, was in of measuring the muscles, which I wished to compare traditional use in all the Irish gaols ; while in England with the dead muscles. He gave me that permission. a short drop, seldom exceeding two feet, was the usual This man was executed on the 20th of July 1865. practice. The short drop means death by asphyxia, Dr. Arthur Foote and myself dissected from the body the long drop means death from injury to the spinal what I wished for my purpose, and we also made, as column, in some case, where the drop is too long, we had the case in hand, minute observations upon pushed to the risk of decapitation. the circumstances connected with death by hanging. 2. May I ask you also whether your inquiries led We were greatly shocked to find, from the length of you to discover the date of the commencement of the drop and the position of the knot, that the man’s hanging?—No ; sus per c­oll. goes back, as all lawyers head had nearly been cut off. The knot was placed know, to remote times, but sus per c­oll. does not on the occiput, and all the soft parts of the neck specify the length of the drop. I made minute except the skin were completely divided ; then the inquiries about it. In the case of an execution with blow ultimately reached the vertebræ, the transverse a short drop the criminal becomes unconscious between processes of the second vertebra were broken across, from one to three minutes, as in the case of drowning ; and death was instantaneous, caused by dislocation of but automatic convulsions unaccompanied by suffering, the spinal column. The length of the drop was 14 lasting for many minutes, will set up in the body and feet 6 inches, and the weight of the man was 160 lbs. shock the spectator. In consequence of the fact of My impression was that a few inches more would the two executions with the long drop, an important have cut off the man’s head. I was frightened at private meeting of the Surgical Society was held the result ; that was the first case I ever observed, on the 10th December 1875, at the Royal College of and that was the last execution that took place in Surgeons in Ireland, attended by many surgeons who public in the city of Dublin. The next execution had experience of Gaol executions. The results of U 21428. A 2 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE Rev. S. their discussion were two ; in the first place, it was is a good anatomist and not merely a surgeon. This Haughton, recommended that the knot should be placed under discussion at the College of Surgeons was not published M.D. the chin instead the back of the head, that is the in the newspapers, but in the Medical Press of submental instead of the occipital knot. The object Dublin, for the benefit of all the surgeons who wanted 16 Mar. 1886. of that was this : when the knot is placed at the back to have it on record. I have reason to believe that of the head the rope cuts through all the soft parts of Marwood must have read a copy of this discussion, the neck before it strikes the spinal column, whereas by for he adopted the result with success. That explains placing it under the chin it is like killing a rabbit by my connexion with this subject. a blow on the back of the neck ; the blow comes first 8. (Dr. Gover.) Would you be kind enough to on the spinal column, and then after the spinal column state the two points between which you took your is cracked there is a large margin left of reserve measurements in giving the length of the drop?—By resistance in the soft parts. It was also recom- measurement after death. When the man drops he mended to diminish the drop to about 8 feet as a rule. measures so many feet from the level of the platform. 3. Was that irrespective of the weight of the 9. From heel to heel?—From heel to heel. culprit?—No ; that would be the length of drop for a 10. (Chairman.) Has the length of the drop been man of average weight. uniform in Ireland since this discussion?—Marwood 4. What I meant with regard to weight was this : was the executioner, you know, and he followed very do you think that with the knot under the chin and a much all through his life this rule ; Binns had no drop of 8 feet a very heavy man might not be de- rule at all. I speak without sufficient knowledge, but capitated?—That is quite possible. I have mentioned my impression is that Marwood carried out this rule a case where the weight of the man was 160 lbs., for the remainder of his life, and that Binns and and the length of the drop 14 feet 6 inches. This Berry have been acting without much rule to guide is equivalent to an energy of 2,320 lbs., falling through them at all. a foot ; but that is dangerously close to the point of 11. (Sir Frederic­k Bramwell.) I gathered from decapitation, but therefore you must never give a you, I do know whether rightly, that in your drop so serious as that, no matter how light the judgment it is desirable that executions should be man may be. The weight of the man multiplied such as would break the neck, and not merely suffo- by the length of the drop is the energy expended in cations?—Yes. breaking his neck. The experience in these two 12. And in the second place, I gathered from you cases has proved that that energy amounts to about a that the College of Surgeons in Ireland came to the a ton falling through a foot. conclusion that about 1,120 foot lbs. was a reason- 5. (Sir Frederic­k Bramwell.) It is not quite that. able energy, and therefore they do take into account 160 lbs. is the 14th part of a ton, and you have 14 the weight of the man?—They do. It was not the feet 6 inches instead of 14 feet?—That is quite near College of Surgeons, it was a meeting held at the enough. College of Surgeons. 6. (Chairman.) Do you think that if the knot was 13.

Load more

  47

Copy Link