Women Admirers of a Hangman.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1921, Page 4

Women Admirers of a Hangman.

VIENNA. Quo of Vienna’s most respected citizens is Josef Lang, the “last Imperial and Royal executioner of Austria,” a handsome and imposing old gentleman in his OGfcli year, who is still active de-puty-chief of the five brigade in Simmer ing, the 'suburb in which he resides, and probably the most popular mail in the district. His volume of reminiscences, just published and edited by Dr Oscai Selialk, reveals him as a man of humane and generous disposition. lie lias brought up fifteen children, ol whom only two were, his own. He became executioner at 15, having been successively carpenter, soldier, stoker, and coffee-house keeper.

fie is very proud of the (act that his longest execution took only 65 seconds, the shortest 45.

But the most interesting of his disclosures relate to women of all classes who sought interviews wjtli him at which they often made determined amatory advances. Some were content to look into his eyes or touch his hand. Many craved a thread of silk which had formed part of a noose actually used by im. Superstition was their main in-

> centivo. t He was once, on going to the govert. nor’s house to report himself, as ho > was bound to do on arrival, introduced i to an aristocratic “afternoon tea” for i ho was always well dressed on professional duty, as “Hofmeistor Lang.’* There was some consternation when his . identity was discovered, hut this soon gave place to a fever of curiosity, end [ women surrounded him for hours with I fusilade of questions—and stoic his pocket handkerchief as a memento of the occasion. Women offering him anything lie liked to ask if lie would enable them to be present at an execution. He could j take a certain number of men as his j assistants, giving in their name beforcj hand, hut he never took even men who | had not some genuine ground for asking, and never women, though there were many women who were quite willing to act as Ills actual assistants. He , never had to execute a woman and was i heartily glad of it. a ! Tf only for its sidelights on superj stition tliis is a remarkable hook. Lang’s pre-war correspondence, much of which his wife often burned unopened, consisted mnily of requests ter locks of hair, his own or else from a “patient,” and for all imaginary articles that had been touched by Him or by a hanged murderer. And Lang himself is not with superstition. He always carries about with him a tiny skein containing a thread from oitch silk noose lie has used to launch a man into eternity.