MARWOOD THE HANGMAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 13, 13 December 1883, Page 2

MARWOOD THE HANGMAN.

An Eventftd Life. < TJje death of Marwood, the common hangman,' which'tbok place on Sept. 4th "from ittiJafflnratioirrfthe'luiig!*, accompanied by jaundice, terminated a somewhat remarkable career. He had held the office for about twolve years, his first engagement being at Lincoln m 1871, and /his last, very^recently, m London. ■ When* he was' appointed to the post he wag successful for some time m keeping the facts from the knowledge of his neighbors, but when it became known hit? presence m the little town of Horncastle was not at all appreciated, and he was continually hooted and hissed. ~ This practice gradu- , ally wore on"; .and when not engaged m bis professional dude*— or 'on circuit,' as he used to j.erm it— he was employed as a 1 cobbler m a littttf shop close to the ! parish church. r Over the door the words * Mat-Wood, / Grown Office,' m large letters, showed that he was nob ashamed of his tf ork, ahd a v cry short conversation with him was sufficient to show that he looked upon himself as a benefactor of tn§Daman race. The little shop was filled with implements of his work as a country cobbler, but hanging vfiom'Slie i»o'f w§re sorne^curious coils of rope, concerning which he was particularly proud. Somehow or other he had obtained possession of the rope used by Calcvaft, with a cluiubsy slip knot, and he compared it with considerable selfassertion with the ropes hanging from his ceiling 1 , which were made to his order m Government workshops. Until he wa| executioner he said he had never seen an /execution', but 1 for many years her. had ; thought over, the, subject, and he objectedJft_the waytn which Oalcraft ; ' choketl' fiiq prisoners tadeafib. Th^e were many attempts to geVa'portraiMJf Ma.rwqp|d , jjjuj. he ( always refuged. Aa enterpiising_pjibtographer ofiereJ him £50 /one. day fojc a-sitting, ( whioh he declined, liis explanation being that one of the things he-enjoyed w*s to go to a town by an earlier train than ;by< which he was expected, and mix with^ the crowd that was awaiting liia arrival.