RESUSCITATING THE HANGED.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 777, 16 February 1871, Page 3

RESUSCITATING THE HANGED.

(Prom the New Ywk Tribune.)

When a man, according to warrant, lias been put to death by the ministers •of the law, have scientific gentlemen a right to intefere with their galvanic batteries, and to endeavor to make the cadaver quick once more ? Here is a nut which the most erudite jurisconsult might find it hard to crack. Let us briefly state the case now before us. On Friday, August -26 th, John H. Skaggs was hung at Bloomfield, Mo. TJpon being cut down, his body was delivered to Drs. Jackson and M'Donald, who Were ready with a battery. The experiments were made in a room to which the mob, as presently will be seen, had unrestrained access. The sheriff stood by in a state of ludicrous perlexity ; and when lie saw the poles and wires about to be brought play, he naturally objected, saying, " You will implicate me.'' Dr M'Douald assumed the responsibility, autl Dr Jackson began to turn the crank. "But it may bring him fb," cried the sheriff; "my orders were to hang him tiil he was dead." Yet still the doctor, nothing heeding, continued to turn. "00-000-00-o J" exclaims the hanged man, and his fingers began to twitch. " If you have auy respect for me," said the poor sheriff, "stop!" "The man can be brought to," steadily affirmed the doctor at the crank. " But he ttiusn't be brought to," said the Eev. Mr Norman, who appears to have been the chaplain of the occasion. " My orders-:," said the sheriff, piteously. "were to hang him tiil he was dead." " 00-000-00-o J" responded the corpse. " The law," said the sheriff, " sensibly says dead. It means dead in the strictest sense of the word—enough to say dead." But, after all, the sheriff's curiosity got the better of his fears, and he allowed the experiment to go on, Then his fears in turn getting the better of his curiosity, he peremptorily stopped the business; but the enthusiastic doctors do not appear to have respected his remonstrances, whereupon the sheriff, who had confiscated the wires, restored them. The body-shows violent masculine action; the lower jaw moves painfully • two men are employed to rub the remains; the right leg moves ; and Dr Jackson says that he wishes he " had some cayenne pepper," There is perspiration and there is also a considerable pulse. The doctor announces that there is one chance in twenty of life. Here the reporter, whose account we have followed, was obliged to leave ; but we learn from another source that the experiment was a fa'lure ; and, despite the rubbing and galvanising and bleeding, that they were obliged to bur> the poor man after all. The vacillating and distracted sheriff above mentioned, it will be noticed, remarked judiciously, "The law says dead. It means dead in the strict sense of the word—enough to say dead." Now, in this case, the victim, with that last, lingering, desperate hope wnich leaves the human breast only with life, had requested the doctor to galvanise him after the cutting down, and his impression seems to have been, if he could be snatched from the grave, that he would be sent to the state prison. Again, we are informed, unless the noose be properly adjusted, that there are good chances that the subject may be cut down, only half strangled, and with no mortal cervical fracture. We do not know that we have ever before realised the tremendous moral as well as scientific responsibility that rests upon the shoulders of Mr Ketch. If the bat- ; tery can work such half-miracles, what "to prevent collusion with the hangs man —an agreement with him, in fact,

to half do his work, to cut down the body as Boon as possible and to deliver it to the galvanic doctor to be shocked back to life? There being, then, danger that the majesty of the law may be mocked at by science, it is clearly necessary that the hangman should be a person of the very highest moral character, and also of good medical education, intimately acquainted with the anatomy of the neck, and capable "of detecting the most feeble pulsation of the heart. He should be too virtuous for a bribe, and too learned to make a mistake. Hanging evidently is advancing to the dignity of a nice surgical operation ; and the suggestion which we made some time ago of a college for hangmen does not seem to be so unreasonable after all.