I Lead a Normal Life
February 16, 2006 10:04 PM Subscribe
What makes an official executioner? Is it obsession with the tools of death? Does it run in the family? Is it a religious duty? Happenstance? A good way to test your sword?
Whatever the reason, one wonders what it takes to make a successful executioner and what it would be like to walk in their shoes. Sometimes there is a terrible profundity in their final act.
"I have come to the conclusion that executions solve nothing, and are only an antiquated relic of a primitive desire for revenge which takes the easy way and hands over the responsibility for revenge to other people...The trouble with the death penalty has always been that nobody wanted it for everybody, but everybody differed about who should get off." Albert Pierrepoint
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:10 PM on February 16, 2006
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:10 PM on February 16, 2006
Wierd timing... I just got home from seeing The Mikado.
posted by arcticwoman at 11:12 PM on February 16, 2006
posted by arcticwoman at 11:12 PM on February 16, 2006
Wow. Thank you.
posted by Opposite George at 11:19 PM on February 16, 2006
posted by Opposite George at 11:19 PM on February 16, 2006
Many people were named Jack Ketch....
posted by sourwookie at 11:27 PM on February 16, 2006
posted by sourwookie at 11:27 PM on February 16, 2006
An unknown prisoner in Colorado designed the Do It Yourself Hanging Machine. The concept behind it was that it allowed the prisoner to trigger the device himself by stepping onto a platform, eliminating the need for an executioner. (from growabrain)
posted by hortense at 12:03 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by hortense at 12:03 AM on February 17, 2006
I'm not sure what it would take to be an executioner - a strong stomach and a certain sense of detachment I suppose.
posted by pancreas at 12:06 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by pancreas at 12:06 AM on February 17, 2006
One needs a worker-bee mentality, a committment to "getting the job done" is what one needs.
posted by solobrus at 12:16 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by solobrus at 12:16 AM on February 17, 2006
If people were not afraid of death,
Then what would be the use of an executioner?
If people feared only death,
No one would dare disobey.
Again what would be the use of an executioner?
People fear death because death is an instrument of fate.
When people are killed by execution rather than by fate,
This is like carving wood in place of the carpenter.
Those who carve wood in place of the carpenter
Often lose their fingers.
(Lao Tzu)
not my favorite translation, sorry. the limits of the interwebs
posted by selfnoise at 5:30 AM on February 17, 2006
Then what would be the use of an executioner?
If people feared only death,
No one would dare disobey.
Again what would be the use of an executioner?
People fear death because death is an instrument of fate.
When people are killed by execution rather than by fate,
This is like carving wood in place of the carpenter.
Those who carve wood in place of the carpenter
Often lose their fingers.
(Lao Tzu)
not my favorite translation, sorry. the limits of the interwebs
posted by selfnoise at 5:30 AM on February 17, 2006
When I was a student rotating at the local VA hospital, I took care of Charles Raroad (although I remembered his name spelled slightly differently), who hung General Tojo after WWII. He had a number of stories about the technical details of how to hang a man, such as the fact that the army used the long drop technique invented by the british. One of the drawbacks to that technique of hanging was that if the prisoner was dropped too far, he would be decapitated.
posted by TedW at 5:43 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by TedW at 5:43 AM on February 17, 2006
Excellent post. Very relevant to me since I just started reading Gene Wolfe's body of work....
Thanks.
posted by shimmerglimpse at 6:40 AM on February 17, 2006
Thanks.
posted by shimmerglimpse at 6:40 AM on February 17, 2006
Interesting second link on the long drop, TedW.
I got a morbid frisson upon realizing that, under the 1913 table, my weight would have required a 6' 6" drop to perform the ideal "hangman's fracture", rather than my either being decapitated from too long a drop or strangled to death from one too short. A very strange piece of information to know about oneself.
A macabre description of preparing the rope, by testing it with a sandbag:
"Put on the trap the sandbag, making sure it is filled with sand of an equivalent weight to the condemned man.
Put the noose around the neck of the sandbag and drop the bag in the presence of the governor.
The bag is left hanging until the hour before the time of execution the next morning. At this time examine the mark on the rope and copper wire to see how much the rope has stretched. Any stretch must be made good by adjusting the drop.
Lift the sandbag, pull up the trapdoor by means of chains and pulley blocks, set the operating lever and put in the three-quarter safety pin which goes through the lever brackets to prevent the lever being accidentally moved.
Coil the rope ready and tie the coil with pack-thread leaving the noose suspended at the height of the condemned man's chest. All is now ready."
posted by darkstar at 6:45 AM on February 17, 2006
I got a morbid frisson upon realizing that, under the 1913 table, my weight would have required a 6' 6" drop to perform the ideal "hangman's fracture", rather than my either being decapitated from too long a drop or strangled to death from one too short. A very strange piece of information to know about oneself.
A macabre description of preparing the rope, by testing it with a sandbag:
"Put on the trap the sandbag, making sure it is filled with sand of an equivalent weight to the condemned man.
Put the noose around the neck of the sandbag and drop the bag in the presence of the governor.
The bag is left hanging until the hour before the time of execution the next morning. At this time examine the mark on the rope and copper wire to see how much the rope has stretched. Any stretch must be made good by adjusting the drop.
Lift the sandbag, pull up the trapdoor by means of chains and pulley blocks, set the operating lever and put in the three-quarter safety pin which goes through the lever brackets to prevent the lever being accidentally moved.
Coil the rope ready and tie the coil with pack-thread leaving the noose suspended at the height of the condemned man's chest. All is now ready."
posted by darkstar at 6:45 AM on February 17, 2006
While on the subject, Samurai Executioner (written and drawn by the famous Lone Wolf and Cub team) is both a morbidly interesting procedural and also a detailed window into the process of Tameshigiri.
posted by selfnoise at 6:54 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by selfnoise at 6:54 AM on February 17, 2006
Ah, christ. I was wondering what the point of that Village Voice article was until the final paragraph.
posted by selfnoise at 7:29 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by selfnoise at 7:29 AM on February 17, 2006
Fantastic post. They are about to release a film based on Albert Pierrepoint's life starring the always excellent Timothy Spall.
posted by oh pollo! at 7:55 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by oh pollo! at 7:55 AM on February 17, 2006
Nice post. I have to say, that Wikipedia list is awfully short; I'm not sure whether they didn't try very hard or such information is genuinely hard to come by.
posted by languagehat at 8:06 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by languagehat at 8:06 AM on February 17, 2006
So we have a couple of ten thousand executioners over in Iraq right now. I wonder if the ones who actually execute our enemies will suffer in afteryears? At least the guy who pulls the switch on the electric chair at home in the states can comfort himself with the thought that he is executing people who have had a trail -- or at least gone through the motions of a trail -- and that they have very likely committed terrible crimes. Our executioners in uniform are judge, jury and executioner in one. Tough position.
posted by Faze at 8:18 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by Faze at 8:18 AM on February 17, 2006
Great post. I too felt the need to calculate how much of a 'long drop' I would require...
posted by ob at 8:29 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by ob at 8:29 AM on February 17, 2006
For a Faulkneresque take on the subject, I recommend my friend Andy Duncan's short story, "The Executioner's Guild," which can be found in his short-story collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories.
posted by lexalexander at 8:30 AM on February 17, 2006
posted by lexalexander at 8:30 AM on February 17, 2006
There is a big difference between a Kaishaku and an executioner.
posted by Smedleyman at 1:06 PM on February 17, 2006
posted by Smedleyman at 1:06 PM on February 17, 2006
I didn't see any reference to kaishakunin hereabouts. Am I missing something?
posted by selfnoise at 1:20 PM on February 17, 2006
posted by selfnoise at 1:20 PM on February 17, 2006
From the "test" link:
Perhaps Yamamoto is providing historians the rationale for "official" executioners when he writes, "(t)hat there are few men who are able to cut well in beheadings is further proof that men's courage has waned. And when one comes to speak of kaishaku, it has become an age of men who are prudent and clever at making excuses" (1716:24). Considering the dearth of skilled warriors willing to provide their services to execute criminals, it is no wonder that those excelling in the technique established themselves, assuring a "craft" for succeeding generations.
Execution by sword became such a specialty that certain families "enjoyed" the distinction of becoming hereditary executioner to daimyo and shogun. One such hereditary executioner was Yamada Asaemon, called "Kubikiri Asaemon;" that is, "Asaemon the Beheader." Like all "traditional crafts," books and scrolls illustrating the secrets of the trade were composed for the edification of disciples.
The link discusses both to some extent, I believe, although not in any real detail. Perhaps you can enlighten us about the distinction, I have very little knowledge of this era (or any era) of Japanese history.
posted by Falconetti at 3:00 PM on February 17, 2006
Perhaps Yamamoto is providing historians the rationale for "official" executioners when he writes, "(t)hat there are few men who are able to cut well in beheadings is further proof that men's courage has waned. And when one comes to speak of kaishaku, it has become an age of men who are prudent and clever at making excuses" (1716:24). Considering the dearth of skilled warriors willing to provide their services to execute criminals, it is no wonder that those excelling in the technique established themselves, assuring a "craft" for succeeding generations.
Execution by sword became such a specialty that certain families "enjoyed" the distinction of becoming hereditary executioner to daimyo and shogun. One such hereditary executioner was Yamada Asaemon, called "Kubikiri Asaemon;" that is, "Asaemon the Beheader." Like all "traditional crafts," books and scrolls illustrating the secrets of the trade were composed for the edification of disciples.
The link discusses both to some extent, I believe, although not in any real detail. Perhaps you can enlighten us about the distinction, I have very little knowledge of this era (or any era) of Japanese history.
posted by Falconetti at 3:00 PM on February 17, 2006
Kaishakunin were seconds present at the ritual of seppuku, or suicide by disembowelment. They beheaded (or nearly beheaded) the victim after self-disembowelment in order to end their suffering (in part).
Now, often seppuku was basically obligatory and served as a form of execution. So there's some crossover.
I *think* what Yamamoto is saying is that there were a lack of seconds (kaishakunin) present at the time because of a lack of skill. Since screwing up the ritual would mean immense dishonor, many were not willing to risk it.
The practice of Tameshigiri is basically just testing a sword by targeted cutting on various objects/surfaces. It's just that the "best" way to do this was to practice on condemned criminals. Sort of a gruesome way of killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Often the criminals would actually be dead before the practice began.
posted by selfnoise at 3:12 PM on February 17, 2006
Now, often seppuku was basically obligatory and served as a form of execution. So there's some crossover.
I *think* what Yamamoto is saying is that there were a lack of seconds (kaishakunin) present at the time because of a lack of skill. Since screwing up the ritual would mean immense dishonor, many were not willing to risk it.
The practice of Tameshigiri is basically just testing a sword by targeted cutting on various objects/surfaces. It's just that the "best" way to do this was to practice on condemned criminals. Sort of a gruesome way of killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Often the criminals would actually be dead before the practice began.
posted by selfnoise at 3:12 PM on February 17, 2006
You know , if i was going to be executed by anyone - the choice would have to be some cool japanese samurai from the 14th century.
On a side note - i once read of a man who committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a lifesize thomas the tank engine.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:40 PM on February 17, 2006
On a side note - i once read of a man who committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a lifesize thomas the tank engine.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:40 PM on February 17, 2006
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posted by thanatogenous at 10:26 PM on February 16, 2006