| Citation |
BNL.736.017
14-21 Oct 1736:12 ((1703)
London, August 21. 1736. Yesterday a malefactor mention'd
in our former was carry'd to Tyburn, where having pray'd and
sung psalms, was turn'd off, and being thought dead, was cut
down by Jack Catch as usual, who had procur'd a hole to be
dug at some distance from the gallows to bury him in; but
just as they had put him into his coffin, and were about to
fasten it up, he thrust back the lid, and to the great
astonishment of the spectators, capt his hands on the sides
of the coffin in order to raise himself up. Some of the
people in their first surprize were for knocking him on the
head; but Jack Catch thinking that foul play, insisted upon
hanging him up again, when the mob taking a different turn,
cry'd save his life and fell upon the poor executioner (who
stickled hard for fulfilling the law) and beat him in a most
miserable manner; they carried the prisoner to a house at
Acton, where he was put to bed; he vomited about three pints
of blood, and 'twas once believ'd would recover, but it was
afterwards reported, that on giving him a glass of wine he
died. The sheriff's officers believing the prisoner dead
were retir'd from the place of execution before he was cut
down.
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