“HANG  ME ‘TILL  I’M  DEAD’RN  HELL”

                                         NORMAN  V.  KELLY

If there was a calmer person either up on the scaffold or out in the audience, they were hiding it very well. As for Edward Clefford he actually seemed to be enjoying his moment in the spotlight. He made eye contact with the witnesses, and in every instance they averted their eyes. As the men stood up on the scaffolding, the menacing rope dangled near Edward’s head. Deputy Darnell, Father Sammon, Sheriff Hines, Deputy Thompson and Chief Rhoades jockeyed around until Clefford was standing over the trapdoor. Thompson reached for the rope and held behind his back. The prisoner bent his head slightly to accommodate the rope, but the sheriff shook his head. Clefford then smiled slightly out at the crowd as Thompson backed up to the railing. The sheriff then stepped forward to quiet the crowd.

       “Do you have anything to say to these witnesses, Edward?”

Clefford did not answer but immediately began to pray along with Father Sammon. “Oh my God I am sorry for all the sins in my life. I hope in thy mercy for forgiveness. Into your hands I now give my soul. Dearest Jesus have mercy upon me.”

The deputies then busied themselves with the harness, adjusting the straps about the condemned man’s legs and arms. Quickly a black cap was placed over the man’s head and the sheriff busied himself with making more adjustments to the rope. As I mentioned these caps draped over the shoulders and hung almost to the waist of the man now securely bound. The sheriff then quickly slipped the rope over the condemned man’s head, adjusting it so that the knot was under the right ear.

Sheriff Hines then moved over to grasp a rope that would trigger the bolts that held the trapdoor closed. In a flash as quick as lightning the body dropped downward. The action was incredibly fast. The audible snap of the neck was heard by the physicians and witness on the floor just below the scaffolding.  It had been but thirteen minutes from the time Clefford had left his cell until he was hanging at the end of a rope. The body moved slowly around until one of the physicians put both hands on the hips stopping the movement. Authorities told the press that this hanging had been the most efficient execution in the history of Peoria, Illinois.

Speaking of doctors, can you imagine they had five damn doctors there? My God…if they had paid that much attention to people in need of medial attention in Peoria in 1907, perhaps a few more people would have lived. Dr. F.E. Baldwin, Dr. West, Dr. J.P.

Tolson, Dr. C.D. Early and E.A. Garret. Who knows maybe they were just ghouls, huh? Of course each one of them stood around the hanging body, first one then the other put a stethoscope where? Hell, they could not reach his neck, so to me personally it was all just a damn scam. For twenty-three minutes the witnesses stood around watching these fool doctors and finally, finally one by one they agreed…Clefford was dead. The ordeal was over.  Mr. Winzeler, the mortician, quickly cut the body down and he and his assistants put it in a wicker basket.

Outside more than a thousand people were milling about. The moment they saw the back door of the jail open they swarmed to join the hundred or so people that were already surrounding the hearse. They stood by watching as the body was put in the vehicle. They pushed and shoved to get a glimpse inside the hearse through the decorated side windows. “Edward Clefford might have been a no good son of a bitch while he lived, but he died like a valiant young man.”  He went to his death at 9:02 A.M. on December 20, 1907, with a smile on his face.  He was absolutely the coolest man among the entire crowd. Sad isn’t it that he had to die before anyone said anything good about him?          

The newspapers described Edward Clefford as a misguided, lustful young man with no redeeming qualities. So, we’ll leave it at that and let him slip back into oblivion, exactly where he belongs.

 

Editor’s Note:  Norm welcomes your question and comments.  norman.kelly@sbcglobal.net