Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» You are gonna be hung for whatever reason. Would it hurt less if you were skinny and more if you were fat or is it the same pain either way?
Believe it or not, weight and balance are crucial determining factors in preparation for an execution. There have been actual cases where a condemned person either had an arm amputated in custody or gained weight and these things were not considered. The results were gruesome to say the least. It would seem that executions are an exact science.
I think it would hurt more and take longer to hang a obese person because they have those extra rolls of skin on their necks. I figure before the rope could completely tighten it would first have to squish and push those rolls up or down the neck which would take a bit longer and hurt a bit more. Anyway this question reminded me of the time I was arrested for telling silly jokes in public. When the judge sentenced me to death by painless injection I was flabbier gassed and figured he must be talking about someone else. So I pointed to myself and said - Na - noose - then the judge said OK have it your way and he change the sentence to death by hanging. Cheers!
This post was edited by Nanoose at July 27, 2018 3:36 AM MDT
I usually don't have any problem following you m'dear. This time? Well I'm sure it's me and not thee so mea culpa! But you bring up a very interesting possibility. Being arrested for something that the powers that be dislike intensely. Telling jokes if the jokes make them look foolish could do it. I don't put anything past TGITWH. He wants EVERYONE to love him, adore him, worship him, believe in, support him, defend him 24/7. Slowly by slowly he is getting rid of those who don't. Eventually he will have his own dynasty of bobbleheads. That's his goal. Will he reach it? I dunno. But I'm gonna ask a question based on the part of your answer I didn't quite get. I will refer to you indirectly Nanoose. Thank you for your reply and Happy Friday! :)
If the rope is wrapped properly it is supposed to instantly break the neck, thus rendering the procedure painless. Things don't always work out well though.
"Instantly" wouldn't hurt for long if at all. But when it doesn't work they way it's supposed to I would expect it's quite awful. How long? I guess that would vary according to how off the "properly" was. Thank you for your reply Ele and Happy Friday! :)
I don't know about other countries' practices but the Home Office in the UK apparently issued the executioner a table or a formula giving the length of drop for the weight of person.
Too short a drop and the convict suffocated. Too long, and he could be decapitated.
Element99 says "if the rope is wrapped properly" - they never used the supposedly-traditional "Hangman's Knot", certainly not on gallows. I don't know if it was used on gibbets centuries ago, which just strangled the victim to death - or if followed by "drawing and quartering", to the point of losing consciousness. The odd photo I have seen showed the rope simply passed through an eye-splice on its end.
By the time capital punishment in Britain was abolished for all crimes except, I think, High Treason, hangings were so unusual that the last hangman earned his living as a publican!
Oh, and the proper legal term for being so executed, was always "hanged", not "hung".
Nanoose 