beheaded by hanging

[mkjuk]

how did one of Saddam Husseins fellow defendants end up getting decapitated by the act of hanging ?

This seems totally bizzare to me, was there some kind of foul play?

[Panic Button]

I remember a long time ago hearing that the hangman has to calculate carefully how far to drop the body, considering it's weight.

Perfection is a snapped neck and instant death

Too little and the prisoner isn't killed instantly, and then suffers an unpleasant strangulation.

Too much and you get a beheading.

[Buenchico]

Strangely enough, the 'best' way to hang someone comes up in the history of mathematics.

It is generally recognised that the first ever example of true 'mathematical modelling' occurred in Victorian times when a British mathematician (whose name I ought to remember but which eludes me at the moment) provided hangmen with instructions on how to carry out hangings, based upon the weight of the condemned person.

The objective of a 'clean' hanging is to fracture the second cervical vertebra, which results in death within a very short time. If the rope is already taut when the trap door is opened, the vertebra is not fractured and the victim dies through strangulation. This can take several minutes.

So it's better that the rope is slack when the trap door is opened, so that the victim accelerates downwards until there is a sudden pull on the neck which fractures the second cervical vertebra. However, if there is too much slack on the rope (and with a long enough drop below), there is a strong risk that the descending body will have accelerated to such a high speed, before the rope suddenly tightens, that the head will be wrenched from the body.

Both of these problems (strangulation and beheading) occurred in British judicial hangings until the mathematician calculating figures for the correct length of slack rope for victims of various weights.. Thereafter, there were no reports of either strangulation or beheading occurring when people were hung in British prisons.

It seems that the Iraqi authorities don't know about mathematical modelling. (It's also sad that all this stuff about hanging is just about all I can remember from my degree course in mathematics!)

Chris

[Clanad]

Adding only peripherally to Chris' usual thorough disseratation is the last hanging in my western U.S. State occurred in 1903. The newspaper of the day, carried a detailed description of a "professional" hanging through an interview with the State's Chief Hangman. All is in agreement with Chris' narrative, but with the addition of the neccessity of the "perfectly tied" hangman's knot. The purpose of the large, complex knot, other than being opened up somewhat to go over the hangee's head is that is placed precisely so as to drape behind the right shoulder, resting downward somwhat, so at the moment the body reaches the bottom of it's length the large knot snaps forcefully upward striking the condemned's head just behind the right ear with a sudden and severe blow. The purpose is to render him/her unconcious a split second before the neck is snapped. The practitioner of the deadly art spoke, in the article, in a straightforward manner without any hint of braggadocio...

[SAM1CH99]

Wouldn't you think with all the practice and experience they have, that there should be no errors by now. It's been a while since hanging in the UK, but we still accept the mathematics of the situation!

[Athley]

Chris

I am feeling quite scared of you now!!! Methinks you know way too much about hanging!!!!!!!!!

:oO

[andy-hughes]

Albert Pierpoint, Britian's last hangman became such an expert at guaging a prisoner's height and weight for the length of rope and drop that he cesased to have the prisoner weighed and measured, he simply had a look through the cell door peephole unobserved by the prisoner, and could make his calculations from simply looking for a few moments.

[sarnieken]

Sam1ch99.
I'm in agreement but I got the impression that the Iraqis doing the hanging weren't exaclty adept at the skill and, to be honest, were not interested in providing Saddam and his co-defendants with a quick or painless death.

[EDLEE]

It seems possible to me that, considering who has been in charge in Iraq for many years, those who carried out the executions of these men hadn't had the opportunity for experience. At least on the safe end of the rope.

[sarnieken]

Excellent point and one I hadn't Considered.

hopefully they will be able to figure everything out (the country, not the hanging) and be able to live peacefully