"The Executed"
BY: Julian Anderson
A person can be legally sentenced to death via capital punishment.
This method utilized the strength, height and weight of the convicted to determine the length of the drop, which was between four and ten feet.
Hanging causes closure of the carotid arteries and jugular veins, bringing on carotid reflex and cardiac arrest, resulting in death. Many governments in the 20th century abolished hangings as a capital punishment, however; some countries still use this method of capital punishment today.
In the 18th century the practice of hanging became a widely used method. Many types of hanging methods were devised over the years. It began with the method called the short *** drop. The convicted would have a noose tied around their neck while being made to stand on a stool. Then the stool would be removed, usually kicked away, causing strangulation In the air of a richly made kitchen the smells of butter, eggs, and death. and coffee drift lazily.
As scientific research helped advance societies comforts, it The kitchen is beautifully furnished with stainless steel apalso advanced the methods of capital punishment. Thus, the pliances, mahogany cupboards and an old grandfather clock. standard drop was created. The drop of between four and six feet induced strangulation, the breaking of the neck, and more often than desired, decapitation . To avoid messy decapitations the long drop was conceived.
An old man sits and sips his morning coffee. “Now look here Massive glass and steel skyscrapers lined the endless mother. They hung another boy,” he says to his wife slowly streets. Government and institution buildings loomed at sipping his morning coffee. His wife stands in front of the marked places between them. The market place boomed with stove cooking eggs; she is up in years but still has long black business, while the sun stood sentry. hair. She turns to him and says “Oh dear, there are too many of those little boy gangs. What happened to their parents?” Three boys steal glances at the busy market place from a dirty alleyway. The old man begins reading from the newspaper again, “It says here that the boy gangs are on the rise. They are all or“Ok guys, I am going first!” a skinny little boy exclaims.” phans of between 6-10 years of age. They roam the streets in large packs of anywhere from five to twenty. The government officials are going to start tagging them with microchips. This “Nah, French I’m a going!” a natty haired boy cries. will keep the boys out of specific areas. Many of the boys refuse to go to group homes or shelters. Most of them rely on theft to survive.” “Ha who you kidding man. Scotty you ain’t man enough!, the third boy exclaims. ***
The day was shining bright like a bird’s feather. The metropolis was at lunch. Cars and buses idled and moved through the streets. People came and went, and garbage flew by large gusts of wind.
“Shut up both of you! Listen here I m the oldest, so Scotty and Frances I go first!” replies French
A huge gust of wind ripped through the alley blowing the lid off an aluminum garbage bin wiping up old scrapes of paper. A ragged alley cat climbed out and stared at the boys.
Without warning French shoved both Scotty and Frances aside and ran full speed out of the alley and into the throng of people. The two boys regained their balance and shook their heads at each other.
“Get gone you filthy little rascal!”, Frances cried out while he kicked the cat away. The cat let out a helpless meow and ran back to the garbage bin.
“Here he comes”, yells Scotty.
French came running up to them. He pulled out a bright red McIntosh and took a bite.
“So you guys wanna join me gang”, he proudly declares. The other two looked at each other, looked at French, and began laughing and cheering.
The ragged alley cat sauntered over to them and began to meow. “Man he’s pushy!” exclaimed Frances.
“Still, French is a good guy eh?” asks Scotty.
“Yup he’s alright.” says Frances.
The ragged cat started to purr and rub itself on Frances.
“Man I tried to get Empires but they all the way at the back of the cart”, said French.
“What will you call the gang?” Frances asked.
“Hmm not sure yet, so, who’s next?” asked French. The two boys look at each other. Scotty smiled, shoved Frances and took off like an out of the park grand slam.
Out of breath and sweating, Scotty returns to the alley. Doubled over and huffing and puffing he reaches into his pocket and reveals a green Granny Smith. He sits down on the ground and begins eating. He looks up at them and smiles. They all erupt in another salvo of laughter.
“Damn that Scotty” said Frances as he straightened his shirt.
The ragged cat licks at an old paper coffee cup. Frances pulls up his shorts and takes a deep breath. He looks out into the crowded market place, shoves French and runs out of the French started laughing again. “…I think…haha…I will call it alley. Running full tilt, he zigs and zags like an alpine skier on an Olympic gold metal run. He weaves through the shoppers the 7th and 36th crew.” zigging by a businessman and zagging behind a youthful couple in love. “Yup the 736 crew. Sounds good Frances.”, replied French.
“After we all get our apples we should steal some knives.” says French.
Sun breaks through a cloud and illuminates the alleyway. As the ragged cat scrambles back into the garbage bin it knocks it over. A meowing sound, accompanied by the crashing of the bins, echoes through the alley.
As Frances reaches the apple vendor, he pauses and looks about himself. The shop vendor is nowhere in site.
An old Chinese women stands in front of the cart pressing and handling the apples. Frances eyes up the delicious apples It rained all day but that did not deter the execution. and spots the Empires. He sneaks over to the cart and quickly pockets three, then turns and runs straight into the shop vendor. The vendor holds onto him tightly and begins to shout in Early in the morning, work to set up the gallows began. The an angry foreign tongue. population only knew about the hangings on the day of. The word spread fast as the preliminary work to set up the gallows began. *** The square is located in the center of the city, residing right The old man puts down the newspaper and sips his coffee. next to the market place. He stands up and walks to the stove to refill his cup. His wife turns off the burner and sits down at the table. She salts and peppers her eggs and grabs the newspaper. Crime rates drop off slightly, both before and after the hangings. “Oh my, it says here that the shop vendor cut off the boy’s thumbs before handing him over to the police!” She exMany criminals and gang bangers cool off from their antics claimed while she shook her head. “Over two thousand peo- in order to see if they know the person being executed. Along ple watched the execution. They said it’s a record, and the with the criminals and gang bangers there were many types last four out of six executions were boys. I can’t believe so of people. many people went in such unsavory weather.”
***
Parents brought their children to teach them about the the execution. Rain fell on their umbrellas and on the heads benefits of not turning to crime. Teenagers skipped classes to of those who forgot. watch the execution, and lots of random business and consumer types gathered around the gallows. The media was The media turned on the cameras and began filming. out in full attendance all set up and waiting to go.
After the lunch break the gallows were fully awaiting the convicted.
“There he is French!” said Scotty while he pointed his finger.
Frances stood on the gallows with his hands behind his French and Scotty, along with some other boys, sat on garback. Several executioners flanked his sides. A man wearing a bage cans not to far from the front. dark suit began speaking into a microphone. He provided the crowd with details on the criminal and the crime that he “Naw bad eh French?” said Scotty. committed.
“Yup these are great seats, better than the last time,” said French.
The murmur and buzz of the crowd circled around them.
Some people made a last attempt to get closer to the gallows. The crowd began to squeeze together in anticipation of
The crowd began to heckle the convict.
Some yelled out profanities, while others yelled “let’s here him!” Suddenly all in the crowd began to chant, “let’s here him, let’s here him!” The man in the dark suit walked over to Frances and handed him the microphone. The crowd calmed and waited for him to talk.
Frances began his final speech.
An executioner stepped up to Frances and placed the black hood on his head. The man in the dark suit climbed down the steps and left the gallows to the executioners and the executed.
***
“My name is Frances. I have no last name. I have no family. The old man sipped his coffee and looked at his wife while I take full responsibility for my actions and feel no remorse for she finished reading the article. She looked up at him and my crime.” said, “Thank god we never had kids!” The old man put down his coffee and walked over to his wife, kissed her and sat down. “Wasn’t Rome beautiful?” This made the crowd right mad and they began to curse at him.
“Filthy little rascal!” one voice cried out.
“Hang him!”, exclaimed the voice of another.
The crowd followed suit and chanted. “Hang him, hang him!”