old gallows

[andrew96]

So, I know where there was a gallows in from the 1700 and 1800s, is it true that hanging attracted large crowed?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

By all accounts, yes. Can depend on the community I suppose.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Ya think?
I would have posted a real one but, too graphic.

 

[Tony66]

I thought I read somewhere that a hanging back in the day was comparable to a fair today, meaning the whole family would go out to watch and there'd be vendors there and everything. I know it was a big deal, but was it really a "fair" type atmosphere?

 

[ivan salis]

folks have always been drawn to bloodshed and uglyness * watching folks get killed and eatten by lions --human vs human fights to the death ( in old roman times)-- many humans by nature are often drawn to watch such things , humans often like "drama" and watching others suffer or to see "justice" done to the wicked * --plus if one had a "bad seed" kid --what better way to "scare" him straight? than to see where the living "bad life" winds you up at?

yes hanging were a "big" deal ---and of course folks did hawk their wares --food and drink to the crowd prior to the hanging (since very few could eat afterward--it was not a pretty sight to see a person hung )

 

[Toby1858]

I'd be on that like flies on ....... well you know!

 

[Tony66]

Thanks Ivan, I've read abunch that said the same thing you did and you can even see that today in todays sports. Everyone wants to see the hard tackle or see the race car accident or hockey fight. What I wasn't sure of is if it was still a party like get together as recently as the late 1800's. Thanks for clearing that up. I guess if you were born of that era, it wouldn't seem that odd. Do you think it was still a party during the early 1900's, I thought they were more private by then carried out by the local prison or law enforcement.

 

[aaren]

folks have always been drawn to bloodshed and uglyness * watching folks get killed and eatten by lions --human vs human fights to the death ( in old roman times)-- many humans by nature are often drawn to watch such things , humans often like "drama" and watching others suffer or to see "justice" done to the wicked * --plus if one had a "bad seed" kid --what better way to "scare" him straight? than to see where the living "bad life" winds you up at?

yes hanging were a "big" deal ---and of course folks did hawk their wares --food and drink to the crowd prior to the hanging (since very few could eat afterward--it was not a pretty sight to see a person hung )

And now we have reality shows...

 

[ivan salis]

yep I'd be "hanging out "where the old 1700 /1800 era gallows was. -- it was often a huge "party type" event back thien--- a sort of local super bowl -- of the local good (lawful folks) vs evil (bad folks) ----hanging was for killers and horse theifs and serious crimes as a rule, and if one had a unruly teen aged son -- taking him to see where life on the "wild side" of life wound up ( being hung)--would often "scare em" straight.