[ProtectOurFreedom]

There is some fine writing in the quoted article. It’s so much more enjoyable to read than today’s unimaginative junk.

Then at two minutes before noon, the 22nd and 24th U.S. president touched the spring to open eternity beneath Gaffney’s feet, and efficiently snapped his neck.

[edwinland]

Going back even further, there’s a superb quote in the contemporaneous newspaper article they quote. Apparently the prisoner was pretending to be insane to escape hanging but his appeal was denied and when Cleveland delivered the bad news he dropped the charade. According to the article:

“He recovered his senses on being told he will certainly lose them on Friday”