The Execution
Nelson had never had a murder case before this case. Gallows were specially constructed which allowed three men to be hanged simultaneously. A hangman was summoned from Wellington. 5 October was the date of execution. At approximately 8:30am Burgess, Levy, and Kelly were hanged. Burgess and Levy died instantly, however Kelly choked. Death masks were made of heads of the convicted for the pseudoscience of phrenology. It is unknown what occurred with the bodies, and there are many urban legends about the burial of the three bodies.
Read more about this topic: Maungatapu Murders
Famous quotes containing the word execution:
“Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forced by the occasion.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
“If I were asked to chose between execution and life in prison I would, of course, chose the latter. It’s better to live somehow than not at all.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)