Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Noose, Hangman's |
Catalog Number |
1951.19 |
Date |
05/25/1911 |
Material(s) |
Hemp/Metal/Leather |
Dimensions |
H-240 W-7 D-2.5 inches |
Description |
Hemp rope with hangman's noose tied in one end. The rope is three ply, 5/8" in diameter. The noose has 11 loops in the knot. The short end coming out of the noose is separating and fraying. The rope is approximately 19 feet in length between the noose and the other end. The end without the noose has a knot. The loose end of the knot is frayed. Tied into the knot is a metal rectangular loop that is sewn into a leather strap with a metal buckle. All the metal on the leather strap is painted black. |
Notes |
This hangman's noose was used in the last public hanging in Frankfort, Kentucky. It was the execution of Roger Warren on May 25, 1911. During the early 20th century there were efforts to change the manner of state executions. The electric chair was the new preferred method, and the event was not going to be in public anymore. These changes were made after the execution of Roger Warren. The next state execution was eighteen-year-old James Buckner who was executed by electric chair inside the Kentucky State Penitentiary on July 8, 1911. Public hanging executions not held by the Commonwealth of Kentucky continued in Kentucky after Warren's death. The last one in Kentucky occurred in 1936, when 20,000 people gathered to watch the hanging of Rainey Bethea, in Owensboro, KY, for rape and murder. |
Collection |
John Lucas Collection |
Subjects |
death penalty Hangings Ropes |
Search Terms |
Frankfort (Ky.) Franklin County (Ky.) Kentucky |
Physical Holder |
Kentucky Historical Society - KHS |