The Times Likes Something! The New York Times recently liked 12 Innocent Men
The Times also paid homage to Weegee. This article is much better than the last New York Times tribute to noir crime photography's gritty granddaddy.
(Weegee-inspired? Art via Men's Vogue)
My New Favorite Blog is http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/, which gives me that sinking-into-the-mattress-to-read feeling.
Executed Today features some clever writing and impressive scholarship. Recently they ran one of my very own personal favorite execution stories.
In New York Magazine: Sarah Weinman interviewed Kathryn Harrison about While They Slept and got some remarkable quotes. Says the author: "You could say there was some ugly gratification in exploring what it was like to pound your father's head in with a baseball bat because I am someone who felt murderously angry at my father." Harold Schechter would find that affirmation for some of his theories.
Just read the Executed Today about Mary Allen and Henry Simms.
It was sad.
There were, I believe in England at that time, 220 offenses that were punishable by execution in those days.
Here's something you all might find interesting (this concerned Lancaster Castle in the 17th century(I used to live nearby it)--:
Condemned prisoners en route to execution (including the (Pendle) witches) were allowed a free jug of ale at a pub just outside the Castle walls. They were given 10 minutes to drink it. One condemned man foolishly refused his last drink and was taken straight to the gallows. Just minutes later, a rider pulled up at the pub and ran inside waving a reprieve for the prisoner - but too late.
Poor man!
Posted by: carole gill | July 01, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Carole, did you used to post on Neil's Crimeblog UK? I think I know you from somewhere else?
Posted by: Fiz | July 01, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Hi, Carole -- you allude to the Saddler of Bawtry, which is a Yorkshire proverb. Here it is in Google books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=mmkKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA205&lpg=PA205
Although interestingly, there's at least one alternate version:
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-Gov09_12Rail-t1-body-d4.html
I should very much like to know if this bit of folklore has a factual basis, as I've been dying to use it! (And still might; it's too good to withhold for mere want of any factual basis.)
Has anyone got a name and a date to go with the saddler ... or strong intelligence to the effect that it's in the realm of fairy tale?
Posted by: Executed Today | July 05, 2008 at 01:16 AM
No Fiz,
never posted on there.
Only here and crimespace (which is dedicated to crime fiction)
And hi Executed Today!
No, not of Bawtry--
I went on a few tours of Lancaster Castle--lived in the area. I live in Yorkshire now and have been through Bawtry many times, but didn't know about that Saddler legend thank you!
Here is the address for where I got that information from that I posted:
http://www.uktravelbureau.com/regions/uk-travel-search-engine-england/lancashire.cfm
Inasmuch as there were two-hundred offenses whereby a person tripped off to the gallows (including children) I bet there were loads of stories like that. It was probably common practice to offer the condemned a last drink.
I have been to a few castles here and one of the scariest (whose prison is still used to this day)!! was Lancaster Castle.
I volunteered to walk into a dungeon and have the door slammed shut. it was something else.
btw prison cells were on different levels--there was disease and rodents and horror.
It might further interest all of you to know that the Quaker (Friends) movement was begun in Lancaster Castle! in response to the rather dire "living" conditions!
What would they have thought of our modern prisons, I wonder?!
Posted by: carole gill | July 05, 2008 at 06:44 AM
Executed today,
I found out that the Saddler was supposed to have been imprisoned in York Castle.
So I would think it was based on truth.
Go to the web page for the Castle--in York and see what you can find out.
Come back and let me know--and I'll try to help if I can.
Posted by: carole gill | July 05, 2008 at 06:53 AM
Executed today,
sorry, I forgot to put this in:
there's an option for an email, they'd definitely know if it were true or not.
http://www.yorkcastlemuseum.org.uk/Page/Contact.aspx#museumcontacts
Posted by: carole gill | July 05, 2008 at 06:56 AM