A haunting matter of life and death

THE Last Hangman opens with a long quoted outline of measures, rope lengths and formulas necessary for calculating, with allowances for weight and height, the most efficient possible manner of execution.

The ritualistic element of the practice is clear, but the information is presented in such matter-of-fact fashion that what comes across is the innate sense of craftsmanship, an assurance that the hands in charge are as able and knowing in their duties as those of a carpenter or a surgeon.