Tales Of Botched Execution part 2
A botched execution refers to an execution attempt that does not proceed as planned, resulting in complications, errors, or failures in carrying out the intended method of capital punishment. These complications can range from malfunctioning equipment, such as the failure of the electric chair or lethal injection apparatus, to errors in judgment or execution by the appointed officials, leading to prolonged suffering or even survival of the condemned individual. Botched executions often raise questions about the efficacy and humanity of the chosen method of execution, as well as broader ethical concerns surrounding the practice of capital punishment.
Hi everyone and welcome back to the dark history podcast where we explore the darkest parts of human history. hope everyone is well I’m Rob your host as always. Welcome to season 3 episode 8, Tales Of Botched Execution part 2. I did the first part of this episode way back in season 1 and I though that in todays episode I could bring you some more of these stories. In this episode, we explore the haunting tales of executions gone awry, shedding light on the grim realities and unforeseen mishaps that have plagued the history of capital punishment. From malfunctioning equipment to unexpected interventions, each story serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities and moral dilemmas inherent in the practice of carrying out the ultimate penalty.
So without further ado please turn off those lights sit back and relax next to the fire for more dark history.
John Henry George Lee was born in the tranquil village of Abbotskerswell in August of 1864, where he spent his formative years immersed in the rural charm of his surroundings. Following his academic endeavors, he embarked on a journey into the world of employment, finding himself in the service of Emma Keyse, a notable spinster residing at The Glen in a serene coastal enclave, affectionately known as Babbicombe in those days.However, the tides of fate soon led him down a different path, as he answered the call to duty and enlisted in the esteemed British navy at Devonport. Despite his valiant service, a cruel twist of fate intervened, resulting in his premature discharge due to injury after a mere three years of dedicated service.Undeterred by adversity, Lee sought new opportunities, eventually finding employment under the esteemed Colonel Brownlow, who presided over the stately residence of Ridge Hill in the bustling town of Torquay. Yet, amidst the grandeur of his new surroundings, temptation proved too great a foe, as he found himself entangled in a regrettable incident. the year 1883 marked a somber chapter in John Lee's life, as he faced the consequences of his actions. Convicted of the theft of silverware valued at £20 from his esteemed master, he stood before the courts with a heavy heart. Despite his admission of guilt, justice was swift and unforgiving, casting him into the depths of Exeter Prison for a term of six months of hard labor.
Following his release from the confines of Exeter Prison in the year 1884, Lee found himself at a crossroads, grappling with the weight of his past transgressions. Yet, amidst the shadows of his tumultuous history, a glimmer of hope emerged as Miss Keyse, extended an olive branch of redemption.
Moved by a sense of compassion and perhaps a lingering fondness for the young man she had once employed, Miss Keyse offered John Lee a second chance at The Glen, the idyllic haven where he had once toiled as a humble servant. It was here, amidst the comforting familiarity of his former workplace, that John Lee reunited with his half-sister Elizabeth Harris, who diligently served as the household’s cook.
However, fate’s cruel hand dealt a devastating blow on the fateful evening of November 15th, when tragedy befell The Glen in the form of a raging inferno. Amidst the chaos and despair, the lifeless body of Miss Keyse was discovered, her throat gruesomely slit, shattering the tranquility of the once-peaceful household.
The inferno, it seemed, was not merely a random act of nature, but a sinister ploy orchestrated by the perpetrator to obliterate any trace of their heinous deed. Suspicion swiftly fell upon John Lee, then a mere 20 years of age, who, according to accounts, was the sole male presence within the confines of The Glen at the time of the harrowing incident.
Fueling the flames of suspicion was John Lee’s strained relationship with Miss Keyse, exacerbated by a recent altercation over his wages. Although the evidence against him remained circumstantial, the tendrils of doubt ensnared him tightly. A telltale cut upon his arm, allegedly sustained while attempting to quell the inferno’s fury, offered a fragile alibi amidst a sea of uncertainty.
Yet, in the unforgiving realm of justice, the burden of proof weighed heavy upon John Lee’s shoulders. Unable to provide a satisfactory account of his whereabouts during the pivotal moments of the tragedy, he found himself cast into the merciless jaws of the legal system. Following a solemn inquest, he was inexorably drawn towards the hallowed halls of Exeter Assizes, where the fate of his future hung precariously in the balance, poised upon the scales of justice. An inquest convened before a jury within the confines of St Marychurch Town Hall, commencing a mere two days following the grisly murder that shook the tranquil corridors of The Glen. Twenty-five testimonies echoed within the hallowed chambers, each a haunting echo of the tragic events that unfolded on that ill-fated night. Among the witnesses, the voices of Elizabeth Harris, the steadfast cook, and the venerable maidservants Eliza and Jane Neck resonated with solemnity, painting a vivid pocture of the events preceding the heinous act.
As the cloak of darkness enveloped the truth, the jury delivered a damning verdict, casting a shadow of suspicion upon John Lee, holding him accountable for the untimely demise of Miss Keyse. Guided by the directives of the coroner, the solemn proclamation of “Wilful murder by John Lee” , forever intertwining his name with the chilling specter of guilt.
In a bygone era where justice often faltered under the weight of societal norms, John Lee’s fate hung precariously in the balance as the trial commenced within the hallowed halls of Exeter Guildhall on February 2nd, 1885. Represented by Reginald Gwynne Templer, a figure whose ties to both the victim and the accused lent an air of perplexing irony to the proceedings, the stage was set for a legal drama fraught with intrigue and speculation.
Yet, fate, it seemed, had other designs, as Reginald’s sudden illness thrust his younger brother Charles and the esteemed Liberal MP for St Ives, John St Aubyn, into the forefront of the defense. As the trial unfolded, whispers of scandal and clandestine affairs swirled amidst the courtroom, casting a pall of uncertainty over the proceedings.
Throughout the trial, John Lee steadfastly maintained his innocence, his protestations echoing within the hallowed chambers of justice. However, amidst the flurry of legal maneuvering, his defense faltered, with no witnesses called to testify on his behalf and the prosecution’s case resting upon tenuous threads of circumstantial evidence.
Despite the lackluster nature of the prosecution’s case, the jury, swayed by the prevailing winds of suspicion, rendered a swift and damning verdict, condemning John Lee to the ultimate punishment: death by hanging. And thus, amidst the echoes of a society grappling with its own notions of justice, the tragic saga of John Lee reached its chilling denouement.
On the fateful day of February 23, 1885, Exeter Prison bore witness to a series of harrowing events as three earnest attempts were made to execute Lee, only to meet with failure each time. Despite the meticulous preparations by the appointed executioner, James Berry, the trapdoor of the scaffold stubbornly refused to open, plunging the proceedings into chaos. Adding to the drama, the medical officer present adamantly refused to continue any further, leading to the abrupt cessation of the execution attempts.In the aftermath of this macabre ordeal, James Berry meticulously chronicled the events in his memoirs, "My Experiences as an Executioner." Within its pages, Berry painstakingly recounts the minute details of the failed executions, shedding light on the adjustments made to the trapdoor using rudimentary tools like a saw and an axe between the successive attempts. Interestingly, while Berry's memoirs and his correspondence with the Under-Sheriff only allude to two attempts, the historical narrative speaks of three, shrouding the entire episode in an air of mystery and intrigue.The failure of the execution attempts prompted swift action from the authorities. Home Secretary Sir William Harcourt, confronted with the unprecedented circumstances, took the extraordinary step of commuting Lee's sentence to life imprisonment. The Home Office wasted no time in launching a thorough investigation into the malfunction of the apparatus. It was soon revealed that during the relocation of the gallows from the old infirmary to the coach house, a minor misalignment in the draw bar had occurred. This seemingly insignificant misalignment caused the hinges of the trapdoor to bind, preventing it from executing its grim task with precision.Despite the commutation of his sentence, Lee's plight did not end there. He embarked on a relentless campaign, petitioning successive Home Secretaries for his release. His perseverance eventually bore fruit, and after enduring over two decades of incarceration, Lee was finally granted his freedom in 1907, marking the end of a long and tumultuous chapter in his life.It is worth noting that the saga of Lee's failed executions is not an isolated incident in history. Remarkably, Joseph Samuel's name emerges from the history books, echoing a similar tale of resilience and survival. In September 1803, Joseph Samuel became the only other documented case in history known to have survived three hanging attempts, further highlighting the extraordinary nature of these rare occurrences.
After his release, Lee seems to have exploited his notoriety, supporting himself through lecturing on his life, even becoming the subject of a silent film. Accounts of his whereabouts after 1916 are somewhat confused, and one researcher even speculated that in later years there was more than one man claiming to be Lee. It was suspected that he died in the Tavistock workhouse sometime during the Second World War. However, more recent research concludes that he died in the United States under the name of "James Lee" in 1945. According to the book The Man They Could Not Hang, Lee's gravestone was located at Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee in 2009.
For our next story we head to 17th century England and the story of james Scott. James Scott, previously known as James Crofts, entered the world as the eldest offspring of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter. Born around April 1649 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, his arrival coincided with Charles’s exile near The Hague, where his liaison with Lucy unfolded the year prior. In his formative years, James and Charles shared scarce moments together, their interactions limited during the initial twelve years of James’s life. Nonetheless, his presence would profoundly influence both his father and the political landscape of the Restoration era.
James had a very turbulent and difficult children. Before he was even born, Charles left for Scotland in his attempt to claim the Scottish and English thrones.
When James was a mere year old, he endured a ten-day abduction, suspected to be orchestrated by agents of Cromwell’s Commonwealth regime, possibly to eliminate a future threat to the republican rule. Seeking refuge and support, his mother, Lucy, relocated with him to Breda and then Paris, where she became involved with Viscount Taaffe, resulting in the birth of her daughter, Mary, in 1651.
However, Lucy’s relationship with Taaffe faltered in 1655, prompting her return to The Hague with her children, causing ongoing scandals for the royalists. By January 1656, Charles and his advisors, troubled by Lucy’s actions, provided her with financial aid and sent her and her children to England. Despite a brief stay in London, the Cromwellian government’s apprehension led to their arrest, imprisonment in the Tower of London, and subsequent deportation back to the Netherlands in July.
Back in Flanders, Charles took custody of his son, James, amid further turmoil. There were subsequent kidnapping attempts, notably one orchestrated by Charles’s associates in December 1657, which ended in a botched and public debacle. In April 1658, James was placed under the care of Lord William Crofts, after one of Charles’s men seized him and fled for six months. Tragically, James’s mother, Lucy, passed away in December 1658, leaving him orphaned at just nine years old.
In 1662, two years after Charles II had been crowned, he sent for James to join him at the English court. Although they had not spent much time together, the twelve-year-old boy quickly won over his father, who was said to dote on him.
Charles quickly began elevating James’ position. Arrangements were made for James to marry Anne Scott, Countess of Buccleuch, a wealthy Scottish heiress. Anne’s father had long stipulated that any man who married his daughter would take the family name, so in preparation for the wedding, James changed his surname to Scott. On 14 February 1663, James was granted the titles of Duke of Monmouth, Earl of Doncaster, and Baron Scott of Tynedale, and given precedence over all dukes not of royal blood and in March of that year, he was nominated as a Knight of the Garter.
This rapid change in lifestyle, wealth, status and privilege quickly went to James’ young head. Monmouth was living so extravagantly within just a few years of arriving at court, that he ran up debts of £18,000 by 1667, despite his enormous sources of revenue, and had to be given an advance on his pension to pay them off. He seemed to care only for frivolity and fun, and soon his reputation suffered. When it came to women, he also followed in his father’s footsteps. His relationship with his wife, Anne, was amicable but distant and, although they had six children together, two of whom died in infancy, the first was not born until nearly ten years after their wedding. Throughout their marriage Monmouth had a string of mistresses as well as more casual liaisons. In 1669 he had a daughter with Elizabeth Waller. By 1673 he was having an affair with Moll Kirke, a popular court beauty who was also fooling around with Monmouth’s uncle, the Duke of York, and other courtiers. He met Eleanor Needham in 1674, and they went on to have an affair lasting about seven years, resulting in the birth of four children. His final, well known mistress was Henrietta Maria Wentworth.
Monmouth swiftly proved himself as a skilled military figure, demonstrating prowess both at sea and on land. At the tender age of 16, he served in the Royal Navy during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, aiding in the victory of Solebay under his uncle, James Duke of York. Promoted to captain of cavalry in June 1666, he further ascended to captain of the Life Guards by September 1668, a post secured after compensating the incumbent captain generously.
During the onset of the Third Anglo-Dutch War, Monmouth led 6000 English and Scottish troops dispatched to serve in Louis XIV’s army in France. His leadership culminated in the successful siege of Maastricht in July 1673, garnering commendation for his strategic acumen. As Charles groomed Monmouth for greater responsibilities, he entrusted him with the oversight of army matters, elevating him to a position of significant authority. With the passing of the previous commander in 1670, all army affairs fell under the purview of a committee reporting directly to Charles. However, by 1674, the king directed that Monmouth should receive all army orders first, effectively positioning him as the conduit for royal approval, thus solidifying his ascent within the ranks of the armed forces.
In February 1685, the dreaded moment arrived as Charles II breathed his last, ushering in the reign of James II of england. Meanwhile, Monmouth resided in The Hague, where James wasted no time in dispatching orders to have him apprehended. However, William of Orange, forewarned of the impending arrest, alerted Monmouth, enabling his swift escape.
Amidst the growing discontent among Scottish and English Protestants in exile, plans to overthrow James quickly took shape. Within a remarkably brief span, Monmouth, fueled by assertions of his rightful claim to the throne and buoyed by regional support, agreed to spearhead the rebellion, rallying the loyalists of the west country of England to his cause. With a motley crew of volunteers, soldiers, and local sympathizers, Monmouth launched his campaign against the new monarch.
Despite his fervent belief in his cause, Monmouth’s Rebellion ultimately faltered, resulting in his capture by James II’s forces. Incarcerated in the Tower of London, Monmouth pleaded desperately for his life, even offering to embrace Catholicism to appease the king. Yet, James remained steadfast in his resolve, rejecting Monmouth’s entreaties. Found guilty of treason, Monmouth faced his fate with a modicum of dignity, granted the privilege of a beheading as opposed to the ignominy of hanging—a concession befitting his noble lineage.
On 15 July 1685, Monmouth was led out to the scaffold at Tower Hill to be executed. It is said that before laying his head on the block, Monmouth specifically bade Jack Ketch, the executioner,finish him at one blow, saying he had mauled others before. Disconcerted, Ketch did indeed inflict multiple blows with his axe, the prisoner rising up reproachfully the while – a ghastly sight that shocked the witnesses, drawing forth execrations and groans. Some say a knife was at last employed to sever the head from the twitching body.
Robert-François Damiens was born on 9 January 1715 in La Thieuloye, a village near Arras in northern France. Damiens led a tumultuous life marked by early enlistment in the army and subsequent employment as a domestic servant at the Jesuit college in Paris. However, his dismissal from various positions due to misconduct, led to his infamous moniker “Robert le Diable,” or Robert the devil. Despite debates about his mental state, some historians argue that Damiens may have been mentally unstable. Interrogation records suggest that he was deeply affected by the controversy surrounding the French Catholic clergy’s refusal to grant sacraments to Jansenist sect members, leading him to blame the king and formulate a plan to punish him.
On the 5th of January 1757, at 4:00 pm, amidst the bustling scene of the King entering his carriage at the Palace of Versailles, Damiens boldly surged past the King’s vigilant bodyguards, swiftly brandishing a penknife to strike him. Despite his audacity, he made no attempt to flee and was promptly seized. The King, Louis XV, fortunately wore thick winter attire that offered some protection, resulting in only a minor wound inflicted by the knife, which pierced a mere 1 cm into his chest. However, the sight of blood prompted Louis to urgently summon a confessor, fearing for his life. As the Queen rushed to his side, Louis sought forgiveness for his indiscretions, acknowledging his numerous affairs. Damiens was swiftly apprehended and subjected to torture in a bid to extract information about any accomplices or instigators. Despite these efforts, he remained resolute in silence. Subsequently, he faced trial and was condemned by the Parlement of Paris as a regicide, receiving the grim sentence of being drawn and quartered by horses at the Place de Grève.
Fetched from his prison cell on the morning of 28 March 1757, Damiens allegedly said "La journée sera rude" or The day will be hard". He was first subjected to a torture in which his legs were painfully compressed by devices called "boots". He was then tortured with red-hot pincers; the hand with which he had held the knife during the attempted assassination was burned using sulphur; molten wax, molten lead, and boiling oil were poured into his wounds. He was then remanded to the royal executioner Charles-Henri Sanson, ironically sanson later go on to execute King Louis XVI. After emasculating Damiens, they harnessed horses to his arms and legs to be dismembered. But Damiens's limbs did not separate easily: the officiants ordered Sanson to cut Damiens's tendons, and once that was done the horses were able to perform the dismemberment. Once Damiens was dismembered, to the applause of the crowd, his reportedly still-living torso was burnt at the stake.
After his death, the remains of Damiens's corpse were reduced to ashes and scattered in the wind. His house was razed, his brothers and sisters were forced to change their names, and his father, wife, and daughter were banished from France.
thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to this dark episode.
The though of being executed is terrifying but for it then to go wrong, and take long than it should must make the person's experience ten times worse. The beheading ones are just awful because the person would more then likely still be alive when they are chopping down on there neck. Even in Damien's execution, it sounds like he was alive for most of it, the pain must have been unbearable.
As for John lee, well, he must have been one of the luckiest people alive. His hole existence there after hung quite literally in the balance, and all that was wrong was a misaligned hinge that is utterly mental.
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