A mere legality

[Eric Nielsen]

A distant female relative of mine was "hung"--or at least her body was. I
came upon this story recently.

Iron cages were also used to contain the body:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Josephte_Corriveau

"....The general court-martial having tried Marie Josephte Corriveau, for
the murder of her husband, Dodier, the court finding her guilty, the
Governor (Murray) doth ratify and confirm the following sentence : — That
Marie Josephte Corriveau do suffer death for the same, and her body be hung
in chains wherever the governor shall think fit."

(Signed) THOMAS MILLS,
Town Major

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Marie-Josephte_Corriveau,_A_Canadian_Lafarge

Eric

On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 2:31 PM, Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: A mere legality
>
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>
> Mark's body was hung in chains, so I assume that the chains kept the body
more or less intact.
>
> In reference to your earlier email, I believe you are right:  Suicides
were buried at crossroads, and not just any roadside.
>
>
> John Baker
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Wilson Gray
> Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 1:10 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: A mere legality
>
> On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 12:56 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>> A notable instance is that of Mark, convicted together with a female
>> servant of petty treason for the murder of their master. � After being
>> hung in 1755, Mark's body was taken to Charlestown, where the crime
>> had been committed, and left hanging at a crossroads near the
>> Charlestown ferry, at a point where the road turned towards Medford
>> and Cambridge. � Mark's body is alleged to have been seen by Paul
>> Revere on his ride, 20 years later, but it is more likely that
>> Revere's reference is merely an identification of a well-known
>> location. � (It is certain that Mark's body was still there in 1758, 3
>> years after his execution, but there are only second-hand assertions
>> that it was still there until shortly before the Revolution.)
>
> But, what would have kept the remains hanging for even three years,
> without falling apart, let alone for twenty?
>
> --
> -Wilson
> -----
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
> to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> -Mark Twain
>
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