judicial hanging

judicial hanging

A method of public execution for capital crimes, which provides a highly visible deterrent without the blood and gore of beheading.
Mechanical types of judicial hangings
Short-drop hanging
The condemned drops a few inches, and the suspended body weight and physical struggling causes the noose to tighten, resulting in death by strangulation, carotid compression or vagal reflex.
 
Suspension hanging
The condemned is lifted mechanically. Death is as with short-drop hanging.
Standard-drop hanging
The condemned drops a predetermined amount, typically ±4–6 feet, which breaks the neck. This method was adopted in America in the late 1800s.
Long-drop hanging
Began in Britain in 1874, the fall distance after the trapdoors open is calculated based on weight, height and physique, and is designed to break the neck. This method was adopted in the British colonies and places that wanted “humane” executions.