Few images are more closely associated with France and its Reign of Terror than the guillotine. The horrifying execution device seems to be a relic of the past that faded away with […]
The Reign of Terror of the Nazi Guillotine
Homicidal Horses, Predatory Pigs, Robber Rats: Trials and Executions of Animals in Medieval Courts
These pages have documented many unusual stories and facts relating to capital punishment. Regardless of your personal views on the subject, it probably goes without saying that you assume we are talking […]
The Teenager Who was Executed Twice
In the long list of people who have been executed by the electric chair, Willie Francis (1929-1947) was the first one to go through the process twice.
Losing Your Head Over France’s Not-Too-Distant Past
The guillotine came to symbolize the brutal Reign of Terror in France in the late 18th century. It is not something that was just used in distant history. The guillotine continued to […]
A Little Latin Could Get Your Neck Out of a Noose
Originally posted on English-Language Thoughts:
I had the increasingly rare pleasure of learning a new expression today: neck-verse. I was reading the prologue of the book 1599: A Year in the Life…
The Brutal Execution of Robert-François Damiens.
Originally posted on History of Sorts:
Regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a person of royalty. Through the ages there have been a…
Nothing Says, “I Love You” Like Your Husband’s Severed Head in a Bag
Sir Walter Raleigh’s life came to an end on October 29, 1618. On orders from James I, the executioner took Raleigh’s head from his shoulders (although needing two strikes of the axe […]
Leave ‘Em Laughing
Convicted murderer George Appel’s final words before being executed in the electric chair in New York in 1928 were – “Well, gentlemen, you are about to see a baked Appel.” Read more […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 