Buzz
The idea that someone who survives an execution cannot be legally executed again is largely a myth. This is why many death sentences conclude with the phrase "until dead." It signifies that no matter the method or duration, the sentence will be carried out to its ultimate conclusion.
However, this wasn't always the case. Historically, those who survived judicial executions were often spared further attempts on their lives. This was frequently interpreted as divine intervention or a sign of innocence. In other instances, it was simply due to flawed execution methods. Here are some examples of individuals who managed to survive their executions, even if only temporarily.
1. The Man Franks
A murderer, referred to as "The Man Franks" in an 1872 issue of an Australian newspaper, managed to survive his execution due to the sheer incompetence of his executioners. He also holds the dubious honor of being the first person executed in the short-lived Kingdom of Fiji, which would later become a British colony within two years due to financial troubles.
The executioners were inexperienced, and the event was delayed for hours because the sheriff found the scheduled time inconvenient. The rope they prepared got soaked in the rain and had to be dried over a fire. Then:
Before placing the noose around the condemned man's neck, the hangman had to sit down, put his foot in the loop, and pull with all his strength to tighten the knot. Even after positioning it over Franks' head, he struggled to make it fit snugly, leaving it far looser than it should have been.
Franks fell, but after three minutes of silence, he began to move and speak, pleading for an end to his suffering. Since his hands were poorly bound, he managed to grab the rope and remove it from his neck, forgiving those present for the botched execution. Eventually, an official cut him down, and he hit the ground hard, as no one had thought to cushion his fall.
After witnessing such a debacle, no one was willing to repeat the process, and Franks was spared further execution attempts. The officials and citizens opted to banish him instead, and the fledgling Fijian monarchy became a global laughingstock.
2. Anne Greene
In 1650, 22-year-old Anne Greene worked as a servant in Sir Thomas Read's household. She became pregnant by his grandson, though she insisted she was unaware of her condition. At 18 weeks, while churning malt, Anne felt ill and miscarried in the privy. Frightened, she hid the baby in ashes and dirt.
A statute at the time allowed any unmarried woman who concealed a pregnancy or stillbirth to be accused of infanticide. Despite midwives confirming the fetus was too underdeveloped to survive, Greene was hanged in Oxford Castle's courtyard. Her final words condemned the "immorality of the household she had served." She asked her friends to pull on her body to speed up her death, which they did. After being cut down, her body was sent to a medical school for dissection. However, upon opening the coffin, surgeons noticed faint breathing. Abandoning their original plan, they attempted to revive her using bleeding, cordials, and hot plasters—all of which she survived.
The public interpreted her survival as divine intervention, and Greene was pardoned. She took her coffin as a memento, moved to another town, married, and had children. Her father even considered charging people to meet her, using the funds to settle her medical and legal debts.
3. Half-Hangit Maggie
Maggie Dickson became pregnant while her husband was at sea, a dire predicament for a woman in 1724. She attempted to hide the pregnancy, which was illegal at the time, but her boardinghouse residents saw through her efforts. Opinions varied on whether the premature baby was stillborn, but it made little difference since Dickson had concealed the birth. She was hanged for her crime. Her family retrieved her body to prevent dissection, and during the journey to the cemetery, they heard knocking from inside the coffin. Maggie had survived, an event hailed as divine intervention. She gained fame as Half-Hangit Maggie, lived for another 40 years, and a tavern now stands near her execution site in her honor.
4. Inetta de Balsham
Inetta de Balsham was condemned to death in 1264 for sheltering thieves. Records state she was hanged at 9 a.m. on Monday, August 16, and left on the gallows until Thursday morning. When she was finally cut down, she was reportedly still alive. Her windpipe was described as "deformed and ossified," preventing the noose from fully compressing it. Her survival caught the attention of King Henry III, who granted her a royal pardon.
5. Romell Broom
Surviving a modern execution is nothing short of miraculous. Lethal injections are intended to be swift, painless, and error-free. Romell Broom's case proved that this isn't always the reality.
In 2009, Romell, found guilty of kidnapping, rape, and murder, became the first individual to survive a lethal injection execution. For two hours, executioners attempted to locate a viable vein for an IV line, inadvertently striking bone and muscle without successfully accessing a stable vein. Ultimately, Romell was returned to his cell and given a week's reprieve. His legal team argued that the botched execution constituted cruel and unusual punishment, sparking a broader campaign to reform lethal injection protocols in the U.S. They contended that executing Romell would eliminate crucial evidence for their case. He remains alive today, awaiting his appeal.
6. Ewan Macdonald
In 1752, Ewan Macdonald engaged in a heated dispute with Robert Parker. When Parker attempted to depart, Macdonald pursued him and fatally stabbed him in the throat. Convicted of murder, Macdonald was executed by hanging on Newcastle's town moor in England. His corpse was sent to a local medical school's dissection theater, a common fate for executed criminals at the time. These bodies were highly prized by surgeons, as they provided the only legal means to study human anatomy. This might explain why, upon discovering Macdonald alive and disoriented on the operating table, the surgeon seized a mallet, struck his head, and completed the execution. Legend has it that the surgeon later met his own demise when his horse kicked him in the head, an act some viewed as divine retribution.
More from The Week...
Animals that "Say" Their own Names
*
5 Creatures That Possess the Secret to Eternal Life
*
How Did Humans Master the Art of Three-Dimensional Painting?
