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myhauntedsalem · 3 years

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Man They Could Not Hang

Throughout the past 100 years, the myths surrounding John ‘Babbacombe’ Lee’s story have taken on a life of their own.

Urban legends, ghostly sightings and tales of supernatural intervention have grown far beyond what anybody in 19th century South Devon could have imagined for the lowly manservant.

Lee, nicknamed The Man They Could Not Hang, came to prominence when he was convicted of murdering his employer, Emma Keyse, and setting fire to her Babbacombe home, called The Glen.

Mike Holgate, of Torquay, an expert on John Lee, said: “During his trial, the prosecution portrayed Lee as a depraved lunatic capable of smashing an old lady’s head with an axe, then slashing her throat with a knife.

“The judge, in passing sentence of death, remarked how calm Lee’s demeanor had been throughout the trial.

“Lee is said to have leaned forward in the dock and replied firmly: ‘The reason why I am so calm is that I trust in the Lord, and He knows I am innocent.’

“In the days leading up to the date of execution, Lee read the Bible prodigiously and proclaimed his innocence.

“It is said he told the prison chaplain the real culprit was the lover of his half-sister, Elizabeth Harris, who was cook at The Glen and expecting a child which was later delivered out of wedlock in Newton Abbot Workhouse.”

The prison governor’s logbook states on the morning of the execution, as Lee approached the gallows trapdoor, he told two prison guards he had dreamt ‘three times the bolt was drawn, and three times the bolt failed to act’.

Lee was a lonely figure on the gallows, but each time an attempt was made to open the trapdoor, it stuck. After each failed attempt the trapdoor was tested and it opened normally, but when Lee stood on it again the door would not open. Three times this happened, each with the same outcome. It is rumored that throughout the ordeal on the scaffold, a white dove perched on the gallows until the condemned man was led safely back to his prison cell.

The Home Secretary told Parliament he could not expect a man to ‘twice face the pangs of imminent death’. Lee began a 23-year prison sentence in Exeter, and from that day the myths about his life spread across the world. Witchcraft and devilish incantations were often talked of when people tried to reason Lee’s escape from death. Friends of Lee claimed they had paid a white witch handsomely to save him from the noose.

Other people told stories of how Lee’s mother had visited the church graveyard near her home at Abbotskerswell, recited the Lord’s Prayer backwards and summoned the Devil to save her son. Also, an old woman called Granny Lee, from Ogwell, is said to have told locals ‘they shall not hang him’ as she walked to Exeter on the morning of the execution and cast a spell on the gallows from a spot overlooking the prison.

In 1905, the witchcraft theory gained credence from a surprising source, the Archdeacon of Westminster, Basil Wilberforce. At the time of the murder he had been a regular visitor to Babbacombe, where he addressed temperance meetings organized by a distinguished neighbor of Emma Keyse, Lady Mount-Temple of Babbacombe Cliff. The churchman was chaplain to the House of Commons and vehemently opposed a growing campaign for Lee’s release. He informed the Home Office that he ‘knew the Lees well’ and said they were ‘a well-known witch family on Dartmoor’.

Whether miracle or sorcery, the events on the scaffold cast doubt in many people’s minds about Lee’s guilt. The editor of The Times, who poured scorn on the Home Secretary’s decision to eventually reprieve Lee, said Lee’s story would ‘encourage foolish and superstitious people to believe, in spite of evidence as clear as noonday, that Lee was wrongfully convicted’.

Mike added: “The Home Office didn’t help themselves, because they refused to release details about the trapdoor malfunction for 100 years, so the myths grew. “There were even questions asked in Parliament at the time. I can’t understand why they wouldn’t announce the details, and they had all the speculation to go through again when he left prison 23 years later.”

After his release, Lee went to London, where he then eloped with a barmaid, abandoning his wife who was expecting their second child. He then seemingly disappeared without trace, having reportedly visited Australia, America and Canada and Mike Holgate only recently discovered that Lee died in 1945.

Mike traced the grave to a cemetery in Milwaukee, America. Records show Lee died, aged 80, on March 19, 1945. The legend certainly did not die with Lee, however, because Mike recently recorded a number of spooky tales about The Man They Could Not Hang. He said: “A strange event added to the mystery more than a century later when a pub named the John Lee opened on Babbacombe Downs at Easter, 1989. “At the beginning of June, the swinging pub sign bearing the logo of a hanged man fell to the ground on three consecutive nights for no discernible reason.

#Man They Could Not Hang #paranormal #ghost and hauntings #ghost and spirits #haunted salem #myhauntedsalem

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doomandgloomfromthetomb · 3 years

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Fairport Convention - The Man They Could Not Hang (BBC TV 1975)

More Fairport Confusion! Here we've got a cool 1975 BBC documentary that goes into deep detail about the mystery of folk hero John "Babbacombe" Lee — AKA "The Man They Could Not Hang." Lee was the subject of Fairport's 1971 Babbacombe Lee LP, and the band's excellent live performances serve as a kind of Greek chorus for the hour-and-a-quarter film, along with broadsides delivered by none other than Martin Carthy. Scholarly investigation into 19th century gallows tech! Silent films from Australia! Toothless old Brits speculating! And a whole lot of Swarb. What more could you possibly ask for?

#fairport convention #martin carthy

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nemesisbinxartifactseries · 4 years

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Artifact Series J

J. Allen Hynek's Telescope

J. Edgar Hoover's Tie

J. McCullough's Golf Ball

J. Templer's Wind-Up Tin Rooster *

J. C. Agajanian’s Stetson

J.T. Saylors's Overalls

J.M. Barrie’s Swiss Trychels

J.M.W. Turner's Rain, Steam and Speed-The Great Western Railway *

J.R.R. Tolken's Ring

Jack-in-the-Box

Jack's Magic Beanstalk

Jack Daniel's Original Whisky Bottle

Jack Dawson's Art Kit

Jack Duncan's Spur *

Jack Frost's Staff

Jack Kerouac's Typewriter

Jack Ketch's Axe

Jack LaLanne's Stationary Bike *

Jack London's Dog Collar

Jack Parson's Rocket Engine

Jack Sheppard's Hammer

Jack Sparrow's Compass

Jack Torrance's Croquet Mallet

Jack the Ripper's Lantern *

Jackie Robinson's Baseball

Jackson Pollock's "No. 5, 1948"

Jackson Pollock's Pack of Cigarettes

Jackson Pollock's Paint Cans

Jack's Regisword

Jack Vettriano's "The Singing Butler"

Jack's Wrench

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmarchen

Jacob "Jack" Kevorkian's Otoscope

Jacob Kurtzberg's Belt *

Jacqueline Cochran's Brooch

Jacques Aymar-Vernay’s Dowsing Rod

Jacques Cousteau's Goggles

Jacques Cousteau's Diving Suit

Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps *

Jade Butterfly

Jadeite Cabbage

Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar's Smoke Pipe

Jamaica Ginger Bottle

Jaleel White's Hosting Chair

James Abbot McNeill Whistler's Whistler's Mother *

James Allen's Memoir

James Bartley's Britches

James Ben Ali Haggin's Leaky Fountain Pen

James Bert Garner’s Gas Mask

James Bett's Cupboard Handle

James Braid's Chair *

James Brown's Shoes

James Bulger's Sweater

James Buzzanell's Painting "Grief and Pain"

James Buzzanell’s Survey Books

James C. McReynolds’ Judicial Robe

James Chadwick's Nobel Prize

James Clerk Maxwell's Camera Lens

James Colnett's Otter Pelt

James Condliff's Skeleton Clock

James Cook's Mahiole and Feather Cloak

James Craik's Spring Lancet

James Dean's 1955 Prosche 550 Spyder, aka "Little Bastard"

James Dean's UCLA Varsity Jacket

James Dinsmoor's Dinner Bell

James Eads How’s Bindle

James Earl Ray's Rifle

James Fenimore Cooper's Arrow Heads

James Gandolfini's Jukebox

James Hadfield’s Glass Bottle of Water

James Hall III’s Shopping Bags

James Henry Atkinson's Mouse Trap

James Henry Pullen’s Mannequin

James Hoban's Drawing Utensils

James Holman’s Cane

James Hutton's Overcoat

James Joyce’s Eyepatch

James M. Barrie's Grandfather Clock

James M. Barrie's Suitcase

James Murrell's Witch Bottle

James Philip’s Riata

James Prescott Joule's Thermodynamic Generator

James Smithson's Money

James Tilly Matthews’ Air Loom

James Warren and Willoughby Monzani's Piece of Wood

James Watt's Steam Condenser

James Watt's Weather Vane

James W. Marshall’s Jar

Jan Baalsrud’s Stretcher

Jan Baptist van Helmont's Willow Tree

Jane Austen's Carriage

Jane Austen's Gloves

Jane Austen's Quill

Jane Bartholomew's "Lady Columbia" Torch

Jane Pierce's Veil

Janet Leigh's Shower Curtain

Janine Charrat's Ballet Slippers

Jan Janzoon's Boomerang *

Janis Joplin's Backstage Pass from Woodstock *

Jan Karski's Passport

Janus Coin *

Jan van Eyck’s Chaperon

Jan van Speyk's Flag of the Netherlands

Jan Wnęk's Angel Figurine

Jan Žižka's Wagenburg Wagons

The Japanese Nightingale

Jar of Dust from the Mount Asama Eruption

Jar of Greek Funeral Beans

Jar of Marbles

Jar of Molasses from The Boston Molasses Disaster

Jar of Sand

Jar of Semper Augustus Bulbs

Jar of Shiva

Jar of Sugar Plums

Jascha Heifetz's Violin Bow

Jason Voorhese's Machete

Javed Iqbal's Barrel of Acid

Jay Maynard's Tron Suit

Jean II Le Maingre's Gauntlets

Jean Baptiste Charbonneau’s Cradleboard

Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin's Bubble Pipe

Jean Chastel's Silver Gun

Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin's Pocket Watch

Jean Fleury's Aztec Gold Coins

Jean-François Champollion’s Ideographic Dictionary

Jean Froissart's Mirror *

Jean-Frédéric Peugeot's Pepper Mill

Jean Hilliard’s Earmuffs

Jean Parisot de Valette’s Sword Sheath

Jean-Paul Marat's Bathtub

Jean Paul-Satre’s Paper Cutter

Jean-Pierre Christin's Thermometer

Jean Senebier's Bundle of Swiss Alpine Flowers

Jean Valnet's Aromatherapy Statue

Jean Vrolicq’s Scrimshaw

Jeanne Baret's Hat

Jeanne de Clisson's Black Fleet

Jeanne Villepreux-Power's Aquarium

Jeannette Piccard's Sandbag

Jeff Dunham's First Ventriloquist Box

Jefferson Davis' Boots

Jefferson Randolph Smith's Soap Bar

Jeffrey Dahmer's Handkerchief

Jeffrey Dahmer's Pick-Up Sticks

Jemmy Hirst's Carriage Wheel

Jenny Lind's Stage Makeup

Jeopardy! Contestant Podiums

Jerome Monroe Smucker's Canning Jars

Jerry Andrus’ Organ

Jerry Garcia's Blackbulb *

Jerry Siegel's Sketchbook

Jesse James' Saddle

Jesse James' Pistol

Jesse Owens' Hitler Oak

Jesse Owens' Running Shoes

Jesse Pomeroy's Ribbon and Spool

Jester's Mask

Jesus of Nazareth's Whip

Jesús García's Brake Wheel

Jet Engine from the Gimli Glider

Jet Glass Cicada Button

Jethro Tull's Hoe

Jeweled Scabbard of Sforza

Jiang Shunfu’s Mandarin Square

Jim Davis' Pet Carrier

Jim Fixx's Shorts

Jim Henson's Talking Food Muppets

Jim Jones' Sunglasses

Jim Londos' Overalls

Jim Robinson's Army Bag

Jim Thorpe's Shoulder Pads

Jim Ward's Piercing Samples

Jimi Hendrix's Bandana

Jimi Hendrix's Bong

Jimi Hendrix's Guitars *

Jimmie Rodgers Rail Brake

Jimmy Durante's Cigar

Jimmy Gibb Jr's Stock Car

Jimmy Hoffa's Comb

Jin Dynasty Chainwhip

Jingle Harness

Joan II, Duchess of Berry's Dress

Joan of Arc's Chain Mail

Joan of Arc's Helmet (canon)

Joan Feynman's Ski Pole

Joanna of Castile's Vase

Joan Rivers' Carpet Steamer

Joan Rivers' Red Carpet

Joe Ades's Potato Peeler

Joe Girard’s Keys

Joe Rosenthal's Camera Lens

Joel Brand's Playing Cards

Joséphine de Beauharnais' Engagement Ring

Johan Alfred Ander’s Piece of Porcelain

Johann Baptist Isenring’s Acacia Tree

Johann Bartholomaeus Adam Beringer's Lying Stones

Johann Blumhardt's Rosary

Johann Dzierzon’s Beehive Frame

Johann Georg Elser's Postcard

Johann Maelzel's Metronome *

Johann Rall's Poker Cards

Johann Tetzel's Indulgence

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Prism

Johannes Brahms' Coffee Creamer

Johannes Diderik van der Waals' Gloves

Johannes Fabricius' Camera Obscura

Johannes Gutenburg's Memory Paper *

Johannes Gutenburg's Printing Press *

Johannes Gutenberg's Printing Press Keys

Johannes Kepler's Planetary Model

Johannes Kepler's Telescope Lense

Johannes Kjarval’s Landscape Painting

John A. Macready's Ray-Bans *

John A. Roebling's Steel Cable

John A.F. Maitland's Musical Brainnumber *

John André’s Stocking

John Anthony Walker's Minox

John Axon's Footplate

John Babbacombe Lee’s Trapdoor

John Bardeen's Radio

John Bodkin Adams’ Stethoscope

John Brown's Body *

John Brown's Machete

John C. Koss SP3 Stereophones

John C. Lilly's Isolation Tank Valve

John Cabot's Map

John Carl Wilcke's Rug *

John Crawley's Painting

John Croghan's Limestone Brick

John Dalton's Weather Vane

John Dee's Golden Talisman

John Dee's Obsidian Crystal Ball

John Dee’s Seal of God

John DeLorean's Drawing Table

John Dickson Carr's Driving Gloves

John Dillinger's Pistol *

John D. Grady’s Satchel

John D. Rockefeller's Bible

John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and Jr.'s Top Hats

John Dwight's Hammer

John F. Kennedy's Coconut

John F. Kennedy's Presidental Limousine

John F. Kennedy's Tie Clip *

John Flaxman's Casting Molds

Sir John Franklin's Scarf

John Gay's Shilling

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.'s Pen

John H. Kellogg's Bowl

John H. Kellogg's Corn Flakes

John H. Lawrence's Pacifier

John Hancock's Quill

John Harrison’s Longcase Clock

John Hawkwood’s Lance

John Hendrix's Bible

John Henry Moore's White Banner

John Henry's Sledge Hammer

John Hetherington's Top Hat

John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter's Torture Rack

John Holmes Pump *

John Hopoate's Cleats

John Howard Griffin's Bus Fare

John Hunter's Stitching Wire

John Hunter's Surgical Sutures

John J. Pershing's Boots

John Jacob Astor's Beaver Pelt

John Jervis’ Ship

John Joshua Webb’s Rock Chippings

John Kay's Needle

John Keat's Grecian Urn *

John, King of England's Throne

John L. Sullivan's Boots

John Langdon Down's Stencils

John Lawson's Mannequin Legs

John Lennon's Glasses

John "Liver-Eating" Johnson's Axe

John Logie Baird's Scanning Disk *

John M. Allegro's Fly Amanita

John Macpherson's Ladle

John Malcolm's Chunk of Skin

John Malcolm's Skin Wallet

John McEnroe's Tennis Racket *

John Milner's Yellow '32 Ford Deuce Coupe

John Moore-Brabazon’s Waste Basket

John Morales' McGruff Suit

John Mytton’s Carriage

John Pasche's Rolling Stones Poster Design

John Paul Jones's Sword

John Pemberton's Tasting Spoon

John Philip Sousa's Sousaphone

John Rambo's Composite Bow

John Rykener's Ring

John Shore's Tuning Fork

John Simon's Mouthwash

John Simon Ritchie's Padlock Necklace

John Smith of Jamestown's Sword

John Snow's Dot Map

John Snow’s Pump Handle

John Stapp’s Rocket Sled

John Steinbeck's Luger

John Sutcliffe's Camera

John Sutter's Pickaxe

John Tunstall's Horse Saddle

John Trumbull's "Painting of George Washington"

John von Neumann's Abacus

John Walker's Walking Stick

John Wayne Gacy's Clown Painting *

John Wayne Gacy's Facepaint

John Wesley Hardin's Rosewood Grip Pistol

John Wesley Powell's Canoe

John Wesley Powell’s Canteen

John Wilkes Booth's Boot *

John Wilkes Booth Wanted Poster

John William Polidori's Bookcase

Johnny Ace's Gun

Johnny Appleseed's Tin Pot *

Johnny Campbell's University of Minnesota Sweater

Johnny Depp's Scissor Gloves

Johnny Smith's Steering Wheel

Johnny Weismuller's Loincloth *

Joker's BANG! Revolver

Jon Stewart's Tie

Jonathan Coulton's Guitar

Jonathan R. Davis' Bowie Knife

Jonathan Shay's Copy of Iliad/Odyssey

Jonestown Water Cooler

Jorge Luis Borges' Scrapbook

José Abad Santos' Pebble

José Delgado’s Transmitter

Jose Enrique de la Pena's Chest Piece

Jōsei Toda’s Gohonzon Butsudan

Josef Frings’ Ferraiolo

Josef Mengele's Scalpel

Josef Stefan's Light Bulbs

Joseph of Arimathea's Tomb Rock

Joseph of Cupertino's Medallion *

Joseph Day's Sickle

Joseph Ducreux's Cane

Joseph Dunninger's Pocket Watch

Joseph Dunningers’ Props

Joseph E. Johnston Confederate Flag

Joseph Force Crater's Briefcases

Joseph Fourier's Pocket Knife

Joseph Glidden’s Barbed Wire

Joseph Goebbels' Radio *

Joseph Jacquard's Analytical Loom

Joseph Bolitho Johns’ Axe

Joseph Kittinger's Parachute

Joseph Lister's Padding

Joseph McCarthy's List of Communists

Joseph Merrick's Hood

Joseph-Michel Montgolfier's Wicker Basket

Joseph Moir’s Token

Joseph Pilate's Resistance Bands *

Joseph Polchinski’s Billiard Ball

Joseph Stalin's Gold Star Medal *

Joseph Stalin's Sleep Mask *

Joseph Swan's Electric Light

Joseph Vacher's Accordion

Joseph Vacher's Dog Skull

Joseph Valachi's '58 Chevrolet Impala

Josephus' Papyrus

Joseph Wolpe's Glasses

Josephine Cochrane's Dishwasher

Joshua's Trumpet *

Josiah S. Carberry's Cracked Pot

Joshua Vicks' Original Batch of Vicks Vapor Rub

Josiah Wedgewood's Medallion

Jost Burgi's Armillary Sphere *

Jovan Vladimir's Cross

Juana the Mad of Castiles' Crown

Juan Luis Vives' Quill Set

Juan Moreira’s Facón

Juan Pounce de Leon's Chalice

Juan Ponce de León's Helmet

Juan Seguin's Bandolier

Jubilee Grand Poker Chip *

Judah Loew ben Belazel's Amulet *

Judas Iscariot’s Thirty Silver Coins

Judson Laipply's Shoes

Jules Baillarger's Decanter

Jules Leotard's Trapeze Net

Jules Verne's Original Manuscripts

Julia Agrippa's Chalice

Julia Child's Apron *

Julia Child's Whisk

Julian Assange’s Flash Drive

Julie d’Aubigny's Sabre

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg's Wedding Rings

Julius Asclepiodotus’ Shield Boss

Julius Caesar's Wreath

Julius Wilbrand's Lab Coat Buttons *

Jumanji

Jumper Cables

Junji Koyama’s Vegetables

Jure Sterk's Ballpoint Pen

Jürgen Wattenberg's Leather Provision Bag

Justa Grata Honoria’s Engagement Ring

Justin Bieber's Guitar

Justinian I's Chariot Wheel

Justin O. Schmidt's Wasp Mask

Justus von Liebig's Fertilizer Sack

Justus von Liebig's Mirror

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red-hot-moon · 6 years

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Number 4 for the three songs ask game :)

Thank you!

4. three songs that you know thanks to your parents

My parents are/were huge music lovers and my dad was especially a fan of obscure 60s and 70s music, haha. So I will say In-a-gadda-da-vida by Iron Butterfly, John Babbacombe Lee by Fairport Convention and Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meat Loaf (courtesy of my dad) and Bruce Springsteen - The River, John Hiatt - Crossing Muddy Waters and Jackson Browne - Running on Empty (courtesy of my mum).

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husheduphistory · 3 years

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Broken, Stuck, and Astounding Luck: The Dodged Demise of John Lee and Joseph Samuel

John Henry George Lee led a life full of accusations. Born in Abbotskerswell, Devon, England in 1864 he was in and out of trouble early on and left school to work for an elderly woman named Emma Anne Whitehead Keyse at her beachside estate called “The Glen.” He left the home to join the Royal Navy but trouble followed him there and he quickly became known as a thief. When his bad habits caught up with him in 1883 he was taken to court, convicted of robbery, and sentenced to hard labor at Exeter. Upon his release he returned to The Glen. Keyse opened her door to him once again, not realizing what lay ahead.

The Glen. Image via bbc.com/uk.

An illustration of The Glen. Image via http://murderresearch.com/

On November 15th 1884 Keyse’s home in Babbacombe Bay transformed into a grisly murder scene when the old woman was found with her throat slit, multiple wounds to her head, and a number of burns that seemed to point to an unsuccessful attempt to burn the body. The only people living at The Glen at the time of the murder was the now deceased Keyse, servants Jane and Eliza Neck, the cook Elizabeth Harris, and John Lee. All eyes immediately turned to Lee, not only because he had a cut on his arm he could not explain, but also because he was the only man in the house at the time of the murder. Although totally circumstantial, this was enough “evidence” to arrest him. The accusations were thin, that Keyse was disappointed in his behavior and threatened to cut his wages so he murdered her in cold blood, something that the prosecution argued was in line with his previous life of theft in the Royal Navy. The verdict was harsh, he was quickly convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. He was oddly calm throughout the trial, stating to the judge “The reason I am so calm is that I trust in the Lord and he knows I am innocent."

John Henry George Lee. Image via murderpedia.com

Lee’s execution date was scheduled for February 23rd 1885 at Exeter and he never wavered in claiming his innocence. He approached the scaffolding where executioner James Berry and a priest waited for him. The final prayers were said, Lee took his final breaths, and Berry pulled the lever to drop the trap door beneath Lee’s feet ending his life. Except nothing happened. The trap door never opened. Berry had tested the door and lever before the execution and reported that everything was in working order but now, despite the lever being moved back and forth and the trap door being stomped on, it refused to open. Lee’s still very much alive body was carried away from the gallows and a carpenter was brought in to examine the door. Finding nothing wrong with it, he sanded down the edges of the opening to prevent anything from being in the way of the trap door dropping. A large weight was fastened to a rope to test the trap door and it worked perfectly, dropping the weight through with one pull of the lever. Lee was brought back, the prayers were once again recited, the lever pulled, and again nothing happened. The door and the convict both remained in place. Lee was again moved from the gallows and this time he was taken back to his cell for twenty minutes while the entire system was looked over, oiled, and tested by workmen. Unable to find anything wrong, Lee was brought out to the gallows to meet his end for a third time. Again the prayers were said, the prisoner positioned, the lever pulled…and nothing happened.

With no clear explanation to what was keeping Lee from what should have been certain death, he was again taken back to a cell. But, the execution would not resume. Within hours Home Secretary Sir William Harcourt commuted the sentence to penal servitude for life stating "It would shock the feeling of anyone if a man had twice to pay the pangs of imminent death."

Lee served twenty-two years of his sentence and was released in 1907. He quickly took advantage of his new reputation of “The Man They Could Not Hang”, supporting himself by giving lectures about his life and becoming the subject of silent films and songs.

Newspaper discussing The Man They Could Not Hang. Image via bbc.com/uk.

Amazingly, John Henry George Lee is not the only man in history who can claim they were denied death by the gallows three times. In fact, he was not even the first to earn the bizarre title. That honor belongs to Joseph Samuel who defied death over fifty years earlier.

Joseph Samuel was born in England in 1780 and quickly found himself enveloped in a life of crime. At the age of fifteen Samuel was convicted of robbery and in 1801 he found himself among 297 other convicts making their way from England to the penal settlement at Sydney Cove in Australia. The prisons in Australia at the time were not heavily guarded due to their isolation. Situated far from any other form of civilization, if any prisoner was able to escape they would be faced with miles of harsh terrain and it was greatly assumed the wilderness would kill them. However, there are always exceptions to every rule, and Samuel was one of them. He successfully jumped the fence, ran out into the wilderness, and succeeded in coming out the other end of it alive.

Sydney From the West Side of the Cove painted by George Evans in 1802. Image via sydneylivingmuseums.com.au.

Samuel beat the odds with his escape, but the victory was short lived. On August 26th 1803 he and a gang of fellow thieves broke into the home of a wealthy woman named Mary Breeze and attempted to steal a desk with money hidden inside of it. Breeze was able to alert the police and an off duty officer Constable Joseph Luker went to investigate the scene, but instead of apprehending the culprits, he walked into an unfortunate end. Before sunrise his corpse was found in the back of Breeze’s home, brutally beaten to death. Laying near his body was the desk and a bloody wheel.

The murder of Constable Luker shocked the community and the military was called in to sweep the area in search of the murderers. Before long the house where Samuel and the rest of the gang of robbers was searched. In Samuel’s pockets were some of the stolen gold and silver coins and a barrow without its wheel was found inside the house. Everyone was arrested but due to a lack of evidence they were all eventually released, except for Samuel. A woman came forward and claimed she saw him near Breeze’s garden the night of the murder and after being interrogated Samuel finally admitted to the robbery but steadfastly insisted that he did not kill the officer. His confession combined with the coins and the broken barrow added up to enough to charge him with murder. He was brought into court and sentenced to hang in Brickfield Hill.

On September 26th 1803 twenty-three year old Joseph Samuel was led to the gallows to meet his end. Alongside him was another criminal, arrested and sentenced for an unrelated charge. A huge crowd had gathered to watch the execution and among them was Isaac Simmonds, one of the men arrested with Samuel and subsequently released. Reverend Samuel Marsden and Australia’s future first rabbi Joseph Marcus were on hand and when they asked the men for confession Samuel unleashed, stating that Simmonds had privately confessed to him that he was the murderer. Simmonds adamantly denied the charge but the crowd quickly turned on him, forcing the military to hold them back so the execution could proceed.

Painting of Brickfield Hill. Image via National Library of Australia.

When one pictures a scene of a hanging it will typically involve a scaffold and a trap door that opens up forcing the prisoner to drop to their death. As Joseph Samuel stood condemned to die, that form of hanging was still many years from being invented. In 1803 the convict would have a noose placed around their necks and they would be stood in the back of a horse-drawn cart. When the time came the horse would be startled or slapped making it pull the cart away from under the convict’s feet leaving them hanging and facing a slow, agonizing death. Samuel stood now in the back of a cart, head bent in prayer during his last few moments, and the cart was pulled away. But instead of Samuel being left to hang, the thick hemp rope around his neck snapped. He fell into the dirt below and sprained his ankle. The executioner quickly gathered up the prisoner and prepared to repeat the whole process. The hemp noose used at the time should have been able to hold over 1,000 pounds before breaking but a new one was quickly placed over his neck, the cart was returned, and again pulled away from under his feet. This time, the rope unraveled, leaving Samuel to hit the ground on his feet. Exasperated and certain of the integrity of the nooses, the executioner called the cart back again and set Samuel up for death a third time amid the large crowd growing louder and louder with some yelling that this was a sign of innocence from God. The third time the cart pulled away Samuel’s rope again snapped sending him into the dirt with his heart still racing. The crowd roared for the Governor to grant a reprieve and the Provost Marshal rode off to get his word. Before long the Governor was on site inspecting the ropes. After finding no evidence of tampering and without any explanation as to how they could have all broken, he declared his official ruling, Joseph Samuel would be spared from the sentence of death due to divine intervention.

Although pardoned from death Samuel was not given back his freedom and he was sent to Kings Town to work in the mines and fulfil a sentence of hard labor. In the years after his seemingly miraculous pardon from death, Samuel again tried to press his luck. In 1806 he and seven other prisoners escaped the settlement in a boat. But, his luck had indeed run out and the vessel was never seen again. All the men on board were declared drowned.

While there are many stories through time of people surviving botched executions, John Henry George Lee and Joseph Samuel are the only two known members of a very specific club, men who were each hanged three times in one day and lived to tell their tales.

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deadliveevents · 4 years

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John "Babbacombe" Lee: The Man They Could Not Hang The man with two graves on two different continents: Convicted 19th-century killer John “Babbacombe” Lee cheated death on the gallows in England, became a minor celebrity, and died secretly in Milwaukee. https://www.cultofweird.com/crime/man-they-could-not-hang/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CElwSd6FlIW/?igshid=1hngp6apcxplk

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hyaenagallery · 4 years

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John “Babbacombe” Lee part 3 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, one recent piece of 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 by Mike Holgate and Ian David Waugh, Lee’s gravestone was found at Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. The only other man in history known to have survived three hanging attempts was Joseph Samuel. #destroytheday (throwback post from July 20th, 2015) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDl59mTBStA/?igshid=1qeplx73vo5nl

#destroytheday

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neon-flamingo · 6 years

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Pics from our Holiday in Devon (7th-14th Sept 2018)

Bygones Museum in Torquay, England ~ The period rooms Part 1.

The man in the cell (bottom pic) is John "Babbacombe" Lee also called "The Man They Couldn't Hang".

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riniivanka-blog · 7 years

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John "Babbacombe" Lee: 3 Kali Lolos dari Tiang Gantungan, Algojo Siap Eksekusi Tapi Ini yang Terjadi

Rini Ivanka John "Babbacombe" Lee: 3 Kali Lolos dari Tiang Gantungan, Algojo Siap Eksekusi Tapi Ini yang Terjadi Artikel Baru Nih Artikel Tentang John "Babbacombe" Lee: 3 Kali Lolos dari Tiang Gantungan, Algojo Siap Eksekusi Tapi Ini yang Terjadi Pencarian Artikel Tentang Berita John "Babbacombe" Lee: 3 Kali Lolos dari Tiang Gantungan, Algojo Siap Eksekusi Tapi Ini yang Terjadi Silahkan Cari Dalam Database Kami, Pada Kolom Pencarian Tersedia. Jika Tidak Menemukan Apa Yang Anda Cari, Kemungkinan Artikel Sudah Tidak Dalam Database Kami. Judul Informasi Artikel : John "Babbacombe" Lee: 3 Kali Lolos dari Tiang Gantungan, Algojo Siap Eksekusi Tapi Ini yang Terjadi Di tahun 1885 itu, dia seharusnya sudah tewas karena digantung. Ini sungguh adalah cerita yang aneh http://www.unikbaca.com

#Babbacombe #Rini Ivanka John Lee: 3 Kali Lolos dari Tiang Gantungan #Algojo Siap Eksekusi Tapi Ini

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albemarletradewinds · 7 years

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The Family Man show -- 6:30 pm Listen in Here http://ift.tt/2lmovpT

Listen in Here http://ift.tt/2lmovpT 7:30 pm Chris Edwards discusses the tax plan now circulating in Congress.

Listen in Here http://ift.tt/2lmovpT 8pm Tom Woods In 2010 I addressed the annual meeting of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. I spoke about government and health care, yes, but I also spoke about state nullification — not your usual topic at a physicians’ gathering.

9pm Listen in Here http://ift.tt/2lmovpT Daniel Lacalle, a Spanish economist and libertarian who runs Mises Hispano, joins Jeff Deist for an in-depth discussion of the facts behind the Catalan independence vote. Daniel makes the case against secession, based on economics, history, constitutionalism, anti-socialism, and his strong view that independence would result in less freedom for Catalans. Jeff disagrees, arguing for self-determination as a fundamental libertarian political principle that contemplates freedom to choose even bad political arrangements. Don't miss this show if you want to understand what is happening in Catalonia beyond the headlines.

10 pm Listen in Here http://ift.tt/2lmovpT In 1885, a convicted killer suddenly became a legend. Sentenced to death for the murder of his employer at her home on Babbacombe Beach, John Lee mysteriously survived three attempts to execute him at Exeter Prison. Having placed a noose around Lee’s neck, the hangman pulled a lever to release the trapdoors beneath the prisoner’s feet, but the doors refused to open. Amazingly, each time Lee was led away, the apparatus was tested and found to work perfectly. Presented & produced by Chris Batch...

10:30 pm Listen in Here http://ift.tt/2lmovpT

Eric Schleien interviews the CEO of wearwell, Erin Houston on topics from Social Entrepreneurship to spotting investment opportunity while making a difference in the world at the same time.

wearwell is a service (sort of like Stitch Fix or Le Tote). The difference is the company only carries ethically made clothing and accessory brands.

Erin has 7+ years of experience in global development, geeks out on sustainable supply chain strategy, and has loved design since she was very young. Most recently on the senior leadership team of Devex, a global development media company, she built partnerships and generated revenue from multinational corporations, donor agencies, foundations, NGOs, and social enterprises. She loves using her marketing, communications, and sales experience to motivate people to take collective action toward living their values.

M.A. Social Enterprise, American University SIS, 2015B.A. English, Government, The College of William & Mary, 2009Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware

#IFTTT #Blogger

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sorcjapan · 7 years

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☆FOR SALE☆ FAIRPORT CONVENTION/Babbacombe Lee (71, UK-RCA, ILPS9176)　(Disc/Cover)EX-/ EX- (Price) JPY4,090/USD40 http://bit.ly/2rzmyxj フェアポートというと時期によってまったく別のグループのようです。こちらは後期になりますが、冤罪の実話をモチーフにした一大傑作アルバム。この当時にしかないようななんとも言えないジャケも最高。 #レコード #vinyl #黑胶唱片 #sorc #records #recordsforsale #vinylforsale #LP #recordstore #recordshop #中古レコード #名古屋 #覚王山 #レコードショップ #babbacombelee #fairportconvention #rcarecords #コンセプトアルバム (SORC 60's-70's Used Records)

#lp #vinyl #sorc #レコードショップ #babbacombelee #覚王山 #recordstore #中古レコード #名古屋 #records #rcarecords #コンセプトアルバム #fairportconvention #recordsforsale #recordshop #レコード #黑胶唱片 #vinylforsale

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myhauntedsalem · 6 years

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The Man They Could Not Hang

Throughout the past 100 years, the myths surrounding John ‘Babbacombe’ Lee’s story have taken on a life of their own.

Urban legends, ghostly sightings and tales of supernatural intervention have grown far beyond what anybody in 19th century South Devon could have imagined for the lowly manservant.

Lee, nicknamed The Man They Could Not Hang, came to prominence when he was convicted of murdering his employer, Emma Keyse, and setting fire to her Babbacombe home, called The Glen.

“The judge, in passing sentence of death, remarked how calm Lee’s demeanor had been throughout the trial.

“Lee is said to have leaned forward in the dock and replied firmly: ‘The reason why I am so calm is that I trust in the Lord, and He knows I am innocent.’

“In the days leading up to the date of execution, Lee read the Bible prodigiously and proclaimed his innocence.

#The Man They Could Not Hang #paranormal #ghost and hauntings

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