A portrait of 19th century Yorkshire Hangman James Berry (1852-1913) of Heckmondwyke. He refined the long drop method developed by William Marwood to diminish suffering of the prisoner being hanged. He was known for a number of negative incidents in his career including being responsible for the commuted sentence of John Babbacombe Lee – "The Man They Couldn't Hang" – in 1885( The trap door repeatedly failed to open ); the decapitation of one man and the near decapitation of others. He was finally relieved of his post.

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Size: 3049px × 3543px
Photo credit: © Colin Waters / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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