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February 9, 2015

The City of Words

oldtownalley.jpg
It was around here that Deacon Brodie was hanged in 1788 in front of a crowd of 40,000.
In his rendition, Martin said Brodie wore a steel collar and inserted a silver tube into his throat to save himself. Some say he died, others say he escaped. Another story, told in Ian Rankin’s novel A Good Hanging, is that criminals who had been sentenced to hang were often given the chance to run the distance of the Royal Mile, a blood-thirsty crowd in pursuit. If the criminal reached the Royal Park before he was caught, he would be allowed to remain in safety, so long as he did not step outside the park’s confines.
- Roads & KingdomsRoads & Kingdoms

Posted by gerardvanderleun at February 9, 2015 9:35 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

Your Say

A man born to be hanged will never drown.

Posted by: chasmatic [TypeKey Profile Page] at February 9, 2015 9:38 AM

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