Wednesday at the CFI&C… Midmorning
It is hanging day at the CFI&C. The condemned prisoners are taken from their cells and are placed in the holding cell to wait for their march to the gallows. Kathy is quite cooperative, not wanting to show her true fear of her fate.
She allows them to place the handcuffs on her wrists and be led naked but for the cuffs to the holding cell.
One of the condemned women does not cooperate as well. She has to be persuaded into going to the holding cell.
But with a bit of convincing she went with the guards.
The three women wait in the holding cell for their turn on the gallows.
It is midafternoon when they are brought onto the gallows. A noose is placed around each woman’s neck. But don’t think their hangings would come quickly. They have to stand noosed but naked before the crowd as their charges are read to the spectators that paid good money to see them hanged and a preacher had to pray that their suffering would cleanse they sins and allow them passage to heaven.
The ceremonies are over and they wait for the hangman to remove the bench they stand on.
There is a jerk and the bench is pulled away. The women are hanged before the cheering crowd!
For the spectators it was a beautiful struggle as the women fought the futile battle with the closing loops of rope. 24 minutes later Kathy Summer would join her two prisoners in death.
The three women’s bodies were left hanged until nightfall.