Countdown to July 7

[L Verge]

Mary was granted the Last Rites of the Catholic Church before being led out of the Penitentiary. Her crucifix went with her to the gallows as a form of continued supplication for mercy as well as, I'm sure, a means of keeping her calm by reassuring her that Christ had faced the same situation and got eternal life.

As for the shoes, I have been told that when death came, both the bowels and bladder were likely to be released and foul the shoes, which were good commodities in those days before Payless Shoes and DSW. I have never had that confirmed, however. In the case of the conspirators, the bindings around their calves would prevent their legs from flailing, I would think.

You can thank John Elliott and Barry Cauchon for the high-resolution photos of the execution that have allowed us within the past few years to analyze the details. The first time I saw this scene of Mary Surratt, it was on an 8-foot screen -- and I nearly fell out of my chair. The faint outline of her facial features shocked me!