The case of Joseph Samuel stands out among Australian executions of the 19th century. Samuel was an Englishman, or rather an English boy, sent to a penal settlement at Sydney Cove for a crime committed in 1795 when he was 14 years old. But he was a man in Australia, and continued to commit crimes at the colony, where security was pretty lax due to authorities with the mindset of “Where can they go?”
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After being convicted of the brutal murder of a policeman, Samuel was led to the gallows. Yet despite rope inspections, the hanging failed over and over again. Was it divine intervention after Samuel’s last minute prayers? Was it a trick arranged ahead of time? Samuel had already tried a last minute stunt to deflect blame for the crime. What should be the legal remedy in such a case? Read about the crimes of Joseph Samuels, the mysteriously botched execution, and what ultimately became of him at Amusing Planet.
(Image credit: Joseph Lycett)
Source: neatorama