On the morning of the hanging, crowds gathered bright and early. More than 2,000 spectators came to watch. Businesses closed and schools were dismissed so children could attend.
The sheriff and three deputies led the convict up the thirteen steps to the gallows, put a black hood over his head, and slipped a noose around his neck.
The trap door sprang open at 10:06 a.m. and Brown plummeted through the gaping void. The rope jerked, then began to swing back and forth, hitting the opening on either side, over and over again. Brown’s neck was broken, but he still had a pulse and his body twitched reflexively. For 24 minutes, Brown swayed at the end of the rope, while the crowd watched in horrified silence. At 10:30, a doctor finally pronounced him dead.
Next location: Walk through Chess Park, and you'll find yourself back on Indiana Avenue.
