# How to conduct a hanging

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 16, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963 "2012-03-16T14:28:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963/21 "2012-03-18T00:18:42Z")

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> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> If, as Cecil reports, hanging has been discontinued, what is the current official method of execution for military convicts under the sentence of death?

[Lethal injection (PDF)](http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/r190_55.pdf):

> [@](#):
>
> 3–1. General  
> Military executions will be by lethal injection.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963/22 "2012-03-18T00:30:33Z")

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This might be of interest: [Capital punishment by the United States military - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_by_the_United_States_military)

Eisenhower and then JFK approved the last actual execution of a U.S. serviceman: [John A. Bennett - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Bennett)

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**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963/23 "2012-03-19T19:45:12Z")

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Charcoal burning would be my preferred method, probably combined with anaesthesia of some sort.

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**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\
**Post date:** [March 23, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963/24 "2012-03-23T23:06:07Z")

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> [@Cheshire\_Human](#):
>
> General anesthesia, as for surgery, followed by cutting off your oxygen after you’re under.

A few years ago, Michael Portillo looked into various methods for a _Horizon_ documentary and settled on hypoxia using some more-or-less inert gas (most likely nitrogen) based on veterinary studies (and some time in a hypobaric chamber).

Interestingly, the notion wasn’t all that well-received. The folks he spoke with at the end of the program felt it was **too** humane.

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**Author:** ![2012mynach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/a4c791/32.png) [@2012mynach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2012mynach)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-conduct-a-hanging/615963/25 "2012-03-24T17:27:13Z")

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For thoroughly gruesome details, go to [Hanged by the neck until dead. The process of judicial hanging](http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanging2.html). Actually, after the introduction of the UK drop tables in the 19th century, if one must have capital punishment, then long-drop hanging seems much quicker (less than 20 seconds) than the protracted ritual of lethal injections

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