Hangman's Noose For Sale

A macabre reminder of attempts to execute the murderer who became known as 'the man they could not hang' has come up for auction.

It is a piece of the rope looped around the neck of 19th century killer John Lee when he was sent for execution in Exeter jail on February 23,1885.

At first light,the prisoner was escorted to the scaffold where executioner James Berry waiting to snap open the trap door,casting Lee to his death.

But as the prison official pulled the lever,instead of tumbling through the scaffold to his death,Lee did not move.

He was taken off the scaffold and stood blindfolded,bound,and in terror while warders jumped on the trapdoor to free the mechanism.

They thought they had solved the problem and Lee again prepared for death.

But again the mechanism failed.

Three attempts were made to hang him without success and after the final attempt all involved were so distraught that Lee was returned to his cell.

His sentence was then commuted to life imprisonment on the instructions of the Home Secretary.He served 22 years in jail and was released in 1907.

The 70-inch long piece of rope,complete with noose,is now up for sale in Mere,Wiltshire,this month.

It comes complete with a letter from James Berry,which read "I give it to you with all the more pleasure because it will remove a reminder of that awful morning."

Auctioneer Robert Finan said the piece was so unique there was no way of knowing how much it would fetch."It is a curious relic,a macabre piece of history" he said.