History is full of presidential anomaly : James Buchanan is the only president to remain abachelorfor his entire terminus . Woodrow Wilson is the only president to havea doctorate . Gerald Ford is the only president to hold apromin the White House . And George W. Bush is the only one to haverun a endurance contest . Then , there ’s Grover Cleveland — the only U.S. President of the United States to have served as an executioner .
“ Big Steve , ” as he was make out back then , took the life-time of two criminals when he was the Erie County Sheriff , a place he was elected to in 1870 . The first to foregather the hangman ’s noose under Cleveland was 28 - yr - oldPatrick Morrissey , who had been convicted of hit his female parent with a clams knife during a bibulous disagreement about money .
Knowing that Sheriff Cleveland had been wrestle with doing the deed , Deputy Richard Harrisvolunteeredto do it for him . “ Big Steve ” had the right field to nominate a foster executioner for $ 10 , but Cleveland worsen in the conclusion , feel he should turn over down the punishment himself .
On September 6 , 1872 , the succeeding president compact the lever tumbler that released the trapdoor under Morrissey . “ … this little calamity made Mr. Cleveland a grim man for several day thereafter,”The New York Times[PDF ] later reported — and , unfortunately , he had another one loom .
The second execution get even worse . John Gaffney had been convicted of fatally shooting a man in the head while act cards at a saloon . As with Morrissey , Gaffney was sentenced to decease by flow . Once again , Cleveland insisted on carry out the penalisation himself . alas , when the sheriff pulled the lever , the 5 - foot drop collapse Gaffney ’s neck opening but did n’t kill him . It took the man23 minutesto die .
Cleveland hold up the line for justone termbefore returning to his career in jurisprudence , but he could n’t leave the writ of execution behind entirely — when he melt for President of the United States , his opponentsdubbedhim the “ Buffalo Hangman . ”
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