William Frederick Horry

At his trial on 31 March 1872, he pleaded insanity but the prosecution successfully argued that the crime was premeditated. He was sentenced to death by hanging the following day.

William refused all appeals and was executed by William Marwood on 1 April. William Marwood had never hanged anyone before, but persuaded the authorities in Lincoln to allow him to try a new "long drop" method. The long drop method is designed to snap the condemned person's neck instantly, causing unconsciousness and eventually asphyxiation. It was considered a more humane method than the existing short drop method that had been used for centuries. The execution went without any complications and Marwood went on to hang 176 people.

A memorial to William Frederick Horry exists in Burslem, Staffordshire consisting of a granite obelisk. William is buried in a simple grave in the Lucy Tower of Lincoln Castle. The grave (featuring only the initials of the condemned and the date of death) is well preserved and is still visible, along with many other criminals' graves.^[4]

The name Horry is still common in the Lincolnshire area, but William's particular line apparently died out following the First World War.^[5]

• Official Table of Drops - The long drop method evolved into this standardised method which was used for British hangings until 1964. It is still used in many countries around the world.