Joseph Samuels
Have you heard the one about the convicted robber who was hung three times but escaped with only a broken ankle? It may seem incredible, but everything about the story of Joseph Samuel is. Indeed, while he never earned sufficient infamy through his crimes to join the long list of legendary Australian outlaws like Ned Kelly, his lucky escape at the gallows have certainly gone down in history. Even to this day, the botched execution is regarded by many as a sign of divine intervention. Others, however, just put it down to pure, dumb luck.
While he made history in Australia, Samuel was actually born and raised in England, in 1780. By the time he was in his teens, he was already a criminal and in 1795, he was convicted of robbery. Rather than being sent to prison in England, like many of his kind, he was instead sentenced to transportation to Australia. So it was that in 1801, he and 296 fellow criminals set off on three ships to England’s penal colonies outside of Sydney.
At the time, the prisons were hardly super-max facilities. In fact, they were hardly guarded at all. They didn’t need to be. The facility Samuel was sent to was many miles from civilization. Anyone who got over the fence would have to deal with mile upon mile of inhospitable Outback. Many escaped prisoners simply died of thirst or hunger. But still, Samuel tried his luck. And he did get out. Before long, he was back to his thieving ways. With several other crooks, Samuel attempted to steal from the home of a wealthy lady. In the process, however, they ended up killing a policeman. When he was caught, Samuel admitted to trying to rob the old lady – but he swore he didn’t kill the policeman.
Despite his protestations, Samuel was named by the rich lady as the murderer. To his dismay, the rest of his gang were released without charge. Samuel was sentenced to be executed. When the day came, a huge crowd gathered to see him hang. With the noose around his neck, he once again protested his innocence – even after he had received a blessing from a priest. The horse pulling the carriage upon which he was standing slowly moved away, the platform went from under him and – snap! The rope snapped and Samuel fell to the ground, breaking his ankle. The hangman fixed another noose and tried again. But this time, it unraveled and was too long for the job.
By this point, the crowd were getting restless. Could this be a sign from above that Samuel was indeed innocent? If there was any doubt, it soon vanished. The hangman tried a third time. Again, the rope snapped. Now, the crowd was really mad. A policeman ordered that the execution be postponed. He fetched the Governor, who examined the ropes. There was no sign of any foul play. Perhaps, he reasoned, Samuel wasn’t supposed to die on that day. Maybe he was innocent after all. Or at least of murder. As such, he was brought back to court, convicted of robbery and sentenced to life behind bars, imprisoned but still alive.