Hangman Is Finally Learning the Ropes

[Champ]

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Sri Lankan hangman Suranimala has never seen an execution, confesses the sight of the gallows makes him a little nervous and lacks the most crucial tool of his trade -- a rope.



The slight, soft-spoken 24-year-old has spent his first three years in the job pushing papers in the chief jailer's office at Welikada prison in Colombo, but all that is about to change.

Sri Lanka reactivated its dormant death penalty last month after a near 30-year-lull to combat a surge in grisly crimes and contract killings, which means it is now finally time for Suranimala to learn the ropes.

"I have not received any training yet but I am supposed to practice with a sand bag each time before I hang someone," he said, surrounded by dusty folders in the prison guards' office.

He gave only his nickname to hide his identity.

"My girlfriend is not particularly pleased about the fact that I must hang people for a living, so she doesn't want anyone else to know about my profession," he said. His girlfriend's parents are still in the dark.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=583&ncid=583&e=1&u=/nm/20041220/od_nm/crime_srilanka_deathpenalty_dc

[Danger Duck]

1. It's a shame

Who wants to die and have the last thing that anyone remembers about you be that you weren't well hung.