Uncle Gallows-wallah

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Singapore’s hangman is a semi-retired 73 year old desi named Darshan Singh. This man, who looks like any other jolly uncle on the street, has executed over 850 prisoners in his 46 years at the job.

Darshan Singh holds the world’s record for executions: 18 men in one day, three at a time. He takes real pride in his work, bragging that he has never botched an execution. The government pays him $312 for each execution and he gets to dress casually at his job, “often just a T-shirt, shorts, sports shoes and knee-length socks.” [Link]

<

p>His next execution is likely to be that of convicted Australian drug trafficker Van Tuong Nguyen.

Nguyen will meet Mr Singh a few days before he is executed and will be asked if he would like to donate his organs.

On the day before his execution, Mr Singh will lead him to a set of scales close to his death-row cell to weigh him.

Mr Singh will use the Official Table of Drops, published by the British Home Office in 1913, to calculate the correct length of rope for the hanging. “I am going to send you to a better place than this. God bless you.”

On the day of Nguyen’s execution, Mr Singh will be picked up by a government vehicle and driven to the prison, arriving at 2am local time (0400 AEST) to prepare the gallows.

Shortly before 6am, he will handcuff Nguyen’s hands behind his back and lead him on his final short walk to the gallows, just a few metres from the cell.

… Darshan Singh will place a rope around the 25-year-old’s neck and say the words he has spoken to more than 850 condemned prisoners during his 46 years as Singapore’s chief executioner.

“I am going to send you to a better place than this. God bless you.”

[According to his colleague:] “Death has always come instantaneously and painlessly. In that split second, at precisely 6am, it’s all over.” [Link]

<

p>He’s still working because the government is having a hard time finding somebody to replace him: “Mr Singh tries to comfort them if they are completely alone in the world at such a horrible time.”

“He tried to train two would-be hangmen to replace him, a Malaysian and a Chinese, both in the prison service,” the colleague said.

“But when it came to pulling the lever for the real thing, they both froze and could not do it.

“The Chinese guy, a prison officer, became so distraught he walked out immediately and resigned from the prison service altogether…” [Link]

<

p>Darshan Singh acquired his trade by accident rather than by design:

Mr Singh joined the British colonial prison service in the mid-1950s after arriving from Malaysia. When the long-established British hangman Mr Seymour retired, Singh, then 27, volunteered for the job. He was attracted by the bonus payment for executions. “It’s all I know. It has become my bread and butter.”

“He also used to cane convicted criminals after training in this field,” the colleague said.

“The pay then was 50cents per stroke. He could wield a cane as well as he could wield a cricket bat.”

Mr Singh lives happily with his second wife and is close to their three adult adopted children.

His first wife left him years earlier because she could not accept what he did. He had kept it a secret from her for years.

When his colleague asked him why he had stayed so long in such a gruesome job, he replied: “It’s all I know. It has become my bread and butter.” [Link]

The article makes him out to be a caring sort, not a sadist:

Mr Singh reportedly spends time getting to know the condemned prisoners, especially those who do not receive visitors or religious support.

“He is a very kindly man and although it’s his job to end their lives he does feel for them,” his friend said. “Mr Singh tries to comfort them if they are completely alone in the world at such a horrible time.” [Link]

Up till now, his identity has been a closely held secret but he was outed by the Australian press because of the interest in the Nguyen case. Even now he can’t comment directly on the case, so most of the information about him was given by a friend. [Via BoingBoing]

UPDATE: Darshan Singh can retire now, we’ve found a replacement. I’ll see if we can get a similar topless shot of him, but for now, this will have to do:

86 thoughts on “Uncle Gallows-wallah”

  2. That is just morbid and barabaric beyond belief. Killing a 25 year olf man for smuggling drugs is pure evil and it is an evil system that sentences a man to death for that crime. Send him to jail for a long long time – but kill him? Evil.

  4. that picture should be censored. i just threw up a little in my mouth.

    really, there’s no need for that kind of horror when i check this page, first thing in the morning.

  6. He sold his soul for a cheap quarter of a million dollars. I wonder if he will ever regret this decision and how he justifies it to his family and friends? I am sure it must be discussed at social gatherings etc. Would it matter if he performed the task in a more progressive country? I think my outrage is due in part to a feeling that the punishment is not commensurate with the crime.

  7. Rixatrix: hell yeah – I was about to eat lunch, now my appetite’s vanished. The picture is just as horrifying as his occupation.

  8. Ek Aurat, from the bottom of the piece:

    His first wife left him years earlier because she could not accept what he did. He had kept it a secret from her for years. When his colleague asked him why he had stayed so long in such a gruesome job, he replied: “It’s all I know. It has become my bread and butter.”

    As for society, most people didn’t know what he did. Again, from the bottom:

    Up till now, his identity has been a closely held secret. He was recently outed by the Australian press because of the interest in the Nguyen case.

    I think they thought that he was simply an employee of the prison system.

  9. No offence to the SM guys, but Mr Singh is old enough to be a grandfather to many of us — do we really have to humiliate him further by displaying this kind of picture ? Especially when you consider the type of comments it’s generating.

    The topic itself is both interesting and controversial, but I do think that the photo should be changed. Imagine if your own father or grandfather was being displayed like this on a globally-accessible discussion forum.

  10. That is quite the photo. He’s really channeling Jabba the Hutt, isn’t he? I do like the cowprint pillows though.

    The most shocking part about this is his executioner’s uniform:

    “often just a T-shirt, shorts, sports shoes and knee-length socks.”

  11. I didn’t put it up b/c I thought it was a negative phot – I put it up b/c he seems so average, just an ordinary uncle. The contrast between the image and the job is striking.

  15. Manish,

    You mean like The Australian?

    True but it doesn’t mean the rest of us have to stoop to that level too 😉

    Ennis,

    I didn’t put it up b/c I thought it was a negative phot – I put it up b/c he seems so average, just an ordinary uncle. The contrast between the image and the job is striking.

    You’re right, but he looks like a practically-naked “ordinary uncle”. Perhaps it would be better to have a photo where he was dressed a little more “decently” (if one is available), to protect the guy’s dignity if not also to prevent people’s negative reactions to his lack of attire.

  16. Yes, knee-length socks are quite shocking.

    Eh. I’ve never really thought about what a Singaporean executioner might wear but I don’t think I would have envisioned a t-shirt and shorts.

  17. Though the photo may cause a variety of reactions, an important part from The Austrailian article: ‘[Mr Singh reportedly spends time getting to know the condemned prisoners, especially those who do not receive visitors or religious support.

    “He is a very kindly man and although it’s his job to end their lives he does feel for them,” his friend said. “Mr Singh tries to comfort them if they are completely alone in the world at such a horrible time.” ]’

  18. Eh. I’ve never really thought about what a Singaporean executioner might wear but I don’t think I would have envisioned a t-shirt and shorts.

    It’s hot and humid there. Imagine a big and burly midwestern tourist visiting Florida. Disneyworld, prison, whats the difference?

    This guy is old school, atleast with the socks thing.

  19. I am surprised at the disgust that some mutineers are displaying at this poor-poor man just because he is trying to make a living, and dislikes formal attire. So what he does not have 6-pack abs and bulging biceps, he seems like a awesome person with a pleasant smile and a casual attitude. He has good taste too. And stop pretending that his photo made you throw your lunch up, that is due to the acid-reflux so cut back on alcohol and eat healthy.

    Mr. Singh is my hero. He is ridding this earth off of the scum and we are all better for it.

    And by the by, for some reason SE Asian countries have recognized the Desi talent for this kind of invaluable service. I have seen photos/videos of brown men performing the lesser version of this service, namely splitting the bad guyÂ’s arse with a bamboo cane. Powerful stuff, they can convert a (|) to (#) in 10 whacks!.

  20. …that is due to the acid-reflux so cut back on alcohol and eat healthy.

    Ha! It’s as if you’re reading my thoughts. Or my blog. Thanks for the health tips, in any case.

  21. You’re right, but he looks like a practically-naked “ordinary uncle”. Perhaps it would be better to have a photo where he was dressed a little more “decently” (if one is available), to protect the guy’s dignity if not also to prevent people’s negative reactions to his lack of attire.

    I can’t confirm, but it doesn’t look like voyeurism to me. I sense something of a regal pose. (And what a pose it is.)

  22. I didn’t put it up b/c I thought it was a negative phot – I put it up b/c he seems so average, just an ordinary uncle. The contrast between the image and the job is striking.
    You’re right, but he looks like a practically-naked “ordinary uncle”. Perhaps it would be better to have a photo where he was dressed a little more “decently” (if one is available), to protect the guy’s dignity if not also to prevent people’s negative reactions to his lack of attire.

    Jai Singh – this is how he posed for the reporter from the Australian, and I believe it is the only photo available at all (based on a quick examination of articles on the subject).

  23. ‘[Mr Singh reportedly spends time getting to know the condemned prisoners, especially those who do not receive visitors or religious support. “He is a very kindly man and although it’s his job to end their lives he does feel for them,” his friend said. “Mr Singh tries to comfort them if they are completely alone in the world at such a horrible time.” ]’

    Rani – thanks, I’ve updated the piece to include those quotes.

  24. The government pays him $312 for each execution

    Any budding entrepreneurs out there should get some “expert” executioners from the motherland on a H1B visa and take a sizable cut. Texas alone could make you a rich man!

  25. I realize this is a “somebody’s got to do it” kind of job, but I find the cavalier attitudes of Mr Singh & his colleagues disturbing. For Christ’s sake he could have looked respectable for this interview.

  26. For Christ’s sake he could have looked respectable for this interview.

    What should we do? Hang him?

    Actually in Singapore being topless in your home might be a criminal offense.

  28. Having lived in Singapore, I can quite categorically state that they dress rather casually. What uncleji’s wearing is actually quite common ‘at home’ attire for a Singaporean Indian. Now whether he should have dressed up for the ‘interview’. The only quote attributable directly to him is that ‘he couldn’t comment because of the official secrets act’, everything else is attributed to a colleague. May be the picture was supplied by said colleague ?

    I have no idea why I spent so much time on this 🙂

  29. is the outrage over Singh uncle and his job or his shirtlessness, or is the outrage over the young man about to witness Singh’s expertise. I don’t think we can get down on the guy for doing a job that most people scoff at. Besides, you all know your dads lounge around the same way, so quit acting like you just got flashed or molested 😉

    I know, I know, the true outrage is that he’s not a doctor or engineer.

  33. dudes, he helps kill people. agree or disagree, can we lay off “just a job.”

    razib, I think there’s something different from what Singh does versus a regular ole garden-variety killer. He’s simply carrying out orders from someone else. If the judicial system in Singapore includes the option of hanging, as opposed to or in addition to gas or lethal injection… well it’s a whole different post and discussion. Are you saying that as an absolute, killing is bad?

  34. [sanctimonious tone on] I don’t know why everyone is getting all bent out of shape over this. I find nothing about that picture offensive at all. It’s just a man sitting shirtless on his couch. Think about how many people some of you might offend by sitting shirtless on your couches. A human body shouldn’t be cause for offense. [sanctimonious tone off]

    As far as what he does, I don’t have a problem with it either. I am generally against the death penalty because I’d rather real criminials suffer in prison than get the easy way out. Still, it isn’t Singh, but rather his society that has the need for a man like him. We shouldn’t find him reprehensible for it. Afterall, the task would fall upon someone else if not Singh. I’d rather have an executioner that comforted me with words like “I am going to send you to a better place than this. God bless you,” than just be strapped to an electric chair or something. He seems to care about his job at least, which is a lot more than many people reading this can say.

    Also consider these wise words excerpted from the first chapter of the Gita as Krisna instructs Arjun as to why he must do what he doesn’t want to do upon the battlefield:

    Arjun: Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra and our friends. What should we gain, O Krsna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen? Krishna: O son of Prtha, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of the enemy. Krishna: The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead. Krishna: He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is slain, does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays not nor is slain. Krishna:For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament. Krishna:Considering your specific duty as a ksatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles; and so there is no need for hesitation.

    p.s. does anyone know of a really good autobiography of a hitman/executioner?

    p.p.s We need to notify Queer Eye for the straight guy about him

  35. A person would be only too glad to leap off the edge with the noose around their neck if they saw Mr Singh advancing on them dressed in T-shirt, shorts, sports shoes and knee-length socks…

  36. Are you saying that as an absolute, killing is bad?

    no. but helping kill people isn’t an ordinary job (whether that killing is justified or not is another issue altogether). i.e., “he’just an uncle” sounds bizarro to me. treading into banality of evil area here.

  37. A story about an Indian family of executioners:

    For Nata Mullick, capital punishment runs in the family. His father hanged more than 500 people, mostly Bengali revolutionaries fighting British colonial rule. His grandfather also disposed of numerous convicts by use of the noose. But as the Calcutta hangman prepares to retire – or hang up his ropes – he may have one last job to perform before his grandson takes over the family business.

    Capital punishment: A family business

  38. sorry I was a bit incoherent then– I’m not sure how anyone can make such an issue about a man sitting on his couch in a kadcha. The whole “he’s an uncle bit” was in regards to that. It was certainly not in regards to his unusual, but– I feel– necessary job. I appreciate that he is so compassionate about it, rather than kick the stool out from under the swinger and call out “now serving number 27, baaahahahahaha!”

  41. but really, can you change the picture? why must i see that gut every time i refresh the page 🙁

  42. Are combat troops banally evil too?

    i didn’t say they are banally evil asshole. i said treading into. and to some extent, yeah, combat troops prolly are pretty sketchy. it isn’t a normal job.

  43. treading into banality of evil area here

    Oh! what have you wrought, Ms.Arendt.

  44. p.s. does anyone know of a really good autobiography of a hitman/executioner?

    Nope, but Shadow Kill is an account of one hangman with an uneasy conscience (will watch it tonight, have heard good things about it).

  45. p.s. does anyone know of a really good autobiography of a hitman/executioner?

    This book on Amazon looks interesting…

    a feature expose of Roy DeMeo, leader of a pack of especially gruesome hit men known as the Murder Machine. DeMeo’s crew was so “scary,” according to an FBI agent quoted here, that even then-Mafia don John Gotti was wary of them. By the FBI’s estimate, the Murder Machine killed at least 200 people before it was dismantled during the 1980s in what proved to be the longest federal serial murder investigation in history.

    Murder Machine: A True Story of Murder, Madness, and the Mafia

  47. I’m surprised at all the hating based on Singh’s physical appearance:

    that picture should be censored. i just threw up a little in my mouth. really, there’s no need for that kind of horror when i check this page, first thing in the morning.

    At first I thought people were joking, but it’s continued. What is it that people find … offensive about his photo? What’s driving the gut reactions (if these are for real). Is it that he’s fat or that he’s got some belly hair (he’s hardly bigfoot, esp given the desi norm). And is this now a fairly common thing to complain about?

    Honestly, I didn’t put the photo up to gross people out, I put it up to show how this soft looking grandfather is the world record holding executioner, and how you can’t judge a book by its cover.

    Razib:

    no. but helping kill people isn’t an ordinary job (whether that killing is justified or not is another issue altogether). i.e., “he’just an uncle” sounds bizarro to me. treading into banality of evil area here.

    That’s precisely the point. In real life executioners are people who are nice to their neighbors and don’t look like a professional wrestler.

    I’m surprised by your discomfort with this – I thought you would make a genetic argument about the importance of killing amongst primates as an instrument of natural selection, or some such socio-genetic argument. Doesn’t Wrangham make a pretty good case that intentional violence is a widespread feature amongst some primates?

  48. and no one is disturbed by the picture of Vinod?? 😉

    Surely you mean aroused, right?

  50. i didn’t say they are banally evil asshole.

    Tsk, tsk. Why the umbrage?

    i said treading into. and to some extent, yeah, combat troops prolly are pretty sketchy. it isn’t a normal job.

    By “treading into”, do you mean that he is ankle deep to neck deep in evil actions? The guy is doing nothing different from what a bomber or fighter pilot does – kill people deemed by a legal process in his home country to be enemies of the people. Unless he is working for a country that has an evil process, he is not worthy of such opprobrium.