The cruel fate of Tecktor

Tectors grav. Foto: R. Holmgren
Tector

An almost forgotten and currently overgrown grave. Under the tombstone lies a man without his head. His name was Tecktor and he rests below the tower of Stenkumla church on the island of Gotland in Sweden. After a failed attempt to rob the postal stagecoach between Sparreholm and Eskilstuna, which resulted in two murders, it made Tecktor Sweden's last publicly executed person. A few hundred were gathered to see his appalling execution on May 18, 1876. Many fainted. We read: 

“…The executioner Steineck then grabbed the broadax, and after Tecktor's position had changed somewhat, he raised the ax... It fell and death seemed to have followed, but the blow was misaligned. Therefore, yet another blow had to be prepared; this one hit better, but the ax had to be raised and lowered a third time, this before the head was completely separated from the torso...".

Let Tecktor be a deterrent for a disgusting form of punishment to which we shall never return.

Tectors gravplats. Foto: R. Holmgren

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