Thirty-two frightening snapshots of a hanging

The 32 black-and-white snapshots were like frames from a disturbing home movie —  four men marched to the gallows and hanged one by one.

There’s a large crowd of onlookers present. Many are in military uniforms. Two priests accompany the condemned and raise crucifixes for them to kiss moments before execution.

The scene is the stone courtyard of a big brick building where people are looking out glass-less windows and thronging the rooftop. Many bystanders have cameras. In one picture, a doctor with a stethoscope checks a victim for a heartbeat after he’s been hanged.