The lede says it all, really: ”The mayor of the southwest North Dakota tourist town of Medora is seeking permission for a hanging, and he is sticking his neck out by volunteering to be the one to go to the gallows.” In perhaps the greatest individual story in Associated Press history, a North Dakota mayor wants to convince us that he’s not crazy when he wants to hold a fake hanging for tourists. This story has quotes to die for. A few samples:
- one On bringing up the matter for debate at a recent meeting: “The matter was not on the agenda and they were a little taken aback. There was about five seconds of stunned silence and at first I think they thought I was joking.”
- two On his vision: “My vision is to stage a shooting, where I’d gun down someone in the street, have a trial and a hanging, all within 20 or so minutes. Anything longer than that and the tourists would lose interest.”
- three On allaying safety concerns with the noose situation: “The rope is just a prop—there is no danger of breaking your neck. If all goes well, it will look very realistic. I will be the only one being hanged, just to keep it safe.” source
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