Jackdaw - // I like the story about Christie. Seemingly when the hangman pinioned his arms behind his back prior to leading him to the gallows he complained that his nose was itchy and he couldn't scratch it. The hangman's reply was, "Don't worry, sir, it won't bother you for long." //
I am sure you will find that this story is made up.
Firstly, the arms are not secured before the condemned man is led to the scaffold, they are secured as he stands on the trapdoor, arms by the executioner, and simultaneously, legs by his assistant.
Mr Pierpont, the executioner who hung both Christie and Ruth Ellis was justifiably proud of the speed with which he could dispatch the condemned prisoner - his record from opening the cell door to pulling the lever was twelve seconds, hardly enough time for a witty exchange, although he rarely spoke to the condemned prisoner anyway, things moved far too quickly for that.