Hanging for Kids

[Drusilla]

When I was about twelve I read a book about a young boy who was either befriended, or chased by a man who had survived a public hanging after being convicted for grave robbing.
The man had survived the hanging by inserting a piece of pipe into his throat. Does anyone know the book title and the author's name, please?

[Quizmonster]

'Black Jack' by Leon Garfield.