Ten steps to the gallows

by Jack Fitzgerald

Ten Steps to the Gallows chronicles the history of the Gallows in Newfoundland. It is a history that is divided into two eras, public executions and private executions.

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Jack Fitzgerald was born and educated in St. John's, Newfoundland. During his career he has been a journalist, a feature writer and political columnist with the St. John's Daily News; a reporter and public affairs writer with CJON and VOCM News Services; editor of the Newfoundland Herald and the Newfoundland Chronicle. During the last years of the Smallwood administration he was assistant director of Public Relations with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has also worked as Assistance Officer with the Department of Social Services. Jack Fitzgerald also hosted a regular radio program featuring off-beat Newfoundland stories on radio station VOFM.

As well as writing about unusual happenings relating to Newfoundland and Newfoundlanders, Fitzgerald has also authored a series of Newfoundland crime and punishment stories as well as Newfoundland historical publications.

Reviews

[Rosalyn Roy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this book. Newfoundland authors are underrated and under appreciated in general and true crime stories are right up my alley. Unfortunately this whole thing reads more like a court document and crime scene report. I felt little to nothing for the people that were executed for their crimes and frankly, that is on the author. It is the author's job to make the reader care about what happens and in this regard I felt Mr. Fitzgerald's drier than sandpaper delivery did not get it done, not even when a pregnant woman was incredibly somehow convicted of her husband's murder on little more than hearsay and an admission to adultery. These are gripping true stories but I feel his efforts to make the people involved sympathetic and compelling was completely missing.