Hannah Dagoe was an Irish woman condemned to hang at Tyburn in 1763. She had other ideas. Before the executioner could act, she fought him so violently he couldn’t do his job. She stripped off her clothes and threw them into the crowd so they couldn’t be taken as his tip. She punched him in the chest so hard he staggered. Then she threw herself from the cart with the rope around her neck before he could touch her. She hanged herself. On her own terms. The crowd of thousands erupted. The executioner stood there and watched.
Interesting Fact Executioners at Tyburn were entitled to keep the clothing of the condemned as part of their payment. Hannah knew this. Stripping and throwing her clothes to the crowd was a deliberate final act of defiance — she denied him even that.