Colonial Jakarta's Public Hangings: A Grim Spectacle Recalled

In the early 20th century colonial era, public executions by hanging were a grim spectacle held in Jakarta's City Hall Square, now the site of the Museum of Jakarta. The last recorded hanging took place in 1896, targeting a robber named Tjoe Boen Tjeng, who had committed a brutal murder of a Chinese woman.

These executions were starkly different from today's concealed proceedings. The public was actively encouraged to witness the hangings, which were carried out using a sword or a primitive guillotine-like device. The report notes that women, in particular, formed a significant part of the crowd, seemingly showing remarkable fortitude in the face of such a violent punishment, perhaps out of sympathy for the female victim.

After the practice ceased at the City Hall Square, the prison was relocated east of Jl Hayam Wuruk, across from the Hotel Jayakarta. Historical images depict a gallows erected in the center of the square, with a bamboo ladder leading up to it. A prisoner, dressed in white and with a covered face, would stand on the platform, while an executioner stood on the ladder. The drawing shows prison guards in black attire to the left.

The article contrasts the public nature of these past executions with the more private methods used today, where death row inmates are typically shot in secluded locations. The historical account highlights a different era where justice, however severe, was a public performance, with the community expected to observe and perhaps learn from the ultimate penalty.