More than 100 men were hanged at Walton's gallows - however only one was unlucky enough to be hanged twice.
James O'Connor showed no emotion as he was sentenced to death for attempted murder and murder.
His face even broke into a smile as the noose was fitted around his neck - his certain death only seconds away.
However then fate took a nasty turn.
A fatal attraction
On August 11, 1873, James O’Connor had enjoyed an evening in the Cambridge Music Hall, in Mill Street.
O'Connor - a well known boxer - was one of a large group spilling out on the streets at the end of the performance.
But among the crowds, a beautiful woman caught the eye of the fighter as he left.
Not many people said no to O'Connor, a powerfully-built boilerman and prizefighter and as he pursued the woman through the Toxteth streets he was sure this encounter would be no different.
A young woman named Mary Fortune was the object of his affection and when he finally caught up with her, he very coolly said: "Come on, lass, let's go and have a drink together."
But when Miss Fortune spurned his advances, the boxer’s anger rose.
His mood changed and he snapped and he began to berate, curse and swear at the woman and accused her of stealing money from him.
O'Connor even struck the young woman, sending her spinning to the floor and was about to continue his assault when two passers-by intervened.
Friends James Gaffney and William Metcalf ran to Miss Fortune's aid and it was then that a fight began between them and O'Connor.
However unbeknown to the friends O'Connor had a knife which he used to stab Mr Gaffney behind the ear and Mr Metcalf to the body.
Mr Gaffney died in hospital from his injuries, however Mr Metcalf survived and he and Miss Fortune gave witness accounts to police which secured O'Connor's arrest.
Smiling O'Connor led to be hanged
Before Judge Brett at the Assizes at St George’s Hall, O’Connor was found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
It was reported that when he was sentenced to hang, he showed no emotion.
Hard-faced O'Connor also reportedly smiled as he was led to the Kirkdale gallows on September 8, 1873.
As the rope was lowered around his neck, he even seemed content to accept his destiny.
But then fate took a nasty turn.
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As hangman William Calcraft pulled the lever the rope snapped and O'Connor fell into the drop, where, with his arms and legs still pinioned, he squirmed about in great pain.
Being blinded by the white hood over his head, he thought for a moment he had died.
And it was only when the priest, Father Bronte, and a local reporter jumped into the pit that the terrible reality sunk in.
With the hood removed and tears in his eyes, O’Connor reportedly said “You’ll let me go now, won’t you?”.
Thousands who had turned out to see O'Connor be hanged were unaware of what was going on inside the pit but reportedly could only hear the condemned man hysterically bawling before he broke down sobbing.
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Because, although he had been hanged for his crime the law was specific: “. . . to be hanged by the neck until you are dead”.
Therefore O'Connor would have to face the noose for the second time.
Traumatic second hanging
Following the first botched hanging a new rope was brought for O'Connor.
When calm was restored some minutes later, O’Connor was so resigned to his plight it was reported that he adjusted the noose himself and pulled the white cap over his own face.
But his second hanging was just as traumatic.
As his body fell through the trapdoor, the rope held, but it was too long.
And it took a full eight minutes before the murderer died.
The botched hangman
William Calcraft was one of the most prolific of British executioners and it is estimated in his 45-year career he carried out 450 executions.
However he appears to have been "particularly incompetent", frequently having to "rush below the scaffold to pull on his victim's legs to hasten death".
And while he travelled all over the country to carry out executions, O'Connor's was to be his last at the Walton gallows.
The double blunder was of such magnitude that the hangman never set foot in Kirkdale prison again.
