I believe that is wasn't unheard of in England for relatives of a condemned person to pay off the hangman to either (a) make sure the death went well (ie, they

I believe that is wasn't unheard of in England for relatives of a condemned person to pay off the hangman to either (a) make sure the death went well (ie, they were killed by their neck being broken instead of strangulation) or (b) to cut them down early so they would survive.