Jerry Stokes is a hangman in Kingston. One day, he refuses to hang a convicted murderer because he is not so convinced that the man is actually guilty. This is the first time in his life that he rebels, and he is proud of himself. Stokes decides to delay the execution, praying that some exculpatory evidence will appear. Will he get them and will he turn out to be right? Grant Allen was a Canadian writer who lived in the period 1848 – 1899. His writing career began around 1876 when he published a series of essays on science. His first books, "Physiological Aesthetics" and "Flowers and Their Pedigrees" took up this subject as well. Grant Allen was also a pioneer in science fiction. He wrote about thirty science fiction novels in the period 1884-1899. In his later works, Allen also took up some revolutionary theories for the time regarding marriage. "The Woman Who Did" which depicts the life of an independent woman who takes care of her child on her own became a bestseller.