America's Electric Chairs
Responsible for the Death of
4,281 Pre-Furman Convicts

Note: All executions mentioned in this feature are Pre-Furman electrocutions. For information on later electric chair executions see the individual State's Department of Corrections websites.

In the 2nd half of the 20th Century hanging was the accepted method of executing those found guilty of committing a capitol crime. The exception was Utah where the condemned were given the choice of the gallows or a firing squad. The convicts overwhelmingly chose the bullet over the rope.

Ann Hoag and Jonas Williams were hanged together for separate crimes on July 30, 1852 in Poughkeepsie NY. Dutchess County, NY was using a new version of gallows that involved using a dropped counterweight to yank the executee to the crossbeam, hopefully breaking the victim's neck in the process. Williams' neck snapped, but Ann Hoag's didn't and she struggled violently for several minutes before finally suffocating to death. This didn't seem right to most people at the time. The murdering, raping Negro died quickly while the housewife, who was accused of poisoning her husband but claimed to her death that she was innocent, died hard.

In 1886 a New York State Legislature Commission was established to study humane methods of capitol punishment.

Roxalana Druse was hanged for murdering her husband on February 28, 1887 in Herkimer County, NY. She also died hard on one of these modern "humane" gallows. It is said that she struggled for 15 minutes before finally strangling to death. The New York Legislature decided they needed a better method of execution, and they needed it immediately.  

On June 4, 1888, the New York Legislature passed a law establishing electrocution as the state's method of execution You have to realize that the Edison Light Bulb was invented only 9 years earlier. This was definitely new technology. (One of the options studied and then rejected was "Lethal Injection.")

http://www.correctionhistory.org/auburn&osborne/miskell/html/auburnchair_moran.html 

I also want to thank John Hopkins, Steve Stuart, Clark County Prosecuting Attorney (His website, "1,000+ Death Penalty Links" is amazing. http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/death.htm), and Fred Leuchter for the contributions they have made to this feature.

Kemmler Chair

It all started when William Kemmler was strapped into this chair on August 6, 1890. One contact was fastened to his head, the other to the base of his spine. This was the only time a spinal electrode has been used. Some historic records state that the first chair had a footrest incorporated into it's design. This probably attached to those strange looking devices under the seat of the chair. The photo shows no ankle restraints, so the man's ankles were more than likely fastened to the footrest. This chair was only used once. By 1891, 3 New York Prisons were outfitted with standard 3 legged chairs that used  a skull cap and leg electrode. 

26 States plus DC used Chairs

The following is a listing of the first Electrocution in the states that adopted the Electric Chair as the ultimate punishment. Initially, when you click on a thumbnail you will just get a larger pic and more info.

If you have any information about, or photos of, any of these chairs, please contact me. rg@bestweb.net. 

One of my readers has in his possession a real, functional Electric Chair. We are currently trying to determine the origin of it. Can you help us? Click in the thumbnail below to read more about it.