Wiktor Wise
The electric chair, also known as Old Sparky, is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. It was first used in 1890 when William Kemmler became the first person in the world to be executed by electricity. The electric chair was the sole means of execution in several states in the US, including Florida, Georgia, and Connecticut, until the late 1990s and early 2000s, when lethal injection was signed into law. Despite this, some states, such as Florida, still allow prisoners to choose electrocution as their method of execution. The electric chair has also been used outside of the US, in the Philippines, from 1926 to 1976.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | Old Sparky, Old Smokey |
| First Used | 6th August 1890 |
| Inventor | Harold P. Brown and Arthur Kennelly |
| First Used At | Auburn Prison, Auburn, New York |
| First Used On | William Kemmler |
| First Used In Florida On | Giuseppe Zangara |
| Year Of First Mass Execution | 1891 |
| Location Of First Mass Execution | Sing Sing Prison |
| Year Ohio Adopted The Electric Chair | 1897 |
| Number Of People Executed In Ohio | 315 |
| Year Ohio Stopped Using The Electric Chair | 2001 |
| Current Location Of Ohio's Old Sparky | Ohio State Reformatory |
| Year Connecticut Switched To Lethal Injection | 1995 |
| Year Florida Switched To Lethal Injection | 2000 |
| Year Georgia Switched To Lethal Injection | 2001 |
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What You'll Learn
- Old Sparky was the nickname of the electric chair in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas
- The electric chair was conceived by New York dentist Alfred P. Southwick in 1881
- The electric chair was first used in 1890 when William Kemmler was executed in New York
- Lethal injection has replaced the electric chair in many states, including Florida, Georgia, and Ohio
- The electric chair was deemed more humane than hanging, but it has been found to cause intense pain
Old Sparky was the nickname of the electric chair in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas
"Old Sparky" is the nickname of the electric chair in several U.S. states, including Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas. The electric chair, in general, has been an American institution for over a hundred years, with New York State being the first to establish it as a method of execution in 1888.
Florida's "Old Sparky" was the nation's busiest instrument of death, with the most prisoners in line for execution. It was the sole means of execution in the state from 1924 until 2000, when lethal injection was signed into law. However, prisoners can still choose to be electrocuted. The electric chair was also used in Florida's State Penitentiary, where Italian immigrant Giuseppe Zangara was executed in 1933 for the attempted assassination of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Georgia's "Old Sparky", located at Georgia State Prison, was installed in 1924 after the state abolished hanging. Between 1924 and 1998, 441 prisoners were electrocuted, including Lena Baker, the first Georgian woman to be sent to the electric chair. The original chair, which was white, was replaced in 1980 and is now on public display.
Kentucky's electric chair, also known as "Old Sparky", is located at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville. Ohio's "Old Sparky" was installed at the Central Correctional Institution in 1912, executing 315 people between 1897 and 1963. It is now a museum exhibit at the Ohio State Reformatory.
Texas's "Old Sparky" electrocuted 361 people between 1924 and 1964 and is now on display at the Texas Prison Museum. Executions have also gone wrong, with convicts being set alight or needing multiple jolts of electricity before dying.
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The electric chair was conceived by New York dentist Alfred P. Southwick in 1881
Southwick was appointed to the New York State Commission on Human Execution in the late 1880s, where he advocated for the use of electricity as a more humane form of capital punishment. In 1888, the commission recommended electrocution using Southwick's electric chair idea with metal conductors attached to the condemned person's head and feet. The first law allowing the use of electrocution went into effect in New York State on January 1, 1889.
On August 6, 1890, New York became the first state to use the electric chair for an execution. The victim, a convicted murderer named William Kemmler, was killed, but the execution was gruesome and took several attempts. Despite this, the electric chair's use in New York continued until 1963 when it was deemed "cruel and unusual punishment" by state courts.
The electric chair became an American institution, with Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, and Kentucky all adopting its use. It was also used in the Philippines, a former American possession, from 1926 to 1976. Today, the electric chair has been largely replaced by lethal injection as the primary method of execution in the United States, although Florida still allows prisoners to choose between the two methods.
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The electric chair was first used in 1890 when William Kemmler was executed in New York
The electric chair, also known as "Old Sparky", was first used in 1890 when William Kemmler was executed at Auburn Prison, New York. The electric chair was designed by Auburn Prison electrician Edwin R. Davis and was the first of its kind in the world. It was fitted with two electrodes, composed of metal disks held together with rubber and covered with a damp sponge, which were to be applied to the head and back of the condemned.
Kemmler was convicted of killing his common-law wife, Tillie Ziegler, with a hatchet following a drunken argument. On August 6, 1890, he was strapped into the electric chair and a charge of approximately 700 volts was delivered for 17 seconds. However, the current failed, and Kemmler was still alive. A second shock of 1,030 volts was then applied for about two minutes, after which smoke was observed coming from Kemmler's head, and he was pronounced dead.
The execution was witnessed by reporters, clergy, and other witnesses, who began gathering at the prison as early as 4 am. The event left many horrified at this new form of capital punishment. One reporter from the United Press fainted, and the district attorney from Erie County, who had prosecuted the Kemmler case, ran out of the room and collapsed in the hallway. Despite these reactions, the use of the electric chair continued in New York State at Auburn, Dannemora, and Sing Sing.
The electric chair was deemed a more humane method of execution than hanging, which it replaced in New York State following a committee's recommendation in 1887. The idea for the electric chair was conceived by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist and member of the committee, who developed the concept of using electricity as a means of execution after hearing about how a drunken man died relatively quickly and painlessly after touching exposed power lines. Southwick's electrical device took the form of a chair, as he was accustomed to performing procedures on sitting subjects.
Following its first use in 1890, the electric chair was adopted by several other states in the U.S. and became the sole means of execution in some states, including Florida from 1924 until 2000. Today, it is still a legally allowable method of execution in nine states, although it is no longer the preferred choice.
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Lethal injection has replaced the electric chair in many states, including Florida, Georgia, and Ohio
The electric chair, also known as "Old Sparky", has been an American institution for over a hundred years. The first person in the world to be executed by electricity was William Kemmler, who was put to death in New York State in 1890. "Old Sparky" was first used at Sing Sing prison for a mass execution on July 7, 1891.
The electric chair was the sole means of execution in Florida from 1924 until 2000, when the Florida State Legislature, under pressure from the U.S. Supreme Court, signed lethal injection into law. Lethal injection is now the primary method of execution in Florida, and no one has been executed by electrocution in the state since 1999. However, prisoners on Florida's death row may still choose to be electrocuted.
Georgia's electric chair, also known as "Old Sparky", was installed in 1924 following the state's abolition of hanging. Between 1924 and 1998, Georgia electrocuted 441 prisoners. In 2001, Georgia replaced electrocution with lethal injection as the primary method of execution. The original chair, which was painted white, was replaced in 1980 and is now on public display at Georgia State Prison.
Ohio was the second state to adopt the electric chair, executing 315 people between 1897 and 1963. The state stopped using the electric chair in 2001 and now exclusively uses lethal injection for executions. Ohio's "Old Sparky" is now a museum exhibit in the Ohio State Reformatory.
In recent years, lethal injection has become the most widely-used method of execution in the United States, with many states phasing out the electric chair in favor of this newer method.
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The electric chair was deemed more humane than hanging, but it has been found to cause intense pain
The electric chair, also known as "Old Sparky", was first used in 1890 when William Kemmler became the first person in the world to be executed by electricity. The electric chair was deemed more humane than hanging, but it has been found to cause intense pain.
In 1886, the New York State governor, David B. Hill, set up a committee to investigate a more humane means of execution than hanging. The committee was chaired by human rights advocate Elbridge Thomas Gerry and included New York lawyer and politician Matthew Hale, and Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist. Southwick had developed the idea of putting electric current through a device after hearing about how a drunken man had died relatively quickly and painlessly after touching exposed power lines. As a dentist, he was accustomed to performing procedures on sitting subjects, so his electrical device took the form of a chair.
In 1888, the committee approved the electric chair for use, and Governor Hill authorized its introduction. However, witnesses at Kemmler's execution in 1890 were less convinced of its humanity. The first 17-second passage of 1,000 volts AC through Kemmler caused unconsciousness, but failed to stop his heart and breathing. In 1990, the case of Jesse Tafero in Florida highlighted the intense pain that the electric chair could cause. Tafero's head caught on fire during the procedure, and smoke rose from his body.
Over time, the use of the electric chair has declined with the adoption of lethal injection, which is perceived as more humane. While some states in the US retain electrocution as a legal execution method, it is often a secondary option based on the condemned person's preference.
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Frequently asked questions
Old Sparky is the nickname given to the electric chair.
Old Sparky was first used at Sing Sing prison for a mass execution on July 7, 1891.
The condemned person is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to the head and leg.
Old Sparky was first used in New York State.
The Philippines is the only other country to have used Old Sparky, from 1926 to 1976.
