Umair Gaines
Texas has a long history of capital punishment, with 361 people electrocuted in the state between 1924 and 1977. Lethal injection is now the primary method of execution in Texas, and in all states where the death penalty is legal except South Carolina. However, Texas does still allow the electric chair as an alternative method of execution. In fact, in 2018, a death row inmate chose to be executed via the electric chair over lethal injection.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of executions in Texas since 1976 | Highest in the nation |
| Last electrocution in Texas | 30 July 1964 |
| Total number of inmates electrocuted in Texas | 361 |
| Current method of execution in Texas | Lethal injection |
| Primary method of execution in Texas | Lethal injection |
| Alternative methods of execution in Texas | Electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad |
| Number of methods of execution in the U.S. | 5 |
| States that still use the electric chair | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee |
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What You'll Learn
Texas's electric chair history
Texas has a long history of using the electric chair as a means of capital punishment. Nicknamed "Old Sparky", the Texas electric chair was in use from 1924 to 1964, during which time it was used to execute 361 prisoners. The last person to be executed by "Old Sparky" was Joseph Johnson on July 30, 1964.
The history of the electric chair in Texas dates back to the early days of the state. Hanging was the primary method of execution in Texas from 1819 until 1923, with the last hanging taking place in Angleton, Brazoria County, Texas, on August 31, 1923. In 1924, Texas introduced the use of the electric chair as a more humane alternative to hanging. The electric chair was used for executions in Texas for the next four decades, until it was decommissioned in 1964.
"Old Sparky" was not just a nickname for the electric chair in Texas, but also for the electric chairs in several other states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Each state had its own unique "Old Sparky" chair, and the one in Texas became infamous for its role in carrying out capital punishment.
In 1971, there were efforts to recommission "Old Sparky" in Texas, with a petition circulated by the Greater Dallas Crime Commission receiving 10,620 endorsements. However, "Old Sparky" was never brought back into regular use. Instead, Texas became the first jurisdiction in the world to carry out an execution by lethal injection in 1982. Lethal injection has since become the primary method of execution in Texas and across the United States, although electrocution remains an option in some states.
Today, "Old Sparky" can be found in the Texas Prison Museum in Huntsville, Texas. It stands as a reminder of the state's history of capital punishment and the evolution of execution methods over time.
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Texas's current execution methods
Texas has a long history of capital punishment, with hanging as the primary method of execution from 1819 to 1923. In 1923, Texas changed its execution laws, requiring that executions be carried out using the electric chair. The first executions on the electric chair were on February 8, 1924, when five executions were carried out on a single day. The electric chair remained the legal means of execution in Texas until 1977. The last inmate to be executed by electrocution in Texas was Joseph Johnson on July 30, 1964.
In more recent times, Texas has carried out executions by lethal injection. Lethal injection is now the primary method of execution in Texas and across the United States, except for in South Carolina. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (TCCA) has recently stayed executions to allow the state to address claims made by inmates.
Under Texas law, executions are carried out "by intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death, and until such convict is dead." The law does not specify the substance(s) to be used, but previously, a three-drug combination was commonly used: sodium thiopental (a sedative), pancuronium bromide (a muscle relaxant), and potassium chloride (which stops the heartbeat). Due to drug shortages, sodium thiopental was replaced by pentobarbital in 2011, increasing the cost of the drugs from $86.08 to approximately $1300 per offender.
While lethal injection is the primary method of execution in Texas, some legislators have advocated for a return to the electric chair or other methods such as the firing squad due to the difficulty in finding lethal injection drugs.
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Other states' use of the electric chair
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned person is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to their head and leg. It was conceived in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo, New York dentist, as a more humane alternative to hanging.
The electric chair was first used in 1890 and became the most prominent execution method in the United States until the early 1990s. However, its use gradually declined due to the adoption of lethal injection, which was perceived as more humane. Lethal injection is now the most widely used method of execution in the United States.
As of 2024, the electric chair is still an option for execution in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Inmates in these states can choose between the electric chair and lethal injection, except in South Carolina, where electrocution is the primary form of execution. In Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee, inmates sentenced before a certain date can choose to be executed by electric chair. Mississippi and Oklahoma laws also provide for the use of the electric chair if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
In recent years, there has been a decline in the use of the death penalty in the United States, with several states abolishing capital punishment or declaring moratoriums on executions.
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The electric chair's invention
The electric chair was conceived in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist from Buffalo, New York. The idea came to him after reading newspaper reports of deaths caused by the spread of arc lighting, a type of outdoor street lighting that used high voltages. One such accident in 1881 involved a drunken dock worker who sneaked into a power plant in Buffalo and grabbed the brush and ground of a large electric dynamo.
Southwick spent the next decade advocating for this method as a more humane alternative to hanging. He published his ideas in scientific journals in 1882 and 1883, and worked on calculations and designs based on experiments with dogs. He also adopted a modified version of the dental chair as a way to restrain the condemned, which became known as the electric chair.
In 1886, a death penalty commission was set up by the New York State governor, David B. Hill, to investigate a more humane means of execution. The commission contacted electrical experts, including Elihu Thomson of the Thomson-Houston Electric Company and inventor Thomas Edison, who recommended the use of high voltage AC connected to the head and spine.
The first execution by electric chair took place in 1890 when a street pedlar called William Kemmler was put to death in New York State. Although it was initially thought that death was caused by cerebral damage, it was later scientifically established in 1899 that death primarily results from ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest.
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The electric chair's use in the Philippines
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned person is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to their head and leg. The electric chair was conceived in 1881 by Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo, New York dentist, and was first used in 1890.
The electric chair was closely linked to capital punishment in the United States and was also used extensively in the Philippines from 1926 until 1987. The last electric chair execution in the Philippines was in 1976, and it was replaced by lethal injection when executions resumed in the country.
The electric chair was initially thought to cause death through cerebral damage, but it was scientifically established in 1899 that death primarily results from ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. Despite its historical significance in American capital punishment, the use of the electric chair has declined with the adoption of lethal injection, which is perceived as more humane. While some states retain electrocution as a legal execution method, it is often a secondary option based on the condemned's preference.
As of 2024, the only places that still reserve the electric chair as an option for execution are the U.S. states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Electrocution is also authorized in Mississippi and Oklahoma if lethal injection is found to be unconstitutional. Inmates in other states must select either lethal injection or electrocution.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Texas does not still use the electric chair. The last inmate to be executed by electric chair in Texas was Joseph Johnson in 1964. Lethal injection is now the primary method of execution in Texas.
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned person is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to their head and leg.
As of 2024, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee still reserve the electric chair as an option for execution.
Lethal injection, lethal gas, hanging, and firing squad.
