Trystan Casey
The electric chair is a device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The electric chair was conceived in 1881 and first used in 1890, becoming a symbol of capital punishment in the United States. On May 3, 1946, Willie Francis, a 17-year-old Black teenager, became the first person known to have survived execution by the electric chair. Francis's case gained widespread attention as he survived the electric chair due to a misstep by a drunken executioner, leading to a painful shock that somehow did not kill him.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Willie Francis |
| Age | 16 |
| Year of Execution | 1946 |
| Reason for Execution | Murder of Andrew Thomas, a pharmacy owner in St. Martinville |
| Outcome | Survived the electric chair due to a drunken executioner's misstep |
| Legal Action | Lawyers argued that he shouldn't be executed again as it would be cruel |
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What You'll Learn
- Willie Francis survived the electric chair in 1946 but was executed in 1947
- Jackson survived six attempts at execution by the electric chair
- Lawyers argued against a second execution for a person who survived the first
- Willie Francis was branded 'the teenager who was executed twice'
- Botched electrocutions were common in the electric chair's early history
Willie Francis survived the electric chair in 1946 but was executed in 1947
Willie Francis, a 17-year-old Black teenager, survived an attempt at execution by the electric chair on May 3, 1946. He was convicted of the murder of Andrew Thomas, a pharmacy owner in St. Martinville, Louisiana, who had once employed him. Thomas was found dead outside his home, having been shot multiple times. Francis was 15 years old at the time of the murder and was sentenced to death by the state of Louisiana in 1945.
On the day of his execution, witnesses reported hearing Francis scream from behind the leather hood, "Take it off! Take it off! Let me breathe!" as the supposedly lethal surge of electricity was being applied. It was later discovered that the portable electric chair, nicknamed "Gruesome Gertie", had been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate from the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Following the botched execution, attorney Bertrand DeBlanc took up Francis's case, arguing that it was unjust and constituted cruel and unusual punishment, as prohibited by the Constitution, to attempt to execute him again. DeBlanc appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal. DeBlanc then attempted to have Francis's murder conviction overturned, citing new evidence and flaws in the trial. However, Francis did not want a second trial and persuaded DeBlanc to stop his efforts shortly before his next scheduled execution.
As a result, Willie Francis was returned to the electric chair on May 9, 1947, and was pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m. His case sparked debates around capital punishment and the fairness of the justice system, with some questioning his guilt and the integrity of his trial.
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Jackson survived six attempts at execution by the electric chair
In 1927, Philip Jackson confessed to raping and robbing Daisy Welling in Washington, D.C. However, Jackson later recanted his admission, insisting it was obtained after two days of violent questioning by the police. Despite this, Jackson was sentenced to death by the electric chair. On the day of his execution, the prison doctor listened with his stethoscope and shook his head, declaring that Jackson was still breathing after the first attempt. The process was repeated, but Jackson lived, surviving another four attempts before the doctor declared him dead. In total, it took six attempts to execute Jackson. John Roberts, an evangelist who witnessed the execution, described it as "the most horrible death he had ever seen a man die".
Jackson's case is not the only instance of a botched execution by the electric chair. Willie Francis, a convicted murderer, survived the first attempt to execute him in 1946 as the chair malfunctioned. Similarly, in 1989, Horace Franklin Dunkins Jr. survived the first jolt of electricity as the cables of the electrodes were improperly connected. After the cables were fixed, he was killed in another jolt.
The electric chair was introduced as a more humane execution method than hanging. However, botched electrocutions were common, and even successful executions often rattled spectators.
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Lawyers argued against a second execution for a person who survived the first
In 1945, Willie Francis, a 16-year-old American teenager, was sentenced to death by the state of Louisiana for the murder of Andrew Thomas, a pharmacy owner in St. Martinville. Thomas had once employed Francis, who was convicted as a juvenile. In the modern day, Francis's guilt has been disputed.
On May 3, 1946, Francis survived an attempt at execution by the electric chair. Witnesses reported hearing him scream from behind the leather hood, "Take it off! Take it off! Let me breathe!" as the supposedly lethal surge of electricity was being applied. The portable electric chair, nicknamed "Gruesome Gertie", had been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
A case was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court (Louisiana ex rel. Francis v. Resweber), with lawyers for the condemned arguing that although Francis did not die, he had, in fact, been executed. Francis's lawyers argued against a second execution for their client, who had survived the first. Francis, however, did not want a second trial and persuaded his lawyer to desist shortly before his next scheduled execution. Willie Francis was returned to the electric chair on May 9, 1947, and died.
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Willie Francis was branded 'the teenager who was executed twice'
Willie Francis (January 12, 1929–May 9, 1947) was an American teenager who gained notoriety for enduring a failed execution by electrocution. He was convicted of murdering Andrew Thomas, a pharmacy owner in St. Martinville, Louisiana, who had previously employed him. It is worth noting that in contemporary times, Francis' guilt has been questioned.
Francis was just 15 years old when he allegedly committed the crime and 16 when he was sentenced to death by the state of Louisiana in 1945. On May 3, 1946, he survived an execution attempt in the electric chair, known as "Gruesome Gertie." Witnesses recounted hearing the teenager cry out from beneath the leather hood as the lethal surge of electricity was administered. It was later discovered that the electric chair had been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate.
Francis' harrowing experience provided a unique perspective on what it felt like to be so close to death. He described it as feeling like "a hundred and a thousand needles and pins" pricking his body, and he felt like his left leg was being sliced with a razor blade. Despite this traumatic event, Francis did not want a second trial and declined his attorney's attempts to overturn his murder conviction, even though new evidence and flaws in the initial trial had been cited.
On May 9, 1947, Willie Francis was returned to the electric chair and pronounced dead at 12:10 p.m. Central Time. His case inspired Ernest J. Gaines' 1993 novel, "A Lesson Before Dying", which tells the story of a young black man facing execution in 1940s Louisiana. Francis' ordeal has also been the subject of speculation about his innocence, with proponents suggesting he may have been coerced into making false confessions.
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Botched electrocutions were common in the electric chair's early history
The electric chair was conceived in 1881 by a Buffalo, New York dentist, Alfred P. Southwick, as a more humane alternative to hanging. The first execution by electrocution was carried out in 1890, and it was not without controversy.
William Kemmler was executed by the electric chair in New York in 1890, and the procedure was botched. Witnesses reported that Kemmler let out a deep groan, and two of the witnesses fainted, while several others suffered severe nausea. The media described the execution as a "historic bungle" and "disgusting, sickening, and inhuman".
In the early 20th century, there were several other botched electrocutions. Willie Francis, an American teenager, survived a failed execution by electrocution in 1946. The portable electric chair, nicknamed "Gruesome Gertie", had been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate. Francis was returned to the electric chair and executed in 1947.
In the 1990s, there were several highly controversial botched electrocutions in Florida, including the executions of Jesse Tafero, Pedro Medina, and Allen Lee Davis. During Tafero's execution, six-inch flames erupted from his head, and three jolts of power were required to stop his breathing. Medina's execution also involved a crown of foot-high flames, filling the execution chamber with smoke and causing two dozen witnesses to gag. Allen Lee Davis's face was bloodied during his execution, and photographs were posted on the internet.
These botched electrocutions have sparked debates and criticism regarding the use of the electric chair as a form of capital punishment.
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Frequently asked questions
Willie Francis, who survived his first execution by electric chair in 1946 due to a technical error.
The portable electric chair, known as "Gruesome Gertie", was found to have been improperly set up by an intoxicated prison guard and inmate from the Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Willie Francis described feeling his arms jumping by his sides and thinking he was going to knock the chair over. He screamed, "Take it off! Take it off! I can't breathe!".
No, Willie Francis was returned to the electric chair on May 9, 1947, and was pronounced dead at 12:10 pm.
