 Hanging is the oldest method of execution in the United States, but fell into disfavor in the 20th century after many botched attempts, and was replaced by electrocution. There have been only 3 executions by hanging since 1977: Westley Dodd (WA 1993), Charles Campbell (WA 1994), and Billy Bailey (DE 1998).  Public Hangings. Hanging was common in the late 19th centruy and early 20th century.  In 1888, New York became the first state to adopt electrocution as its method of execution. In 1890, William Kemmler was the first man executed by electrocution. Kemmler had killed his wife. The last state to adopt electrocution as a method of execution was in 1949. Then from 1930 to 1980 it was the most common method of execution in the United States.  In 1977, Oklahoma and Texas became the first states to adopt lethal injection. Texas performed the first execution by lethal injection in 1982 with the execution of Charlie Brooks. Brooks went to a used car lot to test drive a car and a mechanic had accompanied him. He took the gentleman to a motel, where he was then bound with a coat hanger, then gagged him with tape and then shot the innocent man. |
 Firing squad was a popular method in the military in times of war. In recent history only two inmates have been executed by firing squad, both in Utah: Gary Gilmore (1977) and John Albert Taylor (1996).  The use of a gas chamber for execution was inspired by the use of poisonous gas in World War I. Nevada became the first state to adopt execution by lethal gas in 1924 and Gee Jon was the first person executed by lethal gas in 1924. Jon was part of the criminal society and had killed an elder from another gang. The state tried to pump cyanide gas into Jon's cell while he slept. This proved impossible because the gas leaked from his cell, so the gas chamber was constructed.  Since then it has served as the means of carrying out the death sentence 31 times. Lethal gas was seen as an improvement over other forms of execution, because it was less violent and did not disfigure or mutilate the body. The last execution by lethal gas took place in Arizona in 1999. |
