In which country was the electric chair invented?

Alfred Porter Southwick (1826–1898) was a steam-boat engineer, dentist and inventor from Buffalo, New York. He is credited with inventing the electric chair as a method of legal execution.

In 1881, Alfred Southwick conceived the idea of electrical execution when he heard the story of an intoxicated man who touched a live electric generator. Given that the man died so quickly, Southwick concluded that electricity could be used as an alternative to hanging for executions. His first application for this phenomenon was to help invent a way to euthanize stray dogs at the Buffalo SPCA but within a year he was publishing his ideas on using this method for capital punishment in scientific journals. As Southwick was a dentist who was accustomed to performing procedures on subjects in chairs, his device for electrical execution appeared in the form of an "electric chair."

On August 6, 1890, William Kemmler was executed by electrocution. Southwick was present and is reported to have said "There is the culmination of ten years work and study! We live in a higher civilization from this day."

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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21 Comments

Brian Reynolds

I think the chair was nicknamed "old sparky"

Angel der Weise

I did not know SPCA killed dogs... Electrocution is an horrible mean to kill. I hope this doesn't happen any more, neither by electrocution nor by any other means, except for exceptional cases...

Julie Allen

Angel der Weise, No date on this - Each year, approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized (390,000 dogs and 530,000 cats). The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011. This decline can be partially explained by an increase in the percentage of animals adopted and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their owners.

GreedyJoel

I find it peculiarly ghoulish that so much is made of different forms of execution–especially as society lurches from one form of execution debacle after another. Electrocution was introduced in New York State because of botched hangings. “Handsome Harry” was the last to swing in the Tombs.Then, we had the phenomena of “botched” electrocutions. Now we’ve moved on to “botched” lethal injections.What’s next? The one thing we do know is that the extremely wealthy are almost never killed by the state. The only one I can think of is Louis Lepke Buchalter, the head of Murder Incorporated!

Axel Brosi

A great invention - it should be used more often for executions.

klmilles

Peggy Tinsley, Executing criminals does not have an effect on new crimes. Poverty and addiction are the principal drivers of crime. Work on those issues and we might have a reduction. The care of criminals is a multi-million dollar industry that employs thousands of Americans And remember "those animals" are someone's children, bad children, perhaps, but humans, none the less. And some are actually innocent.

klmilles

renegarjim, By definition "capital punishment" is the death penalty. In the USA, the 8th amendment to the constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Total isolation of a convict can be considered such a violation if the prisoner's mental and medical status are not monitored and addressed as needed (the negligence element is referred to as "deliberate indifference"). If they "go mad," that is a violation of their constitutional rights. Capital punishment is a major issue--it is costly and not fairly imposed. People spend, on average, 18 years being incarcerated (prior to execution) and the required (as well as additional kinds of) litigation that it results in can cost millions of dollars. Sadly, many people are wrongly accused and convicted. At least if they are incarcerated without an execution order (a life sentence) they can continue to work on appeals and sometimes the science catches up to help exonerate them (such as DNA evidence that regularly frees men).

Karin Johansson

Peggy Tinsley, if the man that rescue dogs could before feed over 100 dogs by himself the staff at shelters could do it. The Paws in Ireland can do it so the SPCA should do it too. But have heard a lot about them that shows that they are not always for thE dogs! And your tax money are not playing for the shelters. That are the donatorns doing! And people that only cares about money are nothing! Your money can't save you when you are going down instead of up after you have died.

witt norman

I wonder if JJ Holmes took a seat in the electric 💺. He definitely deserved it

John W Shreve

brianknows, I think different chairs were called "Old Sparky." In the 1980s, I believe Florida had one that would shake, sputter, produce small flames, etc. I think they might have gotten a new one, or at least fixed the old one up a little. Fla's Old Sparky could have partially electrocuted someone, leaving the condemned disabled, or could complete the electrocution, but slowly. Pretty grotesque I'd say.

Cujo

If you stuff your mouth with popcorn first...

Monty Mathias

Ah, leave it to the United States to come up with more and better ways to dispose of its citizenry (or any other life forms).

renegarjim

Capitol punishment should be outlawed. Murdering people is still murder, regardless of cercumstances. There are better ways to meet out capitol punishment. A 8×10 cell without any contact from the outside world. No visitors, no mail, no contact with others allowed. Should they go mad, at least they were not murdered by by any court order.

catmom

For Angel der Weise -- I totally agree with you that electrocution is a horrible way to kill another human being BUT there is no good reason to kill any one in any matter whether it's a government or an individual bc no matter what anyone does that is terrible their family also suffers as well & that's what's wrong & totally unfair to their loved ones no matter what despicable crime that was committed. Whoever kills an individual in any matter is just as wrong in doing so whether its for the government or otherwise as the person that commits the crime. Gandhi said basically that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. He was right.