List of people executed in New York

This list of individuals executed in New York gives the names of some of the individuals executed by the U.S. state of New York, as well as the individual's date of execution, method of execution, and the name of the Governor of New York at the date of execution. 1963 marked the last execution in New York State.

Regarding electrocutions, which comprise a large percentage of the executions[1] :

Name of the convict Execution date Method Charge Governor Image
Gregory Peterson 5 August 1639 Firing squad Unknown act of mutiny; soldier of the Fort Amsterdam garrison; first execution in New York (Manhattan) Willem Kieft
Jan Creoli 25 June 1646 Asphyxiation and burning Sodomy (Charged with "Sodomy, buggery, and bestiality") Willem Kieft
Jan Quisthout van der Linde 17 June 1660 Drowning Sodomy (Charged with "Sodomy, buggery, and bestiality") Petrus Stuyvesant
Jacob Leisler 16 May 1691 Hanging Treason after leading the Leisler's Rebellion Henry Sloughter
34 people April 1741 Hanging, burning New York Conspiracy of 1741 George Clarke
John André 2 October 1780 Hanging British spy who recruited Benedict Arnold; assisted in attempted surrender of West Point, New York James Robertson
James McLean 28 August 1807 Hanging Murder of William Orr[2] Daniel D. Tompkins
Alpheus Hitchcock[3] 11 September 1807 Hanging Murder of his wife, Belinda Bailey Hitchcock Daniel D. Tompkins
Rufus Hill[4] 12 August 1808 Hanging Murder of Mary Sisson Daniel D. Tompkins
Thomas Qua 12 August 1808 Hanging Murder of his wife, Margaret Qua Daniel D. Tompkins
James Dougherty 6 August 1813 Hanging Murder of John Wait Daniel D. Tompkins
John Black, Mahlon Christie, Isaac Kent, and George Orcote 4 June 1814 (other accounts indicate date was in the spring of 1812 or around New Year's Eve 1813)[5] Shot Desertion Daniel D. Tompkins
James Graham[6] 29 July 1814 Hanging Murders of Hugh Cameron and Alexander McGiffrey Daniel D. Tompkins
Mary Antoine 30 September 1814 Hanging "[K]illed a 'female' who had 'alienated her husband's affection'"; daughter of Abram Antoine [qv] Daniel D. Tompkins
Charles Thompson and James Peters (aka Peterson)[7] August 1815 Hanging Murder of James Burba Daniel D. Tompkins
Barent Becker[8] 6 October 1815 Hanging Murder of his wife, Ann Becker Daniel D. Tompkins
James Hamilton 6 November 1818 Hanging Murder of U.S. Rifle Corps Major Benjamin Birdsall DeWitt Clinton
John Van Alstine (aka Van Alstyne) 19 March 1819 Hanging Murder of Schoharie County Deputy Sheriff William Huddleston DeWitt Clinton
James Teed 16 April 1819 Hanging Murder DeWitt Clinton
David Dunning 16 April 1819 Hanging Murder DeWitt Clinton
Abram (or Abraham) Antoine 12 September 1823 Hanging "[For] avenging the execution of his daughter Mary Antoine [qv] by murdering the man [John Jacobs] whose testimony hanged her."[9] Joseph C. Yates
Edward Coleman 12 January 1839 Hanging Murder of his wife William H. Seward
Nicholas Saul 28 January 1853 Hanging Murder of Charles Baxter Horatio Seymour
Nicholas Howlett 28 January 1853 Hanging Murder of Charles Baxter Horatio Seymour
Joseph Clark[10] 11 February 1853 Hanging Murder of NYPD Policeman George T. Gillipse on 10 July 1851 Horatio Seymour
John Hadcock[11][12] 24 February 1854 Hanging Murder of Mrs. Mary E. Gregg Horatio Seymour
Albert W. Hicks 13 July 1860 Hanging Piracy. Notable because he was the last person to be executed for this crime in the United States (although the execution of the slaver Nathaniel Gordon in 1862 was under the terms of the Piracy Law). Edwin D. Morgan
Nathaniel Gordon 21 February 1862 Hanging Slaver Edwin D. Morgan
Bernard Friery 17 August 1866 Hanging Murder of Harry Lazarus Reuben Fenton
Henry Gardner 1 March 1867 Hanging Murder of Amasa Mullock[13] Reuben Fenton
Patrick Morrissey 6 September 1872 Hanging Murder of his mother. (The executioner was future President of the United States, Grover Cleveland.) John Thompson Hoffman
John Gaffney 14 February 1873 Hanging Murder of Patrick Fahey. (The executioner was future President of the United States, Grover Cleveland.) John Thompson Hoffman
Johnny Dolan 21 April 1876 Hanging Murder of James H. Noe Samuel J. Tilden
Peter H. Penwell 20 July 1877 Hanging Murder of his wife[14][15] Lucius Robinson
William Merrick[16] 29 January 1879 Hanging Murder of his wife, Julia A. Merrick Lucius Robinson
Joseph Abbott 6 January 1882 Hanging Murder of George Reed, a fellow Elmira Reformatory inmate[17] Alonzo B. Cornell
Mike McGloin 8 March 1883 Hanging Murder of Louis Hanier Grover Cleveland
George H. Mills[18] 10 April 1885 Hanging Murder of his wife. David B. Hill
Roxana (or Roxalana) Druse 28 February 1887 Hanging Murder of her husband William Druse; last female to be hanged in New York David B. Hill
Danny Lyons 21 August 1888 Hanging Murder of Joseph Quinn David B. Hill
John Greenwall (né Johann Theodore Wild) 6 December 1889 Hanging Murder of Lyman Smith Weeks; last hanging in New York David B. Hill
William Kemmler 6 August 1890 Electric chair Murder of Tillie Ziegler; first use of the electric chair in the world David B. Hill
Joseph Wood 7 July 1891 Electric chair Murder of a fellow laborer David B. Hill
James Slocum 7 July 1891 Electric chair Murder of his wife David B. Hill
Levy Smiler 7 July 1891 Electric chair Murder of his mistress David B. Hill
Shibuya Jugiro, a Japanese seaman 7 July 1891 Electric chair Murder of one of his comrades David B. Hill
Carlyle Harris 7 May 1893 Electric chair Murder of his wife, Helen Potts Roswell P. Flower
Bartholomew Shea[19] 11 February 1896 Electric Chair Murder of election reformer Robert Ross Levi P. Morton
Martha M. Place 20 March 1899 Electric chair Murder of her daughter, Ida Place Theodore Roosevelt
Leon F. Czolgosz 29 October 1901 Electric chair Murder of US President William McKinley Benjamin Odell, Jr.
James P. "Whitey" Sullivan[20] 24 March 1903 Electric chair Murder of Matthew Wilson during a bank robbery Benjamin Odell, Jr.
William "Goat" Hinch[21] 6 July 1903 Electric chair (at Clinton Correctional Facility, Dannemora, New York) Murder of Matthew Wilson during a bank robbery Benjamin Odell, Jr.
Willis, Frederick, and Burton van Wormer (brothers)[22] 1 October 1903 Electric chair Murder of uncle, Peter Hallenbeck Benjamin Odell, Jr.
Chester Gillette 30 March 1908 Electric chair Murder of Grace Brown Charles Evans Hughes
Charles H. Rogers[23] 20 July 1908 Electric chair Murders of Fred and Willis Onley, and Alice Ingerick Charles Evans Hughes
Angelo Laudiero[24] 20 July 1908 Electric chair Murder of Michael DeOmbro Charles Evans Hughes
Santo Zanza 12 July 1912 Electric chair Murder of Mrs. Mary Hall[25] John Alden Dix
Filippo DeMarco, Angelo Giusto, Lorenzo Cali, Sal DeMarco and Vince Cona[26] 12 August 1912 Electric chair Murder of Mrs. Mary Hall John Alden Dix
Frederick Poulin [27][28] 12 February 1913 Electric chair Murder of Charles Leonard William Sulzer
Harry Horowitz 13 April 1914 Electric chair Murder of Herman "Beansie" Rosenthal Martin H. Glynn
Charles Becker 30 July 1915 Electric chair Murder of Herman "Beansie" Rosenthal Charles S. Whitman
Father Hans B. Schmidt 18 February 1916 Electric chair Murder of Anna Aumüller; Schmidt remains the only Roman Catholic priest ever executed for murder in the United States Charles S. Whitman
Rickey Harrison 13 May 1920 Electric chair Murder of Canadian soldier George Griffelns Al Smith
Charles Goldson 6 January 1927 Electric chair Murder of a night watchman in Manhattan Al Smith
Ruth Brown Snyder 12 January 1928 Electric chair Murder of her husband Albert Snyder with her lover, Judd Gray Al Smith
Judd Gray 12 January 1928 Electric chair Murder of Ruth Snyder's husband, Albert Snyder Al Smith
Stephen "Bolly" Ziolkowski 29 May 1930 Electric chair Murder of John Perraton during robbery of Fedders Manufacturing company Franklin D. Roosevelt
Francis Crowley 21 January 1932 Electric chair Murder of police officer Frederick Hirsch Franklin D. Roosevelt
Tony Marino, Joseph Murphy, Francis Pasqua and Daniel Kriesberg June and July 1934 Electric chair Murder of Michael Malloy[29][30] Herbert H. Lehman
Eva Coo 27 June 1935 Electric chair Murder of Henry Wright Herbert H. Lehman
Albert Fish 16 January 1936 Electric chair Kidnapping and murder of Grace Budd (confessed to killing other children)[31] Herbert H. Lehman
Everett Appelgate 17 July 1936 Electric chair Murder of his wife, Ada Appelgate Herbert H. Lehman
Mary Frances Creighton 17 July 1936 Electric chair Murder of Ada Appelgate Herbert H. Lehman
Harry Strauss 12 June 1941 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Herbert H. Lehman
Martin Goldstein 12 June 1941 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Herbert H. Lehman
Harry Maione 19 February 1942 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Herbert H. Lehman
Frank Abbandando 19 February 1942 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Herbert H. Lehman
Louis Buchalter 4 March 1944 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Thomas E. Dewey
Emanuel Weiss 4 March 1944 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Thomas E. Dewey
Edward Kahkoska, Eugene Koberski and Henry Suckow[32] 6 March 1947 Electric chair Murders of Jack Hylands and Tony Marchisella Thomas E. Dewey
Louis Capone 4 March 1944 Electric chair Member of Murder, Inc. Thomas E. Dewey
John M. Dunn 7 July 1949 Electric chair Murder of Anthony "Andy" Hintz Thomas E. Dewey
Andrew "Squint" Sheridan 7 July 1949 Electric chair Murder of Anthony "Andy" Hintz Thomas E. Dewey
Raymond Fernandez 8 March 1951 Electric chair Murders of Janet Fay, Delphine Downing, and Rainelle Downing Thomas E. Dewey
Martha Beck 8 March 1951 Electric chair Murders of Janet Fay, Delphine Downing, and Rainelle Downing Thomas E. Dewey
Julius Rosenberg 19 June 1953 Electric chair Espionage Thomas E. Dewey
Ethel Rosenberg 19 June 1953 Electric chair Espionage Thomas E. Dewey
Gerhard Puff 12 August 1954 Electric chair Murder of an FBI agent Thomas E. Dewey
Elmer "Trigger" Burke 9 January 1958 Electric Chair Murder of Edward "Poochy" Walsh Averell Harriman
Henry Flakes 19 May 1960 Electric Chair Murder of Joseph Friedman in a 1958 robbery Nelson Rockefeller
Eddie Mays 15 August 1963 Electric chair Murder and robbery. This was the last execution in New York prior to the death penalty being declared unconstitutional in New York. Nelson Rockefeller

As a result of several United States Supreme Court decisions, capital punishment was suspended in the United States from 1972 through 1976.

Since 24 June 2004, the New York State death penalty statute has been declared unconstitutional by the New York Court of Appeals.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ History of capital punishment in New York State
  2. ^ "James McLean had to be, in effect, hanged twice in order that the death sentence imposed on his conviction for murder be carried out. His "double hanging" was ironically fitting since he apparently had killed two men even though he was tried for the murder of only one of them."
  3. ^ Execution of Alpheus Hitchcock
  4. ^ Online excerpt from book about Rufus Hill's trial and execution
  5. ^ Shooting of 4 soldiers (Black, Christie, Orcote, Kent) for desertion
  6. ^ Information regarding execution of James Graham
  7. ^ Information re executions of Charles Thompson and James Peters
  8. ^ Execution of Barent Becker
  9. ^ Information re execution of Abram (or Abraham) Antoine
  10. ^ Execution of Joseph Clark, GoogleBooks
  11. ^ Execution of John Hadcock
  12. ^ Info re John Hadcock
  13. ^ "Henry Gardner's hanging was described at the time as "bungled, horrible and revolting" as the body had to be dropped through the trap three times."
  14. ^ Reference to the execution of Peter Penwell
  15. ^ New York Times excerpt (dated 21 July 1877) regarding the hanging of Peter Penwell
  16. ^ Story of William Merrick's execution
  17. ^ Reference to the execution of Joseph Abbott
  18. ^ Report on execution of George H. Mills, The New York Times
  19. ^ Execution of Bartholomew Shea
  20. ^ Execution of Whitey Sullivan
  21. ^ Execution of William "The Goat" Hinch
  22. ^ Execution of van Wormer brothers
  23. ^ Charles H. Rogers execution
  24. ^ Angelo Laudiero execution
  25. ^ Execution of Santo Zanza, one of six Italian men executed for the murder of Mary Hall
  26. ^ Executions of Cali, Cona, F. DeMarco, S. DeMarco and Giusto for the murder of Mary Hall
  27. ^ Frederick Poulin execution
  28. ^ Info re Frederick Poulin
  29. ^ "The Durable Mike Malloy", New York Daily News
  30. ^ Trivia Library on murder of Michael Malloy
  31. ^ "Albert Fish, 65, Pays Penalty at Sing Sing". New York Times. 17 January 1936. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20717F93C58107A93C5A8178AD85F428385F9. Retrieved 2010-03-29. "Albert Fish, 65 years old, of 55 East 128th Street, Manhattan, a house painter who murdered Grace Budd, 6, after attacking her in a Westchester farmhouse in 1928, was put to death tonight in the electric chair at Sing Sing prison." 
  32. ^ Executions of Edward Kahkoska, Eugene Koberski and Henry Suckow
  33. ^ Peters, Jeremy W. (14 December 2007). "New Jersey Moves to End Its Death Penalty". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/nyregion/14death.html. 

External links

In depth
Lists of individuals executed
Other