John Hulbert (executioner)
John W. Hulbert Jr. (also John Hurlbert) (September 1867 in Auburn, New York – February 22, 1929 in Auburn, New York[1]) was the executioner for the states of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts from 1913 to 1926.[2][3] Hulbert was trained as "state electrician" by his predecessor, Edwin F. Davis, and oversaw 140 executions during his tenure.[4]
Hulbert was initially hired for $50 per execution, although his predecessor had been paid $250.[5] The amount later increased to $150.[5] According to his colleague, Sing Sing prison physician Amos Squire, Hulbert became significantly depressed about his job, but performed the duty for salary.[6] Hulbert went to lengths to maintain his privacy, never allowed the press to obtain a photograph, and was described in newspapers as "the man who walks alone."[7] Following a nervous breakdown in 1926, Hulbert retired as executioner. He said, "I got tired of killing people."[2]
In 1929, Hulbert became further depressed over the death of his wife, Mattie, and, at the age of 59, committed suicide by going into the cellar of his home and shooting himself.[8] He was buried beside his wife in Soule Cemetery, Sennett, New York.
See also
References
- ^ "Hulbert, Former Executioner, Is a Suicide; Man Who Put 140 to Death Shoots Himself". New York Times. February 22, 1929. p. 12.
- ^ a b Gonnerman, Jennifer (January 18, 2005). "The Last Executioner". The Village Voice.
- ^ Solotaroff, Ivan (November 2002). The Last Face You'll Ever See: The Culture of Death Row. Harper. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-0-06-093103-2.
- ^ Banner, Stuart (March 2003). The Death Penalty: An American History. Harvard University Press. p. 195. ISBN 0-674-01083-3.
- ^ a b "Executioner Boosts Fee, Sing Sing Electric Chair Operator Demands $250 for each Murderer". Oneonta Daily Star. New York. 24 February 1920. p. 2.
- ^ Conover, Ted (June 2001). Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing. Vintage. p. 190. ISBN 0-375-72662-4.
- ^ Gado, Mark (November 2007). Death row women: murder, justice, and the New York press. Praeger. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-275-99361-0.
- ^ Abbot, Jeffrey (April 2006). Execution: The Guillotine, the Pendulum, the Thousand Cuts, the Spanish Donkey, and 66 Other Ways of Putting Someone to Death. St. Martin's Press. p. 190. ISBN 0-312-35222-0.
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