Edwin Davis (executioner)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bender235 (talk | contribs) at 00:06, 9 August 2016 (some copy-editing). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Edwin F. Davis (May 28, 1846 – May 26, 1923), of Corning, Steuben County, New York was the first "state electrician" (executioner) for the State of New York. In 1890, Davis finalized many features of the first electric chair used.[1] Davis performed 240 executions between 1890 and 1914,[1] including the first person to be executed by electric chair, William Kemmler, and the first woman Martha M. Place, as well as the assassin of William McKinley, Leon Frank Czolgosz.

Davis held a patent on certain features of the electric chair. He received U.S. Patent No. 587,649, for his "Electrocution-Chair", on August 3, 1897.

He died in May 1923, and is buried in Barnard Cemetery in Corning, New York.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Banner, Stuart (March 2003). The Death Penalty: An American History. Harvard University Press. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-674-01083-3.
  2. ^ http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C13FA345416738DDDAE0A94DD405B838EF1D3
  3. ^ Edwin F. Davis at Find a Grave