John Greenwall
Encyclopedia
John Greenwall, also known as Johann Theodore Wild (1859 – December 6, 1889) was a German
immigrant to New York City
who became the last person to be hanged in New York State. He was hanged at Raymond Street Jail
for the shooting of Lyman Smith Weeks during a burglary on March 15, 1887.
A reward from the Mayor of Brooklyn
was posted at $2,500, and Greenwall was arrested on April 5 along with several associates. Two trials in 1888 sought to disentangle the conflicting accounts of Greenwalls associates, while his lawyer argued that hanging was not a suitable punishment given that the electric chair
was not the preferred method of execution, and the electric chair was not suitable given that the corresponding legislation had not been in place when the murder occurred. Greenwall was sentenced on December 5, 1889. "This information was at once conveyed to Greenwall, who received it without emotion. He had slept very little on Wednesday night, occupying most of his time playing checkers and penuchle with one of his keepers. He finally fell asleep about 3 a.m., but awoke with a start about 8 o’clock. ‘I shall sleep no more,’ he said then. ‘I’ve only one day left, and after that I’ll sleep enough'" reported the New York Times.
The report continued that: "The condemned man had retained his unnatural calm until a second before the black cap was drawn over his eyes. Then his face grew suddenly white and his pinioned knees trembled. Father O’Hara quickly placed a crucifix on Greenwall’s lips, and the latter kissed it passionately. The next instant “Joe” Atkinson had rapped sharply on the wooden partition concealing the 552 pounds of weights, a crash was heard, and Greenwall’s body was jerked into the air."
William Kemmler
, the first to be executed in the electric chair, was killed in 1890, ending the use of the hangman's noose in New York State.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrant to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
who became the last person to be hanged in New York State. He was hanged at Raymond Street Jail
Raymond Street Jail
The Raymond Street Jail was a jail in Brooklyn, New York City. With its cornerstone laid in a ceremony on August 27, 1836, Raymond Street Jail was the chief prison for Brooklyn before the latter was incorporated into New York City, and was closed on July 20, 1963...
for the shooting of Lyman Smith Weeks during a burglary on March 15, 1887.
A reward from the Mayor of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
was posted at $2,500, and Greenwall was arrested on April 5 along with several associates. Two trials in 1888 sought to disentangle the conflicting accounts of Greenwalls associates, while his lawyer argued that hanging was not a suitable punishment given that the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
was not the preferred method of execution, and the electric chair was not suitable given that the corresponding legislation had not been in place when the murder occurred. Greenwall was sentenced on December 5, 1889. "This information was at once conveyed to Greenwall, who received it without emotion. He had slept very little on Wednesday night, occupying most of his time playing checkers and penuchle with one of his keepers. He finally fell asleep about 3 a.m., but awoke with a start about 8 o’clock. ‘I shall sleep no more,’ he said then. ‘I’ve only one day left, and after that I’ll sleep enough'" reported the New York Times.
The report continued that: "The condemned man had retained his unnatural calm until a second before the black cap was drawn over his eyes. Then his face grew suddenly white and his pinioned knees trembled. Father O’Hara quickly placed a crucifix on Greenwall’s lips, and the latter kissed it passionately. The next instant “Joe” Atkinson had rapped sharply on the wooden partition concealing the 552 pounds of weights, a crash was heard, and Greenwall’s body was jerked into the air."
William Kemmler
William Kemmler
William Francis Kemmler of Buffalo, New York, was a convicted murderer and the first person in the world to be executed using an electric chair.-Early life:...
, the first to be executed in the electric chair, was killed in 1890, ending the use of the hangman's noose in New York State.
See also
- List of individuals executed in New York
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...