John McCaffary
Encyclopedia
John McCaffary was the only defendant to be executed
by the State of Wisconsin
. He was executed by hanging
for the murder
of his wife.
On 23 July 1850, Bridgett McCaffary was drowned
in a backyard cistern
in Kenosha
, a newly incorporated town in Kenosha County, Wisconsin
. John McCaffary, an immigrant farmer
from Ireland
, was arrested and charged with the first degree murder of his wife. His trial began on May 6, 1851, and on May 23, 1851 the jury
convicted him of willful murder. The judge sentenced him to death by hanging.
McCaffary was hung from a tree on August 21, 1851 before a crowd of 2000 to 3000 people in front of then Kenosha courthouse and jail. The hanging was initially unsuccessful, and McCaffary remained alive and struggled on the end of the rope for approximately 20 minutes as he was slowly strangled. McCaffary was buried in the Green Ridge Cemetery in Kenosha. He was the first person executed by Wisconsin after it became a state
of the United States
in 1848.
The spectacle of McCaffary's slow death in front of thousands led reformers in Wisconsin to press for abolition of the death penalty. On July 12, 1853, Wisconsin Governor
Leonard J. Farwell
signed a law that abolished the death penalty in Wisconsin and replaced it with a penalty of life imprisonment
. The law is still in effect and no one has been executed by Wisconsin since McCaffary's death.
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by the State of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. He was executed by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of his wife.
On 23 July 1850, Bridgett McCaffary was drowned
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
in a backyard cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
in Kenosha
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
, a newly incorporated town in Kenosha County, Wisconsin
Kenosha County, Wisconsin
-Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 149,577 people, 56,057 households, and 38,455 families residing in the county. The population density was 548 people per square mile . There were 59,989 housing units at an average density of 220 per square mile...
. John McCaffary, an immigrant farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, was arrested and charged with the first degree murder of his wife. His trial began on May 6, 1851, and on May 23, 1851 the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
convicted him of willful murder. The judge sentenced him to death by hanging.
McCaffary was hung from a tree on August 21, 1851 before a crowd of 2000 to 3000 people in front of then Kenosha courthouse and jail. The hanging was initially unsuccessful, and McCaffary remained alive and struggled on the end of the rope for approximately 20 minutes as he was slowly strangled. McCaffary was buried in the Green Ridge Cemetery in Kenosha. He was the first person executed by Wisconsin after it became a state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1848.
The spectacle of McCaffary's slow death in front of thousands led reformers in Wisconsin to press for abolition of the death penalty. On July 12, 1853, Wisconsin Governor
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
Leonard J. Farwell
Leonard J. Farwell
Leonard James Farwell was an American politician and the second Governor of Wisconsin.Farwell was born in Watertown, New York, and moved to Wisconsin in the 1840s, prior to its statehood...
signed a law that abolished the death penalty in Wisconsin and replaced it with a penalty of life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. The law is still in effect and no one has been executed by Wisconsin since McCaffary's death.
See also
- Capital punishment in WisconsinCapital punishment in WisconsinCapital punishment in Wisconsin was abolished in 1853. Wisconsin was one of the earliest United States states to abolish the death penalty, and, along with Michigan, one of only two states that has performed only one execution in its history....
- List of most recent executions by jurisdiction