California Executions Pre Rose Bird

[AyatollahGondola]

I have been doing a little research into California's death penalty, and I'm not very far along yet, but I thought I'd share some history here:

These links are to documents I've started to upload from the files of the Warden and San Quentin during the years 1893 through 1944. Seems California had a pretty active gallows early on, executing hundreds of convicts during that period. Hanging was the prescribed treatment, and appeals were very short, and often denied. The time frame between judgement of the court and time of death was around two years on average. Seems the sheriff and court would deliver a prisoner to the warden, and the warden would deliver a corpse two years later. Anyway, I'll be uploading more documents over the next month as I obtain them, but here is the first batch:

http://publicdocumentdistributors.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=402&d=1284782169


http://publicdocumentdistributors.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=403&d=1284783369

Here is a death warrant from the 1920's, written by hand as many were at the time:

J Hendrix by the way....hope he wasn't a geeetar player

http://publicdocumentdistributors.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=401&d=1284780849

And here is a copy of the report from another convict whose cause of death was officially designated "fracture of the neck".

http://publicdocumentdistributors.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=404&d=1284825717

[5246MPD4now]

Very interesting read. However I couldn't get the last link to open. Said I had to be logged in.

[AyatollahGondola]

Very interesting read. However I couldn't get the last link to open. Said I had to be logged in.

I see that now too. It's uploaded to a different forum for discussion, and that one requires registration. It's been updated so you should have access now

[AyatollahGondola]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b207/AyatollahGondola/Ayatollahs%20primary/ConvictFrankWoods.jpg

CRIME: Murder'. First Degree.
Woods, with five 'co-defendants, had entered Into a conspiracy to burglarize the offices of the Cypress Lawn Cemetary near San Francisco. They provided themselves with tools and dynamite and five of the men carried pistols. On the night of January 20, 19020 they went to the cemetary but, finding the place occupied and guarded, they returned to the city. They road a street car as, far, as the car barns at Mission and Valencia Street and then started to walk the rest of the way down. Into the city. They divided themselves into two parties, one group of three remaining at some distance from the other. At Eighteenth and Valencia the second of the two groups attempted to hold up a Japanese who shouted for help. Becoming frightened, the three ran toward the first group and one of the three fired his pistol, in, an attempt. to intimidate any who might be pursuing. A pollce officer, Eugene C. Robinson, ran up to the group and demanded
to know who had the gun that had been fired. Woods and two or three of the others opened fire on the officer and a fusillade followed. The officer was killed and Woods was wounded In two places. The gang scattered and were not arrested for some time. One of the gang, Henderson, was arrested first and incriminated the others. Woods was apprehended some weeks later In Portland, Oregon. Scars left from his two wounds corresponded In position to the holes found in an overcoat located near the scene of the shooting where it had been discarded. The officer was shot wlth.a.44 calibre revolver and Woods was Identified as the only one in the gang that had .a gun of that size. Eyewitnesses to the shooting Identified Woods also as the man that had shot the officer. He was found. guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to hang. Two others of the gang were convicted of second degree murder and received twenty-five years in prison,




http://publicdocumentdistributors.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=406&d=1284833913

[Joey4130]

In the town of Downieville, CA, the gallows still reside in front of the old courthouse. It's really a site to see, I believe it was the location of the last death via hanging in CA, or so the plaque reads. I usually go there to ride the MTB trails, it's a neat old mining town.

[AyatollahGondola]

In the town of Downieville, CA, the gallows still reside in front of the old courthouse. It's really a site to see, I believe it was the location of the last death via hanging in CA, or so the plaque reads. I usually go there to ride the MTB trails, it's a neat old mining town.

It's unlikely that was the spot of the last execution by hanging in California. I believe that by the time the use of the noose was halted, all state executions were mandated to take place inside a confined area, and later inside a state prison.

[Joey4130]

You're correct, I found a link to a site that shows the plaque, still very fascinating:

http://www.noehill.com/sierra/cal0971.asp

[AyatollahGondola]

That's a pretty tall gallows there. A lot of them were fairly short. Makes me wonder how difficult it was to get the convict up the stairs. Not a climb most people would make voluntarily.

[AyatollahGondola]

Convicts say the darndest things:


At approximately :15 PL this date, the writer was informed that trouble was imminent on Condemned Row, involving the above named subject and some of the other inmates on Condemned row
The writer immediately proceeded to the Isolation and Condemned Unit to investigate,
after interviewing Sergeant L D, Hutchings, who is in charge of the Unit, and Officers J0 T Snead and T0 O Treanor, who assist in the operation of the Unit, the writer wishes to respectfully submit the following findings:
The tension and general dissatisfaction of the inmates on Condemned Row is at a high peak at this time due to specific incidents and actions involving the above noted subject
Inmate Buckowski is very sarcastic and disagreeable toward the other
inmates. He constantly makes sarcastic remarks to any and all of them concerning their walking past his cell during the exercise period,, also, he resents them talking in his presence, and tells them so in a very sarcastic way. He is also very sarcastic and disagreeable toward the officers, to cite some examples; On July 21, 1951, the subject asked for a mirror and razor,, In view of the recent incident when lnniate Buckoswki broke his mirror and cut himself, permission was first obtained from the Captain's Office for him to have same. rnen informed that he could only have the mirror and razor to shave himself, he told Officer Treanor 'to stick it up his ass, and refused the articles offered him, On Sunday July 22, 1951 Inmate Buckowski asked the Officer in Charge to get him a specific brand of cigarettes from the Canteen. A special trip was made to get same. When they were delivered to Inmate Buckowski, he threw them out of his cell. when asked the reason for his actions, he stated that he wanted a different brand. Another trip was made to the Canteen to get the other brand of cigarettes. When these were delivered to
him, he threw them out of his cell also. During Lieutenant Praetzels
inspection of the Unit, the Lieutenant gave Inmate buckowski this carton of cigarettes back and asked him if he really wanted them. Inmate Buckowski stated that they were poison, so the Lieutenant told him that he would lock them up, after which Inmate Buckowski decided to take the cigarettes. Also when the subject was visited by the medical Officer on July 22 1951, and was asked if there was anything that he could do for Inmate Buckowski, subject replied that the only
thing that the Medical Officer could do for him was furnish him a machine gun


http://publicdocumentdistributors.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=400&d=1284776821

[AyatollahGondola]

R.I.H.
John Levae Post

The Sacramento Bee has reported another death of an inmate on death row...by natural causes.

52 death row inmates have died from natural causes since the death penaly was reinstated. Another 18 committed suicide while on death row. Only 13 executions have occured in that same time frame