Georgia's First Electric Chair

Georgia's First Electric Chair.
   Electrocution for felons sentenced to the punishment of death, instead of hanging, became law in August 1924 in Georgia. The death chamber was built by the Manly Jail Works of Dalton, Ga. and R. C. Turner of Atlanta.  According  to the Cobb County Times the death chair was built by Richard McCauley, a negro prisoner who was transferred from Terrell county to do carpenter work at the state prison farm. Another source gives credit for the chair to George Edward Barnes of Milledgeville.
  The first electrocution was of Howard Hinton September 13, 1924.  Below is a list, not all named of 107 men electrocuted here between 1924 and 1937.  A new state prison was built,  with the  help of federal funds, in Tattnall County near Reidsville in 1936  and the first 50 men moved from Milledgeville  to Tattnall Prison in July 1937.  The chair remained in Milledgeville until January 1, 1938 and the first electrocution was held at Tattnall Prison May 6, 1938.
 Partial List of Executions by Electric Chair, Georgia State Prison at Milledgeville, Ga. 1924 - 1937 
Date of exeucution Name Crime, victim, etc.
1924, Sep 13 Howard Hinton, black Criminal assult, first to die in chair in Georgia. 
1925, May 15 Alex Williams, black  Murder of his pregnant wife in Jones County in Oct. 1924
1926, Jun 19 Moss Stewart, black Murder of Dr. Ashton T. Ford, white, in Sylvester, Ga. 
1926, Mar 25 Ted Coggeshall, white  Murder of Prof. W. C.Wright, white,  of Putnam Co.
1926, Mar 25 Floyd McClelland, white Murder of Prof. W. C.Wright, white, of Putnam Co.
1926 Sep 09 Ed Glover, black  Murder of E. W. Wilson, white & Hilda Smith, white  in July 1926.
Buried Prison Cemetery re Macon paper
1926, Oct 08 Pringle Williams, black  Criminal assault on young white girl in Emmanuel Co.
1926, Sep 24

1926,  Nov 13		 Tom Johnson, black 

James "Smokey" Johnson, black		 Murder of  Dessie Stone, black, in a church on Easter Sunday in Jefferson Co..

Murder of Amanda Tumblin, white, in Fulton Co. Sep. 13, 1926
1927, Jun 03 Mel M. Gore, white Murder of William H. Cheek,  white,  robbery in Atlanta Dec 19, 1925
1927, Jun 03 Herbert Fennell, black Murder of his wife in Liberty County
1927, Jun 06 Oscar Mars, white  Murdered his estranged wife 
1927, Jul 12  John Rounsaville, black  Murdered his infant step-son
1927, Jul 15 Cellus Stewart, black Murder of black woman in Early Co. in 1925
1927, Oct 14 Wilmer/Wilbur Galloway, black Murder of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Andrews, white. in Dodge Co.  Jul 24, 1927
1927, Oct 14 Lee Chamblee, black  Murder of black man over 5 cents
1927, Oct 14 Mose Parker, black  Murder of his daughter & niece while trying to shoot his estranged wife in Pike Co.  June 1926
1927, Oct 26  Roy Pryor, black Assaulted aged white woman at Dames Ferry in Monroe Co.
1927, Nov 11 George Clark, black Criminal assault of white Jasper County woman in 1927 
1927, Nov 18 John Sanders, black  Criminal assault on mother of two children in Fulton Co.
1928, Jan 20 Albert Quinn, black Murder of J. Wash Sutton, white, in Terrell Co. in May 1927 
1928, Jan 20 Garfield Fuller, alias C. R. Davis. black Murder of Lilly Belle Davis, black, in Molena, Ga. in 1927 
1928, Feb 21 Robert Coates, black Murder of his wife Lilly B. Coates  in Wrens Ga, Nov 20, 1926
1928, Apr 18 Henry Ellis, black Murder of John Taylor, black in Fulton Co.  in 1927 
1928, May 4 Edgar Price, black Murder of  two men in Cairo Ga Dec. 25, 1926 
1928, May 18 James E. Grant, black Murder of nightwatchman at Buick Motor Co. in Atlanta 
1928, Jun 8 Charlie Hicks, black Murder of nightwatchman at Buick Motor Co. in Atlanta
1928, Jun 28 Robert Jones, black Murder of Wesley P. Short, white of Macon, Ga. 
1928, Jul 6 Harold Hammond, white Murder of Mrs. Lottie Bell Ingram, white & her 14 mo old. child Feb 1927 in Atlanta. 
Buried Prison Cemetery
1928, Jul 7 Medie/Neely McCloud, black Murder of white policeman in Bainbridge, Ga. Buried Prison Cemetery
1928, Jul 13 Sam Gower, white Murder of Jim Bennefield white & his 10 yr old son near Dacular, Ga.  Dec 1927. 
Buried Prison Cemtery
1928, Jul 13 Preddie Taylor, black Murder of W. H. Cleveland, white, in  1927. Buried Prison Cemetery
1928, Aug 3 Jim Hugh Moss, black Murder of Coleman Osborne, white,  during a robbery in Chatsworth, Ga. in 1927
1928, Aug 3 Clifford Thompson, white Murder of Coleman Osborne, white,  during a robbery in Chatsworth, Ga. in 1927
1928, Dec 19 R. H. "Whitey"  Shephard/Shepperd, white, said to be a former Texas Ranger Murder of Homer Fowler, white,  Feb 1927 in Atlanta.
1929, Jan 18 Marshall Redding, black Murder of Chief of Police W. H. Calloway, white, of Manchester, Ga. Buried Prison Cemetery
1929, Jan 18 Willie C. George, black Murder of Pat Daugherty, black, of Fulton County. Buried Prison Cemetery.
1929, Jan 18 Willis Gillam, black Murder of Pat Daugherty, black, of Fulton County. Buried Prison Cemetery.
1929, Jan 18 Ed Capers, black Murder  of Pat Daugherty, black, of Fulton County. Buried Prison Cemetery.
1929, Feb 22 Griffin Grinstead, white Murder of Alton Burton, white, in 1926 (son convicted of crime) near Mt. Vernon, Ga. and Homer Stuckey, white, Montgomery Co. policeman in 1928. Buried Prison Cemetery.
1929, Mar 30 John Clark, black Murder of Clifford Anderson, black, of McIntosh County. Buried Prison Cemetery 
1929, May 17 James Crumady, black Murder of George Burt, white,  of Colquitt county
1929, Jul 11 Jeff Dozier, black Murder of  black woman in Floyd County
1929, Sep 11 Homer C. Simpson, white,  alias 
H. L. Howard 		 Murder of  C. A. Perry, white,  who was shot 3 times, during robbery of Bank of Kingsland, Ga. and  left to die by side of road in Florida. Buried Prison Cemetery
1929, Sep 11 Malcom Morrow, white Murder of C. A. Perry, white. who was shot 3 times, during robbery of Bank of Kingsland, Ga. and  left to die by side of road in Florida. Buried Prison Cemetery
1929, Oct 4 Willie Bryant, black Criminal assault on white woman  in Waycross
1929, Oct 4 Alvin Eugene  Merritt, white "Northside Fiend" Criminal assault on white woman in Atlanta in 1929 
1930, Jan 27 John Ellen, black  Murder of Emmett Puckett, black,  in Floyd Co. in  Sept. 1928. Buried Prison Cemetery. 
1930, Feb 14 James Barker, black Murder of C. L. Oxley, white,  in Macon, Ga.
1930, Feb 21 Edmond Kelly, black Murder of John Stephens, black, in Grady Co., GA 
1930, Mar 21 Renty Screven, black  Murder of his daughter Rosa and another woman in Chatham, Co.
1930, Jun 20 Lucius Jolley, black Murdered his wife in Bibb Co. in 1929
1930, Jun 27 Emory Van Duzer, black Death Certificate
1930, Nov 22 Wash Smith, white Murder of Jud Wells, white,  in Banks County in 1928
1931, Jan  16  Edgar Jenkins, black Attacked 2 white girls, age 9 & 11, in Doughtery Co. Dec. 1930. Buried Prison Cemetery
1931, Jan 28 William Biggers, black  Muder of  Frank B. Marlin, white, in Atlanta, Ga. in 1929.  Buried Prison Cemetery
1931, May 23 James Burley Adams, white Murder of Walter R. Tolbert, white, Federal prohibition agent in Columbia Co. in 1928
1931, May 22 Willie Green, black Murder of  Alexander "Son" Adams, black,  March 23, 1930 in Augusta. He also confessed to two other murders.  Buried Prison Cemetery
1931,  Oct 16

1931, Oct. 16		 Clark Stevens, black 

Robert Lee Chisholm, black 		 Murder of Chief of Police Percy McAdams & Will Mallory of Madison Ga, Aug 17, 1931, Macon Telegraph 

Attack on white woman in Perry, Ga., June 1931, Macon Telegraph. Buried Prison Cemetery 
1931, Oct 30 

1931, Oct 30		 O. C. Hendrix, black

Willie Searcy, black 		 Murder of Sam Nisson, white, in Atlanta 

Murder of his wife in Talbot County, Ga.
1931, Dec 21 English Gaskins, white Murder of  his wife March 29, 1930 in Tattnall Co.. Buried Prison Cemetery
1932, Feb 9  Eddie "Slick" Johnson, black Murder of his brother-in-law Tobe Roberts, Macon Telegraph
1932, Feb 9 Eddie March/Marsh, black Murder of  Walter E. Campbell, white,  Oct 18, 1930 in Dougherty Co. Buried Prison Cemetery
1932, Apr 8 James H. Parker,  aka Terry Vernon, white Murder of his baby daughter near Waycross, charged but not convicted of killing his wife in June 1929. Buried Prison Cemetery.
1932, Aug 8 Sloan Johnson, black Murder of his wife Carrie Johnson in Richmond County June 1931
1932, Aug 8 Willie Jones Murder of  Charles H. Dunn, white,  in Augusta Apr 3, 1932. Buried Prison Cemetery
1932, Oct 28  Charlie Green, Jr. black Attacked white woman in Webster County, Tampa Tribune,  Buried Prison Cemetery.
1932, Oct 28  Paschall Baker, black Attacked white woman in Webster County, Tampa Tribune.  Buried Prison Cemetery.
1932, Nov 4 Fred Hulsey, white, son of William (below) Murder of  Cliff Jones, Lige Harper, Ernest McCullough  white, near Rockmart Ga Jun 20,  '30
1932, Nov 5 William Hulsey, white Murder of  Cliff Jones, Lige Harper, Ernest McCullough  white, near Rockmart Ga Jun 20,  '30
1933, May 19

1933, Jul 14		 Johnny Todd, aka Boynee Jones, black 

Raider Davis, black		 Murder of Willard S. Acree, white,, in Greene Co, March 1922. Buried Prison Cemetery 

Murder of Mrs. Sam Henderson , white, in Atlanta in 1933. 
1933, Aug 25 Thomas Andrew McCullough, white Murder of William B. Baker of Atlanta Sep 25, 1932. Buried Prison Cemetery.
1933, Oct 27 George Zuber, black Murder of Pickens County prison guard
1933, Oct 27 Grady Brooks, black Murder of Pickens County prison guard. Shortly before he died he confessed to 19 murders.
1933, Dec 20

1934, Jan 12 (No. 100)		 James F. Barbee, white

Albert Dobbs, black		 Murder of  his son-in-law Delmer Cannon of Macon in Hawkinsville Mar 3 1931

Attacking a white woman in Fulton County.
1934, Mar 16 Sandy Walker, black Murder of two black men in Worth County. Buried Prison Cemetery 
1934, Mar 16 John Downer/Dowing, black Rape of a white woman in Elbert County in 1931. Buried Prison Cemetery
1934, Apr 20 Miley Lively, white Murder of  his wife and mother-in-law in Atlanta 
1934, Jun 15 Reece Castleberry, black Murder of  Lee Lindsay, white, a guard
1934, Jun 15 Floyd South, black Murder of  Bennie Catlin, white, in Atlanta 
1934, Jun 15 George Cole, black Murder of black man in Athens. 
1935, Mar 1 John Wright, black Murder of Jim Black Stone, white,  of Thomson in 1935
1935, Mar 1 Rack Reese, black Murder of Jim Black Stone, white,  of Thomson in 1935
1935, Mar 15 Robert Franklin  Hargroves/Hardgrave Murder of Jim Zittraue, white,  of Effingham County, Buried Prison Cemetery 
1935, Apr 5 Albert Rivers, black Attacked young white girl in Screven County
1935,  Apr 5 Isaiah Buddy Ashely, black Murder of J. W. Holton, white,  of Appling County
1935, Oct 10

1935, Oct 18		 Simmie Gaines, black 

George P. McRae, white		 Murder of  Mrs. C. G. Goolsby, white,  in Lexington Ga,  Jun 26. Buried Prison Cemetery

Murder of Virgil Turner, white,  in Canton Ga. Sep 16, 1934.  Buried Prison Cemetery. 
1935, Dec 20 John Willie White, black Murder of two white men in Thompson. Buried Prison Cemetery. 
1935, Dec 20 Marvin/Melvin Honea, white Murder of David Lord, white, CWA worker
1936, Aug 6 John Henry Thomas, black Murder of Charles L. Rice, white,  in Athens June 12, 1936
1936, Dec 4 Winton Boyer, black Murder of Motorcycle officer M. J. Stafford, white,  in Hancock County, in 1925
1936, Dec 31  John Henry Sloan, black Murder of Otis Gay, white,  in Moultrie, Ga. in 1935
1936, Mar 6 Eddie B. Bowen, black Murder in 1935 in Douglasville
1937, Apr 19 James Burke, black Murder of Patrick J. Collins, white,  in Augusta
1937, May 21 Eli Melton, black Attacked a young white woman in  Columbus  Ga. 
1937, May 21 Will Lacy, black Murder of two women in Cook County
1937, May 27 Leonard Brown, black Murder of  Walter Barnard, white, of Augusta July 15, 1936 
1937, July 9 Mitchell Jackson, black Murder of Mrs. R. M. Fluker, white, in Atlanta
1937, Aug 13 Lawrence Ward, white Murder of 14-yr-old step-daughter, Maude Salters,  in Hazelhurst, Ga. November 26,  1936 
Buried Prison Cemetery
1937, Sep 29 Clinton Pinson, black Murder of Roscoe Harbin, white,  March 20, 1934 in Atlanta

Sources: Macon Telegraph, Atlanta Constitution, Augusta Chronicle, Marietta Journal
 

Eileen Babb McAdams copyright 2011