Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"The electric chair was born. So essentially, this is a podcast, there's invention. He just said, he was like, what do I do? Okay, how do we do this? All right, do we do it in a shower? No, no, no, no. Someone else will do that later. Do we do this in an open umbrella? Umbrella guy has an umbrella and taps him with an umbrella gun. Oh, yeah, yeah. Now, what am I? I'm sitting in a chair. Yeah." — Henry Zebrowski
"But the fact it wasn't being used that much didn't stop John Lewis Evans from requesting it for his method of execution in Alabama in 1983. The only problem was the last time the electric chair was used in Alabama was 1965. Ooh. But still, it was Evans' right to request it, and it was still on the list. So, Alabama dusted off the yellow mama and strapped him in." — Ben Kissel
"The smartest person in the room is the priest. And that's never a good thing. The only method of execution that has a 100% success rate is the firing squad. But it's also the least used." — Ben Kissel
The episode begins by tracing the origins of the electric chair back to dentist Alfred P. Southwick in 1881, who was inspired by witnessing an accidental electrocution. Driven by a desire for a more "humane" and less gruesome method of execution than hanging, the concept of electrocution gained traction. This development was intertwined with the "Battle of the Currents," a fierce competition between Thomas Edison (DC power) and George Westinghouse (AC power), where each sought to discredit the other's technology. Edison, in particular, actively campaigned to associate AC power with danger, using animal electrocutions as public demonstrations, which tragically led to the coining of the term "electrocution."
The discussion then delves into the practical implementation and evolution of the electric chair. Early demonstrations involved various animals, including dogs and an orangutan, to showcase the power of electricity. The ethical implications of such experimentation were frequently raised, yet the drive for a "scientific" execution method persisted. The episode highlights how the development involved tinkering with designs, testing voltages, and refining the process, often with horrific results, including instances of prisoners bursting into flames or surviving initial attempts. The narrative emphasizes that electrocution was often not a quick or painless death, with many victims experiencing prolonged suffering and awareness.
Finally, the podcast examines the broader societal impact and eventual decline of the electric chair. It notes the role of media in sensationalizing executions and the efforts to frame electrocution as a progressive, albeit brutal, advancement. Despite its flawed history and the eventual preference for other methods like lethal injection, the electric chair remained an option in some states, with notable botched executions continuing to occur. The episode concludes by reflecting on the ethical considerations of capital punishment and the enduring questions surrounding the humanity of state-sanctioned death.