In the mid-1880’s, and man by the name of Harold Brown invented the first Electric Chair. In his words, “a device to execute criminals more humanely in a quick and painless manner” This invention sparked nationwide interests. So much so, that on January 1st, 1889 the state of New York approved that death by electrocution would be the primary way to carry out capital punishment. This decision spread like wildfire throughout the country and many states followed New York. States such as Ohio and Pennsylvania in the north, and Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and finally Texas in the year 1923.[3]
When the electric chair was put into use in 1924 the warden of the prison was to be the executioner. Captain R.F. Coleman was the warden of the Huntsville prison but could not go through with the duties put upon him to kill another man. So on January 1st 1924 he put in his
letter on resignation to be effective January 15th, 1924. He issued this statement at the time of his resignation, “It just couldn’t be done, boys. A Warden cant be a warden and a killer too. The penitentiary is a place to reform a man, not to kill him.”[4] Walter Monroe Miller was named Coleman’s successor and assumed the duties of warden of the Huntsville Prison February 4th, 1924. His views on being the warden and executioner were far more different then those of Coleman’s. “It’s a case of duty to me. I have hanged several men while I was Sheriff and to touch the button of pull the switch on and electric chair means no more to me than pulling the lever of the gallows…At any rate it’s more humane, the chair.”[5]
[3,4,5] Marquart, Ekland-Olsen, Sorensen,The Rope, The Chair, and The Needle: Capital Punishment in Texas, 1923-1990. 1st ed. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1994
