List of people executed in Washington (pre–1972)

The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of Washington before capital punishment was resumed in the United States in 1976.

One hundred and five people, all male, were executed in Washington state during the pre-Furman era, all by hanging. ^[1] Two people, Cussas and Quallahworst, both Native American, were hanged on January 5, 1849, before the establishment of the Washington Territory in 1853. ^[2]

List of people executed in Washington (pre–1972)

No.	Name	Race	Age	Sex	Date of execution	County	Method	Victim(s)	Governor	Ref.
1	Leschi	Native American	Unknown	Male	February 19, 1858	Pierce	Hanging	Unknown	Fayette McMullen		[1]
2	Yow Lung	Asian	20		August 15, 1873	Walla Walla			Elisha P. Ferry
3	Joseph Nuana		17		March 6, 1874	Jefferson
4	Harry	Native American	Unknown		March 20, 1874	Kitsap
5	Moos Moos				September 18, 1874	Walla Walla
6	John Thompson	White	30		January 5, 1877	King
7	Saluskin	Native American	Unknown		November 26, 1879	Yakima
8	Kype
9	Bud Thomas	White			January 4, 1881	Walla Walla			William A. Newell
10	Andrew Teuwepa	Native American			November 15, 1881	Stevens
11	Ezra Alexander Snodderly	White	25		August 7, 1883	Columbia		Eli Cummins		[3]
12	John Elfus		33		January 15, 1884	Walla Walla		Dan Haggerty		[4]
13	Jochin Henry Timmerman		Unknown		April 6, 1888	Klickitat		William Sterling	Eugene Semple	[5]
14	Edward Gallagher				July 11, 1890	Clark		Lewis Marr	Elisha P. Ferry	[6]
15	Robert Thompson Day		45		June 3, 1892	Cowlitz		Thomas Beebe		[7]
16	Charles Brooks	Black	62		September 6, 1892	Spokane		Christine Brooks		[8]
17	Charles E. Meyers	White	Unknown		September 30, 1895	Garfield		Frank Sherry	John McGraw	[9]
18	Charles Asimus		28		January 31, 1896	Cowlitz		James Greenwood		[10]
19	Richard H. Straub		Unknown		April 26, 1897	San Juan		Leo Lanterman	John Rankin Rogers	[11]
20	Gin Pong	Asian	38		April 30, 1897	Spokane		Lee Tung		[12]
21	Jack Leonard	White	Unknown		March 25, 1898	Whitman		Jacob Malquist		[13]
22	George Webster		31		March 30, 1900	Spokane		Lise C. Aspland		[14]
23	Albert Michaud		Unknown		April 6, 1900	Pierce		Julia Meuret Michaud		[15]
24	Martin Stickles		30		January 25, 1901	Cowlitz		3 victims [a]		[16]
25	Eben L. Boyce		38		August 9, 1901	Pierce		Louise Bock Boyce		[17]
26	Charles W. Nordstrom		51-52		August 23, 1901	King		William Mason		[18]
27	James G. Green		Unknown		December 6, 1901	Skamania		E. V. Benjamin		[19]
28	William Alden Seaton		23		January 3, 1902	King		Dan Richards	Henry McBride	[20]
29	Lum You	Asian	40-41		January 31, 1902	Pacific		Oscar Bloom		[21]
30	Alfred Hamilton	White	29-30		May 23, 1902	Whatcom		David M. Woodbury		[22]
31	James Champoux		29		May 6, 1904	King		Lottie Brace		[23]
32	Charles Clarke		26		September 2, 1904	Thurston		Leila Page		[24]
33	Henry Arao	Asian	28		June 3, 1905	Spokane		Sam Chong	Albert E. Mead	[25]
34	Frank Pasquale	White			September 15, 1905	Pierce		Charles F. Gray		[26]
35	Angus McPhail		45		December 8, 1905	Snohomish		Fred Alderson		[27]
36	William White		18		March 2, 1906	King		Matthew Murphy		[28]
37	Simon Brooks		46		April 13, 1906	Clark		Adolph Miller		[29]
38	A.A. Armstrong		53		June 8, 1906	Lewis		Robert Patton		[30]
39	Fred Miller		25		March 22, 1907	Cowlitz		Fred Dierk		[31]
40	Joe Nicolos	Asian	22		April 16, 1909	Kitsap		2 victims [b]	Marion E. Hay	[32]
41	Joseph Gauvitte	White	44		August 27, 1909	Spokane		Elizabeth Gauvitte		[33]
42	Bud Barnes		26		November 12, 1909	Walla Walla		Anna Aldrich		[34]
43	Richard Quinn		32		May 13, 1910	Snohomish		Margaret Quinn		[35]
44	Frank Barker		23		June 20, 1910	Spokane		Ira Messinger		[36]
45	William Frederick Jahns		63		April 21, 1911	Stevens		Agnes Jensen		[37]
46	John Smith		26		April 1, 1921	King		3 victims [c]	Louis F. Hart	[38]
47	James Mahoney		38		December 1, 1922			Kate Mooers Mahoney		[39]
48	George Whitfield		22		June 13, 1924	Clark		Anna Nosko		[40]
49	Ralph Waller		34		June 27, 1924	Garfield		2 victims [d]		[41]
50	Thomas Walton		39		December 12, 1924	Walla Walla		S.F. Burt		[42]
51	L.E. Mosely	Black	45		February 19, 1926	King		A.J. Comer	Roland H. Hartley	[43] [44]
52	Alfred Winters		30		May 27, 1927	Cowlitz
53	Manuel Lopez	Hispanic	45		February 15, 1928	Whitman		Charles Markham		[45]
54	Emmett Bailey	White	39		August 10, 1928	Lewis		Erma Skinner		[46]
55	Wallace Gaines		48		August 31, 1928	King		Sylvia Gaines		[47]
56	Luther Baker		61		March 29, 1929	Clark		Lester Wood		[48]
57	Preston Rae Clark		39		July 11, 1930	Walla Walla		A.L. Bidwell		[49]
58	Robert Lee Wilkins		44		August 15, 1930			John W. Brooks		[50]
59	Arthur Schafer		29		August 29, 1930	Mason		Mr. and Mrs. Joe Kirk		[51]
60	Archie Frank Moock		33		September 12, 1930	Spokane		Catherine Clark		[52]
61	George Miller		48		December 18, 1931			John Ivester		[53]
62	Harold Carpenter		31		April 15, 1932	Thurston		Peter Jacobson		[54]
63	Walter Dubuc		17
64	Ollie Lee Stratton		24		July 28, 1933	Jefferson		William Frawley	Clarence D. Martin	[55]
65	Ted Bradley		26	May 11, 1934	King	George Ikeda	[56]
66	Byron Miller		42	October 3, 1934	Yakima	Marshal George Warring	[57]
67	Hong Yick	Asian	44	July 19, 1935	King	Lee Wing Qmen	[58]
68	Barney Fleming	Black	29	April 3, 1936		La Belle Butler	[59]
69	Glenn R. Stringer	White	24	May 29, 1936	Clark	Herbert Lee Caples	[60]
70	Leo Roderick Bernard Hall		34	September 11, 1936	Kitsap	5 victims [e]	[61]
71	Clifford Hawkins		25	February 23, 1938	Skagit	Ernest and Floyd Grimm	[62]
72	Claude H. Ryan		34	February 25, 1938	Lewis	S.R. Jackson	[63]
73	Stanley Knapp		21	August 5, 1938	Spokane	William E. Walker	[64]
74	Joseph O'Donnell		40	November 21, 1938	King	2 victims [f]	[65]
75	Bernhard Leuch		41	August 4, 1939	Mason	Lena Leuch	[66]
76	Paul Buttry		39	September 15, 1939	Grays Harbor	Hugh Warren	[67]
77	Earl Talbott		19	September 18, 1939	Walla Walla	W.E. McKinney	[68]
78	Roy Wright			October 6, 1939	Yakima	John Dee Moore	[69]
79	Ralph Carson		54	December 8, 1939	Clallam	Lynwood Sproul	[70]
80	Edward L. Bouchard		46	September 6, 1940	Snohomish	2 victims [g]	[71]
81	Jack Marable		40	October 4, 1940	Thurston	Emil Roloff	[72]
82	Arley Ovoyd Lewis		29	January 30, 1941	Clark	Jack Avent	Arthur B. Langlie	[73]
83	Denzel Davis		24	March 24, 1941	King	Harriet Arnold		[74]
84	John Bruce Anderson		58	November 14, 1941	Spokane	David Johnson		[75]
85	Chester Montgomery	Black	29	March 19, 1943		Jessie Sellers		[76]
86	Roy Willard Jacobs	White	41	April 6, 1943	Pierce	2 victims [h]		[77]
87	Persia Williams	Black	38	September 8, 1944	King	Joseph Romaglio		[78]
88	Edward Heberling	White	32	December 8, 1944		Harriet Louise Lindstrom		[79]
89	Joe Bill	Native American	30	September 7, 1945		Irma Irene McGough	Monrad Wallgren	[80]
90	Joseph Bernard Wessel	White	44	January 19, 1946	Pierce	Mary Ann Wessel		[81]
91	Woodrow Wilson Clark		30	February 5, 1946	Spokane	2 victims [i]		[82]
92	John Henry Clark	Black	26	January 7, 1947	King	Sam Katz		[83]
93	Jake Bird		47	July 15, 1949	Pierce	2 victims [j]		[84]
94	Arthur Bruce Perkins	White	24	November 4, 1949	Thurston	2 victims [k]		[85]
95	Wayne Leroy Williams		33	November 18, 1949	Snohomish	Hallie Lucille		[86]
96	Wayne Dale Odell		23	June 18, 1951	Whitman	Harold Rogers	Arthur B. Langlie	[87] [88]
97	Grant Ellis Rio		29	December 10, 1951
98	Utah Eugene Wilson		22	January 3, 1953	Clark	JoAnn Dewey		[89]
99	Turman Galilee Wilson		26
100	Artell Bernard Farley Jr.		27	December 15, 1956	Pierce	Flora McFarland		[90]
101	Harvey John Collins		32	December 3, 1957		Andrew Stolen	Albert Rosellini	[91]
102	John Richard Broderson		34	June 25, 1960	Clark	Harold Oster		[92]
103	Joseph Chester Self		32	June 20, 1963	King	Ralph A. Gemmill Jr.		[93]

Demographics

Race
White	81	77%
Native American	9	9%
Black	8	8%
Asian	7	7%
Age
Unknown age	13	4%
17-19	5	5%
20-29	31	30%
30–39	27	26%
40–49	19	18%
50–59	4	4%
60-69	3	3%
Gender
Male	105	100%
Female	0	0%
Date of execution
1840–1919	47	45%
1920–1929	11	10%
1930–1939	23	22%
1940–1949	16	15%
1950–1959	6	6%
1960–1969	2	2%
Method
Hanging	105	100%
Governor (Party)
Fayette McMullen (D)	1	1%
Elisha P. Ferry (R)	10	10%
William A. Newell (R)	4	4%
Eugene Semple (D)	1	1%
John McGraw (R)	2	2%
John Rankin Rogers (D)	9	9%
Henry McBride (R)	5	5%
Albert E. Mead (R)	7	7%
Marion E. Hay (R)	6	6%
Louis F. Hart (R)	5	5%
Roland H. Hartley (R)	13	13%
Clarence D. Martin (D)	18	17%
Arthur B. Langlie (R)	12	12%
Monrad Wallgren (D)	7	7%
Albert Rosellini (D)	3	3%

Notes

1. William Shanklin, Cornelius Knapp and his wife
2. George Brown and unnamed four-year-old
3. James O'Brien, Volney L. Stevens, and W.T. Angle
4. Alfred and Ida Waldman
5. Frank Flieder, Anna Taylor Flieder, Eugene Chenevert, Margaret Chenevert, Magnus Jorden, and Ezra Bolcom
6. Trent A. Sickles and Theodore E. Stevens
7. Cyril Ables and Ralph Allinson
8. Chadwick and Harry Storem
9. T.P. Dillon and Jane Staples
10. Bertha and Beverly Kludt
11. Mr. and Mrs. L.E. Jessup

See also

• Capital punishment in the United States
• Capital punishment in Washington
• Lists of people executed in the United States
• List of people executed in Washington

References

1. "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The Espy File". Death Penalty Information Center. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
2. "Clark County history: The 'hanging holiday' of 1890". The Columbian. September 14, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
3. Dougherty, Phil (June 14, 2006). "Freight agent Eli Cummins is robbed and murdered...". HistoryLink.
4. "Elfus Hanged". The Washington Standard. January 18, 1884.
5. "Jochin Henry Timmerman paid the extreme penalty...". The Washington Standard. April 13, 1888.
6. Harger, Stover (September 15, 2013). "The 'hanging holiday' of 1890". The Columbian.
7. "Execution At Kalama". The Spokesman-Review. June 9, 1892. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
8. "George Webster is hanged for first-degree murder at Spokane County Courthouse on March 30, 1900". www.historylink.org. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
9. "Chas. E. Meyers Hanged". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. October 1, 1895.
10. "Hanging at Kalama". The News Tribune. January 31, 1896.
11. "Paid With His Life". Aberdeen Herald. April 29, 1897.
12. "George Webster is hanged for first-degree murder at Spokane County Courthouse on March 30, 1900". www.historylink.org. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
13. "The Wages of His Sin". Spokane Daily Chronicle. March 25, 1898.
14. "George Webster is hanged for first-degree murder at Spokane County Courthouse on March 30, 1900". www.historylink.org. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
15. "Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma), 1893-1959" . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
16. "HANGMAN DOES BUNGLING WORK". The San Francisco Call. January 26, 1901.
17. "Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma), 1893-1959" . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
18. "Charles W. Nordstrom is hanged on August 23, 1901, for the murder of William Mason near Cedar Mountain (King County)" . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
19. "Last Words of Murderer". (December 07 1901). The Tacoma Daily Ledger, p. 6.
20. "Kills His Uncle and Wounds Four Others". (December 07 1900). The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, p. 1.
21. "LUM YOU HANGED". (February 1, 1902). The Tacoma Daily Ledger, p. 2
22. "Alfred Hamilton shoots and kills attorney David M. Woodbury in Anacortes on September 7, 1899". Washington State: HistoryLink. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
23. "Washington State carries out its first execution on May 6, 1904". Washington State: HistoryLink. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
24. "Ask for Rehearing". (May 4, 1904). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
25. "Pays His Penalty Bravely". (June 3, 1905). The Seattle Times, p. 4.
26. "Appeals Dismissed by Supreme Court". (May 26, 1905). The Seattle Times, p. 4.
27. "Fight Made for Man's Life". (July 19, 1905). The Seattle Times, p. 3.
28. "Mackintosh Says White Should Hang". (February 22, 1906). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
29. "Sentence of Death is Given Simon Brooks". (February 17, 1906). The Seattle Times, p. 10.
30. "Murderer Armstrong Sentenced to Hang". (April 16, 1906). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
31. "Fred Miller Hanged at State Penitentiary". (March 22, 1907). The Seattle Times, p. 15.
32. "Double Murderer Goes to his Doom". (April 16, 1909). The Seattle Times, p. 8.
33. "Wife Murderer Hanged". (August 27, 1909). The Seattle Times, p. 25.
34. "Murderer Forfeits Life on Gallows". (November 12, 1909). The Seattle Times, p. 12.
35. "Execution Bungled". (May 13, 1910). The Seattle Times, p. 7.
36. "Walks to Scaffold Laughing and Joking". (June 20, 1910). The Seattle Times, p. 5.
37. "Execution May Spoil Solution of Mystery". (April 13, 1911). The Seattle Times, p. 10.
38. "Captor of Slayer Honored by Mayor". (April 1, 1921). The Seattle Times, p. 3.
39. "Mahoney is Executed in Prison Yard for his Deed". (December 1, 1922). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
40. "Whitfield Hanged at State Penitentiary". (June 13, 1924). The Seattle Times, p. 10.
41. "Slayer Blames Divorce Evil on Way to Gallows". (June 27, 1924). The Seattle Times, p. 5.
42. "Thomas Walton Hanged at State Penitentiary". (December 12, 1924). The Seattle Times, p. 24.
43. "Seattle Slayer Pays Penalty on Gallows". (February 19, 1926). The Seattle Times, pp. 4.
44. "Longview Slayer Hanged". (May 27, 1927). The Seattle Times, p. 22.
45. "Lopez Hanged at State Prison for Riparia Murder". (February 15, 1928). The Seattle Times, p. 7.
46. "Bailey is Hanged for Murder of Wife". (August 10, 1928). The Seattle Times, p. 20.
47. "Dawn Brings Message of Hanging". (August 31, 1928). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
48. "Luther is Hanged for Slaying of Clark Sheriff". (March 29, 1929). The Seattle Times, p. 18.
49. "Clark Goes to Gallows". (July 11, 1930). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
50. "Wilkins Dies for Slaying of Attorney". (August 15, 1930). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
51. "Shelton Logger is Hanged". (August 29, 1930). The Seattle Times, p. 13.
52. "Moock Hangs as Killer in Wedding Plot". (September 12, 1930). The Seattle Times, p. 11.
53. "Express Slayer Meets Death on State's Gallows". (December 18, 1931). The Seattle Times, p. 21.
54. "Man, Youth Pay Penalty on Gallows for Murder". (April 15, 1932). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
55. "Ollie Stratton, Port Townsend Slayer, Hangs". (July 28, 1933). The Seattle Times, p. 28.
56. "Ready to Kill". (May 11, 1934). The Seattle Times, p. 6.
57. "Ready to Kill". (October 3, 1934). The Seattle Times, p. 17.
58. "Seattle Tong Slayer Hanged". (July 19, 1935). The Seattle Times, p. 32.
59. "Meyers Studies Hanging Case". (April 3, 1936). The Seattle Times, p. 15.
60. "Reward Posted for Asserted Slayer". (May 29, 1936). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
61. "Last Minute Fight Made to Prevent Execution". (September 11, 1936). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
62. "State Executes Skagit Slayer". (February 23, 1938). The Seattle Times, p. 9.
63. "Deputy's Killer to Hang". (January 14, 1938). The Seattle Times, p. 5.
64. "Killer Hanged; Warns Others". (August 5, 1938). The Seattle Times, p. 5.
65. "O'Donnell Blames Frame-Up as he Calmly Goes to Death". (November 21, 1938). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
66. "Shelton Slayer Dies on Gallows". (August 4, 1939). The Seattle Times, p. 16.
67. "Doomed Slayer Hopes". (September 14, 1939). The Seattle Times, p. 13.
68. "Ranch-Slayer is Hanged, Calm to End". (September 18, 1939). The Seattle Times, p. 7.
69. "Young Killer, on Gallows, Warns Youth Against Crime". (October 6, 1939). The Seattle Times, p. 11.
70. "Clallam County Slayer Hanged". (December 8, 1939). The Seattle Times, p. 9.
71. "Slayer Hanged at State Prison". (September 6, 1940). The Seattle Times, p. 5.
72. "Kidnaper Hangs, Denouncing Troy". (October 4, 1940). The Seattle Times, p. 10.
73. "Slayer to Give Life Tomorrow at Walla Walla". (January 29, 1941). The Seattle Times, p. 17.
74. "David Dies for Killing Mother". (March 24, 1941). The Seattle Times, p. 24.
75. "John B. Anderson, Slayer, Is Executed". (November 14, 1941). The Seattle Times, p. 15.
76. "Man Hanged for Woman's Death". (March 19, 1943). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
77. "Jacobs Denies Slaying as He Dies on Gallows". (April 6, 1943). The Seattle Times, p. 4.
78. "Seattle Slayer Dies on Gallows". (September 8, 1944). The Seattle Times, p. 13.
79. "Heberling Dies for Girl Murder". (December 8, 1944). The Seattle Times, p. 21.
80. "Joe Bill, Child's Slayer, Hanged". (September 7, 1945). The Seattle Times, p. 18.
81. "Wessel is Hanged at Pen". (1947, January 17). Union-Bulletin.
82. "Hatchet Slayer Dies on Gallows". (February 5, 1946). The Seattle Times, p. 3.
83. "Slayer Dies on Prison Gallows". (January 7, 1947). The Seattle Times, p. 20.
84. "Final Appeal Failing, Jake Bird is Hanged". (July 15, 1949). The Seattle Times, p. 11.
85. "Perkins Dies on Prison Gallows". (November 4, 1949). The Seattle Times, p. 9.
86. "Williams, Wife Slayer, Hanged". (November 18, 1949). The Seattle Times, p. 37.
87. "Clemency Denied Condemned Youth". (June 14, 1951). The Seattle Times, pp. 14.
88. "Slayer is Denied Stay of Execution". (December 10, 1951). The Seattle Times, p. 2.
89. "Langlie Refuses to Stop Execution of Wilsons, Due Tonight". (January 2, 1953). The Seattle Times, p. 1.
90. "Farley, Tacoma Slayer, Hanged". (December 15, 1956). The Seattle Times, p. 3.
91. "Governor Urged To Save Killer". (December 2, 1957). The News Tribune, p. 1
92. "Broderson Hanged at State Prison". (June 25, 1960). The Seattle Times, p. 11.
93. "Joseph Self Dies on Gallows at State Penitentiary". (June 20, 1963). The Bellingham Herald, p. 3