List of people executed in the United States in 1947

Last updated

One hundred and fifty-seven people, one hundred and fifty-five male and two female, were executed in the United States in 1947, 113 by electrocution, thirty-six by gas chamber, and eight by hanging. [1]

Contents

The state of Massachusetts would conduct their last executions this year before abolishing the death penalty in 1984.

List of people executed in the United States in 1947

No.Date of executionNameAge of personGenderEthnicityStateMethodRef.
At executionAt offenseAge difference
1January 2, 1947Ronald Joseph Watson21201MaleWhite Vermont Electrocution [2]
2January 3, 1947Cleve Covington26UnknownUnknownBlack South Carolina [1]
3Amon J. Gusler52520White Virginia [3]
4William Gordon2020 West Virginia Hanging [4]
5January 7, 1947John Henry Clark27261Black Washington [1]
6January 9, 1947Van Lee Ramsey3635 Missouri Gas chamber [5]
7January 10, 1947Clifton Holmes26UnknownUnknown Arkansas Electrocution [1]
8Paul Maynard Skaug25232White Nevada Gas chamber [6]
9January 17, 1947Albert Hodges27UnknownUnknownBlackArkansasElectrocution [7]
10Charles Lee Carmen20200 Maryland Hanging [8]
11Rose Marie Stinette49UnknownUnknownFemaleSouth CarolinaElectrocution [9]
12January 24, 1947Jeff Henley Jr.20191MaleArkansas [10]
13Marshall Perkins6059MissouriGas chamber [11]
14January 30, 1947Harlan Broyles32302White Oklahoma Electrocution [12]
15February 7, 1947John Thomas Honeycutt33321 California Gas chamber [13]
16February 8, 1947Arthur Brown Jr.20UnknownUnknownBlack Georgia Electrocution [14]
17Morris Dorsey23UnknownUnknown
18February 14, 1947Robert Jordon21UnknownUnknownSouth Carolina [1]
19February 24, 1947Peter J. Ewell Jr.24231 Pennsylvania [15]
20Allen Wesley Black28280White
21February 26, 1947Thomas Clayton Hilton30291CaliforniaGas chamber [16]
22March 3, 1947Samuel H. Jones4241BlackPennsylvaniaElectrocution [17]
23March 6, 1947Edward Kahkoska2221White New York [18]
24Edward Koberski2322
25Henry Paul Suckow Jr.2524
26March 14, 1947Booker T. Brooks31238Black Alabama [1]
27Otis RaglandUnknownUnknown0 North Carolina Gas chamber [19]
28March 17, 1947Wilbur Paul Patterson24213White Florida Electrocution [20]
29March 21, 1947Alger Simmons3229BlackCaliforniaGas chamber [21]
30L. D. Henderson21UnknownUnknown Texas Electrocution [1]
31March 28, 1947Benny Harris Montgomery23230North CarolinaGas chamber [22]
32April 1, 1947Phillmond H. Zachary Jr.27261TexasElectrocution [1]
33April 2, 1947Russell Eugene Koons2322White Ohio [23]
34April 4, 1947Richard Horton2423BlackNorth CarolinaGas chamber [1]
35April 8, 1947 George Sidney Sitts 3332White South Dakota Electrocution [24]
36April 11, 1947 Louise M. Peete 66633FemaleCaliforniaGas chamber [25]
37Amos Batt19190MaleBlack Louisiana Electrocution [1]
38Eunice MartinUnknownUnknown1North CarolinaGas chamber [26]
39Albert Eugene Dubois3736White Tennessee Electrocution [1]
40April 16, 1947Fred Womack Jr.22UnknownUnknownBlackOhio
41April 17, 1947Arthur Johnson21201New York [27]
42William Washington2827
43April 18, 1947Homer Reginald Knapp38380WhiteGeorgia [1]
44Talmadge HagginsUnknownUnknownUnknownBlackSouth Carolina
45April 21, 1947Lewis Green19181Florida
46April 25, 1947Willis Donald Barnes29272WhiteGeorgia
47Lauren Porter38UnknownUnknownBlack
48Walton Ratcliff25241 Mississippi [28]
49Freddie Jones19UnknownUnknownSouth Carolina [1]
50April 28, 1947David H. Brooks23212Pennsylvania [29]
51Albert Wooding
52May 2, 1947Quiller Daniel30291Georgia [30]
53Webber Atwood24204WhiteLouisiana [31]
54John Dickerson36351BlackSouth Carolina [1]
55Huey Wilson3736Texas
56May 7, 1947Alonzo Ellis Jones2726WhiteLouisiana [32]
57May 9, 1947 Willie Francis 18153Black [33]
58 Philip R. Bellino 30282White Massachusetts [34]
59 Edward F. Gertson 3432
60May 16, 1947Vollie Bill Bates20155Arkansas [35]
61Donnie Mitchell49481BlackLouisiana [36]
62May 23, 1947Israel Garrett45432Alabama [37]
63John Henry Brown4946 Colorado Gas chamber [1]
64Ben Frank McLeodUnknownUnknownUnknownNorth Carolina
65Ephraim Thomas27UnknownUnknownVirginiaElectrocution [38]
66May 29, 1947Oscar E. Allen45441Texas [39]
67June 2, 1947Louis Jones29272 [1]
68June 5, 1947Nathaniel Freeman25241Ohio [40]
69June 6, 1947Ernest Nathaniel Dunn3837WhiteCaliforniaGas chamber [41]
70James Marvin Farmer2019BlackNorth Carolina [1]
71Albert Sanders2120
72June 7, 1947William Alfred Norris2322TexasElectrocution [42]
73June 13, 1947Louis Young47452 New Mexico [1]
74June 16, 1947Leroy Henderson36UnknownUnknownFlorida [43]
75June 17, 1947James Brown25250Georgia [44]
76June 19, 1947John Hodge Jr.28271Tennessee [45]
77June 20, 1947Harold O. Gillette3130WhiteColoradoGas chamber [46]
78Charles Crosby3736Black Illinois Electrocution [1]
79William A. DavisUnknownUnknownUnknownSouth Carolina
80June 26, 1947Charlie Allen37361Texas
81June 27, 1947William Edward Copper2120MarylandHanging [47]
82Moses Artis4241North CarolinaGas chamber [48]
83Roy Kirksey26242
84Woodrow Brown251
85June 30, 1947Herbert Lee Reddick1716GeorgiaElectrocution [1]
86July 3, 1947 Ward Beecher Caraway 2322New York [49]
87July 10, 1947Salvatore DiCristofaro3433White [50]
88Edward Jones22202Black
89Arnold Simms2321
90William J. Thomas2018
91July 11, 1947Earl L. Tunget2321White Kentucky [51]
92Hillery Ledet2018BlackLouisiana [52]
93Henry Scott25250
94J. C. Sims3318South Carolina [53]
95July 18, 1947Jessie Perkins41UnknownUnknownLouisiana [54]
96William Davis43421Virginia [55]
97July 23, 1947James Lewis Jr.1514Mississippi [56]
98Charles Trudell1615
99July 25, 1947Bert Junior Grant18180South Carolina [57]
100July 29, 1947George F. Gumtow2121White Kansas Hanging [58]
101Cecil Tate2222
102July 30, 1947Clarence Dampier211BlackMississippiElectrocution [59]
103August 1, 1947Ebenezer Scott27UnknownUnknownGeorgia [60]
104Robert Lee Stanford25232
105Ross Jerome Abbott241WhiteMarylandHanging [61]
106Weldon Jones Jr.18162Black
107William Pooler24240South CarolinaElectrocution [62]
108August 4, 1947Joe Ferguson42411Florida [63]
109James Andrew Maxwell3130
110Tom Melton3231
111August 8, 1947Cubie Lee Johnson2423Arkansas [64]
112Lawrence William Dukes40400
113August 9, 1947Terrell Loughridge29272WhiteGeorgia [65]
114August 11, 1947Fred Jackson1816BlackTennessee [66]
115August 13, 1947Roosevelt Moore26UnknownUnknownGeorgia [1]
116August 15, 1947Leonard Pringle25250South Carolina
117Ernest WillisUnknownUnknown
118August 21, 1947Webster Daniel37UnknownUnknownNew York
119August 29, 1947Joe Caetano35332WhiteCaliforniaGas chamber [67]
120September 5, 1947Arthur Adams37361BlackTexasElectrocution [68]
121September 12, 1947Elijah Pearson4645 [69]
122September 26, 1947Floyd P. Cochran36342MissouriGas chamber [70]
123September 29, 1947Joshua Elwood Beatty47461WhitePennsylvaniaElectrocution [71]
124October 3, 1947Richard McCain2120BlackNorth CarolinaGas chamber [72]
125Jethro Lampkin2019
126Robert Messer21210White
127Earl Leonard O'Dear2323
128Willie Cherry26251Black
129October 5, 1947Raymond Davis1716TexasElectrocution [73]
130October 6, 1947Jim Owen43430Georgia [1]
131William Paul Byron39381WhitePennsylvania [74]
132Charles Frederick Moyer2524
133October 10, 1947Sweetie Bryant Jr.2928BlackGeorgia [75]
134Oscar L. Ford2120 [1]
135Oscar Douglas4039North CarolinaGas chamber
136October 17, 1947Buford Russell Morton3029VirginiaElectrocution [76]
137October 20, 1947Michael Bubna37352WhitePennsylvania [77]
138October 24, 1947Ernest Gaither Jr.23230BlackIllinois [78]
139Raymond Laurence29281Virginia [79]
140October 27, 1947Lawrence Brown2120Pennsylvania [1]
141October 31, 1947Alfred Lorenzo Hawkins24UnknownUnknown District of Columbia
142J. C. Brooks29281North CarolinaGas chamber [80]
143Grady Brown27270
144Thurman Jefferson Munn2525
145Lester Stanley28271
146November 14, 1947Francis Paul Barnes22202WhiteCalifornia [81]
147Marvin Claude Bell25241North Carolina [82]
148Ralph Vernon Litteral3534
149Willie LittleUnknownUnknownUnknownBlack
150November 18, 1947Nick Morakis53512WhiteGeorgiaElectrocution [1]
151November 28, 1947Robert Britton23221BlackOhio [83]
152James Griffin Jr.2726
153December 4, 1947Enix Bussey32302New York [84]
154December 5, 1947Frank Campbell25UnknownUnknownMississippi [85]
155December 8, 1947William W. Chavis22211Pennsylvania [86]
156December 12, 1947Roosevelt MillerSouth Carolina [1]
157December 18, 1947Walter Lee Boyd2625Mississippi [87]

Demographics

Gender
Male155
Female2
Ethnicity
Black115
White42
State
North Carolina 23
Georgia 16
South Carolina 13
New York 12
Pennsylvania 11
Texas 10
Louisiana 8
California 7
Arkansas 6
Florida 6
Mississippi 6
Ohio 5
Virginia 5
Maryland 4
Missouri 3
Tennessee 3
Alabama 2
Colorado 2
Illinois 2
Kansas 2
Massachusetts 2
District of Columbia 1
Kentucky 1
Nevada 1
New Mexico 1
Oklahoma 1
South Dakota 1
Vermont 1
Washington 1
West Virginia 1
Method
Electrocution 113
Gas chamber 36
Hanging 8
Month
January14
February7
March10
April20
May15
June19
July17
August17
September4
October22
November7
December5
Age
Unknown6
10–1911
20–2987
30–3933
40–4916
50–592
60–692
Total157100%

Executions in recent years

Number of executions
1948 117
1947157
1946 129
Total403

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 "Executions in the U.S. 1608-2002: The ESPY File" (PDF). Death Penalty Information Center . Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  2. "Watson Executed in Vermont Prison". The Lewiston Daily Sun. January 3, 1947. p. 1.
  3. "Bassett Master Mechanic To Die Friday Morning". Martinsville Bulletin via newspapers.com. December 31, 1946. p. 1.
  4. "Killer Hanged". The Telegraph-Herald. January 5, 1947. p. 5.
  5. "State v. Ramsey". vLex.
  6. "Slayer Executed, Eyes Removed To Save Sight Of Man, Woman". Albany Democrat-Herald via newspapers.com. January 10, 1947. p. 1.
  7. "Hodges v. State". vLex.
  8. "Lane Denies Stay; Youth, 20, Hangs". The Afro-American. January 25, 1947. p. 23.
  9. "Smiling Negro Woman Meets End Cheerfully". The Spokesman-Review. January 18, 1947. p. 2.
  10. "Henley v. State". vLex.
  11. "Negro Janitor to Gas Chamber". The Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune via newspapers.com. January 24, 1947. p. 8.
  12. "Ex parte Broyles". Justia Law.
  13. "People v. Honeycutt". Stanford Law School.
  14. "Two Negroes Executed". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 9, 1947. p. 3.
  15. "Black Executed In Electric Chair At Rockview". The Morning Call via newspapers.com. February 24, 1947. p. 8.
  16. "People v. Hilton". Justia Law.
  17. "Commonwealth v. Samuel Jones". CourtListener.
  18. "3 DIE IN ELECTRIC CHAIR; Queens Youths Pay Penalty for Slaying of Veteran". The New York Times. March 7, 1947. p. 8.
  19. "State v. Ragland". CourtListener.
  20. "Florida Slayer Dies in Chair". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. March 17, 1947. p. 5.
  21. "People v. Simmons". Justia Law.
  22. "State v. Montgomery". vLex.
  23. "Vet Executed, Eyes Removed". Democrat and Chronicle via newspapers.com. April 3, 1947. p. 11.
  24. "Cop Killer First To Get Chair In South Dakota". The Evening Independent. April 8, 1947. p. 4.
  25. "Mrs. Peete Pays for Her Crimes". San Jose Evening News. April 11, 1947. p. 1.
  26. "State v. Martin". CaseMine.
  27. "2 Brooklyn Killers Lose Appeal". The New York Times. March 1, 1947.
  28. "May 1, 1947". The Union Appeal via newspapers.com. April 30, 1947. p. 2.
  29. "Electric Chair Gets 2 Killers". The Spokesman-Review. April 28, 1947. p. 2.
  30. "Two Convicted Slayers To Be Executed Today". Waycross Journal-Herald. May 2, 1947. p. 1.
  31. "Webber Atwood Pays Penalty". Tensas Gazette via newspapers.com. May 9, 1947. p. 1.
  32. "Slayer of Two Pays With Life". St. Joseph Gazette. May 8, 1947. p. 12.
  33. "Slayer Sees Electrocution As Ending 'Hell On Earth'". Painesville Telegraph. May 9, 1947. p. 5.
  34. "Double-Cross Ends in Chair". The Windsor Daily Star. May 9, 1947. p. 6.
  35. "Dead Killer Gives Eyes To Sightless". The Windsor Daily Star. May 17, 1947. p. 18.
  36. "Mitchell Faces Chair; Plea Denied by Board". St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune via newspapers.com. April 25, 1947. p. 1.
  37. "Negro Electrocuted For Second Slaying". The Tuscaloosa News. May 25, 1947. p. 1.
  38. "Convicted Slayer to Die in Chair May 6". Richmond Afro American. May 10, 1947. p. 7.
  39. "Death Penalty Is Affirmed". The Bonham Daily Favorite. March 6, 1947. p. 2.
  40. "Freeman Dies in Ohio Pen". Youngstown Vindicator. June 6, 1947. p. 8.
  41. "People v. Dunn". Justia Law.
  42. "Boxcar Killer Dies in Chair". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 7, 1947. p. 29.
  43. "Convicted Killer's Electrocution Set". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. June 8, 1947. p. 7.
  44. "Rapist Pays With Life in Georgia Death Chair". The Spokesman-Review. June 18, 1947. p. 7.
  45. "Colored Death Notices". The Tennessean via newspapers.com. June 23, 1947. p. 2.
  46. "Scheduled to Die". Prescott Evening Courier. June 20, 1947. p. 5.
  47. "Midnight Attacker Dies at Midnight". The Spokesman-Review. June 28, 1947. p. 21.
  48. "Trio Executed in N.C. Today". The Gaston Gazette via newspapers.com. June 27, 1947. p. 3.
  49. "CARAWAY IS GUILTY; WILL DIE IN CHAIR". The New York Times. December 19, 1946.
  50. "Sing Sing Sends Four to Execution". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 11, 1947. p. 1.
  51. "Tunget Goes To Chair As Last Minute Pleas Fail". Kentucky New Era. July 11, 1947. p. 1.
  52. "Henry Scott & Hillery Ledet to be electrocuted". The Ville Platte Gazette via newspapers.com. July 10, 1947. p. 1.
  53. "'I'm Sorry,' Killer Says Before Death". The Columbia Record via newspapers.com. July 11, 1947. p. 1.
  54. "Electrocuted". Hattiesburg American via newspapers.com. July 18, 1947. p. 18.
  55. "Davis v. Commonwealth". CaseMine. July 18, 1947.
  56. "Teen-Agers Executed". Reading Eagle. July 23, 1947. p. 10.
  57. "New Case Reported". Spokane Daily Chronicle. July 23, 1947. p. 23.
  58. "Young Slayers Die On Gallows". The Tuscaloosa News. July 29, 1947. p. 2.
  59. "Quitman Negro Dies in Chair in Marks Today". The Clarksdale Press Register via newspapers.com. July 30, 1947. p. 1.
  60. "Two Put to Death in Tattnall Chair". The Sylvester Local. August 7, 1947. p. 1.
  61. "Jones Walks 'Last Mile' After Two-Year Death Watch". Richmond Afro-American. August 7, 1947. p. 23.
  62. "Confessed". St. Petersburg Times. May 26, 1947. p. 4.
  63. "3 Must Die". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. August 2, 1947. p. 1.
  64. "Two Negro Murderers Executed in Arkansas". The Southeast Missourian. August 8, 1947. p. 8.
  65. "Loughridge v. State". vLex.
  66. "Tennessee Negro Dies in Chair". Lewiston Evening Journal. August 11, 1947. p. 7.
  67. "People v. Caetano". Stanford Law School.
  68. "Negro in Texas Gains Extra Hour of Life". The Telegraph-Herald. September 5, 1947. p. 1.
  69. "Texas Negro Dies In Electric Chair". The Victoria Advocate. September 12, 1947. p. 2.
  70. "Negro Pays Death Penalty". The Nevada Daily Mail. September 26, 1947. p. 1.
  71. "Wife Slayer, 47, Dies in Chair". The Pittsburgh Press. September 29, 1947. p. 18.
  72. "Five Executed in N. Carolina". The Telegraph-Herald. October 3, 1947. p. 1.
  73. "Negro Executed at State Prison Early Sunday". The Vernon Daily Record via newspapers.com. October 3, 1947. p. 3.
  74. "Commonwealth v. Moyer". CourtListener.
  75. "Bryant v. State". CaseMine.
  76. "Morton Put To Death At Penitentiary". The Bee via newspapers.com. October 17, 1947. p. 1.
  77. "Mike Bubna Dies in Electric Chair for 1946 Slaying in Erie". The Kane Republican via newspapers.com. October 20, 1947. p. 1.
  78. "Regret Futile, Killer to Die". The Windsor Daily Star. October 23, 1947. p. 14.
  79. "Reprieve Denied Negro Murderer". The Free-Lance Star. October 8, 1947. p. 1.
  80. "Four Convicted Murderers Executed In N.C. Prison". The Tuscaloosa News. October 31, 1947. p. 1.
  81. "People v. Barnes". Stanford Law School.
  82. "Two Executed For Rape Of Young Girl". Kentucky New Era. November 15, 1947. p. 2.
  83. "2 Sharecroppers Die For Dice Game Murder". Youngstown Vindicator. November 29, 1947. p. 4.
  84. "Man Who Got Two Sentences Is Executed". Schenectady Gazette. December 5, 1947. p. 5.
  85. "12-Minute Drama". The Memphis Press-Scimitar via newspapers.com. December 5, 1947. p. 16.
  86. "Philadelphia Negro Executed for Murder". The Lewiston Daily Sun. December 8, 1947. p. 8.
  87. "Armed Robber Executed". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 19, 1947. p. 13.
Preceded by
1946
   List of people executed   
   in the United States in   
1947
Succeeded by
1948