At Auburn Prison in New York, the first execution by electrocution
in history is carried out against William Kemmler, who had been convicted of murdering his lover, Matilda Ziegler, with an axe.
Electrocution as a humane means of execution was first suggested
in 1881 by Dr. Albert Southwick, a dentist.
DAILY EVENING EXPOSITOR, Fresno, California, Aug. 6, 1890.
Alfred Porter Southwick
(May 18, 1826–June 11, 1898)
On April 23, 1969, Sirhan Sirhan was given the death penalty
after being convicted in the assassination of senator Robert
F. Kennedy. In 1972, Sirhan’s sentence was commuted to life
in prison after California abolished the death penalty. He
turned 80 last month.
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy speaks his final words to supporters
at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, moments before
he was shot on June 5, 1968. At his side are his wife, Ethel,
left.
Robert F. Kennedy lies mortally wounded on the floor immediately after the shooting. Kneeling beside him
is 17-year-old busboy Juan Romero, who was
shaking Kennedy’s hand when Sirhan Sirhan fired
the shots.