Executions

On 21 January 1908 House Bill 45 was read for the first time before the House of Delegates. The bill called for the establishment of a permanent facility within the state penitentiary in which to carry out death sentences. In addition, this proposed legislation also mandated that the condemned would be executed by means of electrocution.

This legislation attempted to combat several perceived social ills of the time. By utilizing a relatively new technology to carry out executions, many believed that those sentenced to death would no longer be forced to suffer the agony of the hangman's noose. It was also hoped that requiring all executions be conducted within the confines of the state penitentiary would eliminate financial and administrative burdens on local officials and governments and provide equal treatment of the condemned in all cases. Many feared the effect that public executions and the atmosphere surrounding them had on the general populace. It was believed that by removing this tantalizing spectacle from the masses, many, both young and old, would be spared the trauma of witnessing such a shocking event.

The first person to be affected by this legislation was Henry Smith, a Norfolk man convicted of murder and robbery in September 1908. On 13 October 1908, Smith was executed at the state penitentiary under the provisions of the new act.