Last Words of the Executed

by Robert K. Elder, Studs Terkel (Foreword)

Some beg for forgiveness. Others claim innocence. At least three cheer for their favorite football teams.

Death waits for us all, but only those sentenced to death know the day and the hour—and only they can be sure that their last words will be recorded for posterity. Last Words of the Executed presents an oral history of American capital punishment, as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney.

The product of seven years of extensive research by journalist Robert K. Elder, the book explores the cultural value of these final statements and asks what we can learn from them. We hear from both the famous—such as Nathan Hale, Joe Hill, Ted Bundy, and John Brown—and the forgotten, and their words give us unprecedented glimpses into their lives, their crimes, and the world they inhabited. Organized by era and method of execution, these final statements range from heartfelt to horrific. Some are calls for peace or cries against injustice; others are accepting, confessional, or consoling; still others are venomous, rage-fueled diatribes. Even the chills evoked by some of these last words are brought on in part by the shared humanity we can’t ignore, their reminder that we all come to the same end, regardless of how we arrive there.

Last Words of the Executed is not a political book. Rather, Elder simply asks readers to listen closely to these voices that echo history. The result is a riveting, moving testament from the darkest corners of society.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, True Crime, Sociology, Crime, Biography, Ebooks

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2010

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess this is basically a three star book - competently written without too much inventiveness required of the author. I've given it an extra star because the writer did not use the book as a platform to try to sway the reader one way or the other insofar as capital punishment is concerned...he basically reports the last words of the deceased and follows this up with a paragraph or two describing the crime (or lack thereof) for which the condemned was sentenced to die.

As one might have guessed, many of the condemned take advantage of this platform to decry the death penalty, and why not...they've had their fun, and now want to avoid paying the piper. I can't say that the book stirred up any sympathy for the condemned, except for the very few who were not convicted beyond any doubt. To my way of thinking, if you kill someone while committing a robbery or rape or kidnapping you should meet your waterloo in the manner of your choosing. It seems that the cruellest part is letting murderers sit on death row for 20 years, seemingly rehabilitate themselves, and then get the chop.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best review I can give of this is it is what it is.

I got this as a free ebook from the University of Chicago Press and found the idea too interesting. It is a book of last words of most every American who has been put to death - which means John Brown, Nathaniel Hale, Ted Bundy, Leopold and Loeb, Eileen Wournos, and Joe Hill- to name a few. Of course, the ones you don't know are the meat of the book.

One after another, sorted by method of execution and then by year, it is sort of morbidly fascinating. It would make the perfect Bathroom Reader if it wasn't so morbid.

Ostensibly, most will imagine this is an anti-death penalty book, but like the issue itself, it simply isn't that black and white. Undoubtedly, there are innocent men here, but there are clearly people who deserve to go (Wournos sounds particularly unrepentant and unhinged). These are admissions of shame, guilt, and prayers for forgiveness. Occasionally, there is dark humor.

Interesting it will be to the True Crime crowd and the 19th Century crimes will appeal to the same people who like Nick Cave-style gothic country and western. Speech after speech talk about bad decisions and could work as a 'scared straight' in some ways. Interesting too that substance is given for an excuse (Whiskey in the 1800s, Cocaine in modern times)

It gets repetitive which seems inescapable, and certainly not for everyone, but does have some merits.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating on numerous levels.

Terkel's foreword sets things up beautifully. No one knows the time of their death. Whether they be common folk, celebrated authors or respected heads of state (as examples), no one knows the day or the hour. How many last words go unrecorded? Sure, I might not have anything important to say when I slip away, but what about Abraham Lincoln (whose last words are unknown)? And yet, for those we've convicted and sentenced to death, we give them this opportunity! Why? What is our motivation? Guilt over our passing judgment and our ensuing irrevocable solution? Morbid curiosity? Is it rooted in some sort of Christian belief, giving the condemned a last chance to confess, beg forgiveness and be accepted into Heaven? Barring that, is it an opportunity for closure? Closure for them, their victim's families or closure we can vicariously apply to our own lives, when our time comes? It's not as if anything they say as they approach the gallows/gurney/chamber/chair can save them or halt the proceedings. Why extend and meticulously record this cruel courtesy?

Chaptered by method of execution, the historical anecdotes about execution in this country are often times more interesting than the last statements themselves. (The electric chair was pioneered by Thomas Edison and once thought to be painless. Utah still may execute people by firing squad, based largely on a Mormon belief in "blood for blood" recompense.) Likewise, details about the heinous crimes that put these condemned men and women on death row, are grisly and fascinating.

Lastly, you've got quotes run the gamut. Some are incredibly sad. Some are full of rage. Some are political. Some demonstrate severe mental illness. Some are funny. Quotes from admitted killers, rapists, spies, anarchists, and quotes from people who claimed innocence up until the very end (and a few who were exonerated post-mortem). Infamous folks like Ted Bundy, The Rosenbergs, Sacco & Vanzetti, Nat Turner, Joe Hill, Aileen Wuornos and nobodies too.

Finally, I'd just like to point out that one confessed killer actually used his last words platform to tell his victim's family "My bad." No joke! I haven't yet decided if I love that or hate that.

[David Wolinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A laugh riot! No, not really... but sometimes. It's a sobering look at the evolution of all forms of capital punishment in the good ol' US of A told through the final words uttered by people just before they fell through the gallows or had the electric chair switched on. The crimes many of these people committed are disturbingly grisly, and the book doesn't attempt to imply that the penalty is just as awful. It just unflinchingly recounts peoples' last words, explains what they were convicted of, and in a few cases mentions when they were subsequently exonerated. Whoops. Woulda liked to see a bit more analysis, but it's an interesting read nonetheless.

[Rebecca Scaglione · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book for everyone. I gave it five stars because it made me think and question so much, because it gave me resources to look into for more information. Each quote in this book is the last words spoken (or sometimes written) by a death row inmate before execution. Following that, there is a short paragraph detailing the circumstances. This book makes you question your thoughts on the death penalty, the accuracy of the court system, and the combination of the two. It’s definitely a book that will take you time to read and absorb.

Also includes some really crazy facts, such as the cofounder of the Crips street gang was also nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace and Literature.

[Jovi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up "Last Words of the Executed" because I was intrigued by what the soon-to-be-deceased have to say about anything involving the cases they got or found themselves involved in. The methods of execution (namely the noose, firing squad, electric chair, gas chamber, and lethal injection) presented in the book hardly had any effect on the reactions I have observed while reading the words of the convicted: if a person is sentenced to die by whatever means, we can generally expect a handful of possible reactions from them—admittance to their crime and/or guilt, incessant pleas of innocence, expression of remorse and/or sorrow to the families of the people they've wronged (and the same to their own families), expression of hate against death penalty, expression of preparedness to leave the world to be on a higher plane mainly due to spiritual conversion (if not out of pretense), and silence. It was quite a fascinating read for me.

Each final statements of those convicted were followed by case backgrounds, who their victims were, and their motivations to do the crime. Some of these were borne out of need, the belief that certain races are above others, the belief that certain sexual orientations are unacceptable, the belief that alcohol and/or bad company made them do it. Some were borne out of lack (i.e. being mentally challenged).

It wasn't a light book to read and it wasn't that heavy, too, I think. There were certain parts of it that, forgive me, just made me chuckle because I found them quite entertaining. That didn't mean I took things lightly. Death is never really a laughing matter, and it shouldn't be.

If you're the kind who likes to get inside someone's head or are simply interested in people, you might want to consider grabbing this book. You might find it a tad overwhelming (most especially for the over-thinkers), or you might find yourself choosing the side of the killer (or victim?) and questioning the criminal justice system. However you receive it, I find it healthy to give ourselves a kind of reality check regarding (1) where our system is now, (2) what good has it done to the community/country so far, and last but not the least (3) where we stand in all this talk about justice: To take life or not to take life. Perhaps that is the ultimate question.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just received this free UChicago press e-book about last words before executions through American history. The words are followed by short notes of historical consequence. Sorted by method (hanging, firing squad, electric chair, gas chamber, lethal injection), they are mostly the words of murders or accused murders, but also include religious, political, and military figures (Mary Dyer, Joe Hill, the Haymarket anarchists, presidential assassins, deserters and German espionage agents among others) from the colonial period until the present day. The number of different capital crimes diminished substantially in the 19th century. In the beginning, before the 19th century, there are many confessions coupled with warnings (against sin), these continue into the 19th century (mostly against liquor or women) when many conversions also begin to appear and the condemned claim to be going to meet Jesus. As we near our day there are some direct confessions and requests for forgiveness, but also many more claims of innocence (and the book does note some are now considered innocent, while at least one was noted as not exonerated by DNA evidence), blaming of other people, or attacks on capital punishment for its cruelty and/or its racial bias. One even quoted Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Most of the lethal injection last words come from Texas. A morbidly fascinating commentary - the final section did become oppressive in its repetition.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual idea for a book, I suppose (yes, it literally is what the title says it is), but somehow it works, and it's more moving than you might expect. Some of the condemned use their last words to say mundane things (stuff like "Go Raiders" -- hoo boy, I'm sure posterity thanks you for that), but many of them speak eloquently as they face death, usually with more equanimity than you or I might have. Of course, as the author concedes, the transcriptions of the oral statements frequently aren't entirely accurate, because they're taken down by a prison official who's not only writing them in longhand, but who's probably feeling rather anxious for obvious reasons.

Although the book isn't openly an anti-capital punishment polemic, the subtext is pretty hard to miss, especially when the author talks about the often-gruesome nature of the executions, or when he notes the prisoners who were executed even though they were likely innocent.

[A.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downloaded as a free book from University of Chicago Press. I wasn't sure if I was going to find this interesting, but it sucked me in. The main character in John Green's book Looking for Alaska was obsessed by last words, and since I'd read that the other day I suppose I was primed to find this one interesting.

And it is, in a morbid kind of way. Elder tries to keep a journalistic distance from the issue of whether state-inflicted murder is reasonable, but the horror of the whole process comes through loud and clear. For me, the biggest argument against capital punishment is the chance it gives to people to ramble on at length and inflict their last thoughts upon the rest of us: the quality of last words in recent decades was distinctly dodgy. Just lock them up and spare us, for goodness' sake.

[Peter McGinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that I have rated this book with three stars should in no way discourage anyone interested in the subject from reading it. I was marginally interested in the exact subject, and still it held me for a while. Robert Elder has researched the subject thoroughly, organized the material, and provided well-written background information on all of the villains included in the book.

The themes of the book are interesting. To some extent, the types of execution seemed to affect the tenor of some of the last words, and certainly as opinions and beliefs about capital punishment shifted through the decades, the focus of many of the final speeches changed with it.

Ultimately, however, I lost interest in the material. They just seemed to go on and on, and there was so much repetition in the last words. I suppose there are only so many directions they can lead: forgive me, I am innocent, Jesus loves me, the state shouldn’t murder people — I probably missed a few.

I am not sure if the death penalty does any good, really. I don’t mean I am against it — when they executed Ted Buddy, I would have been pleased to take the execution team out to lunch. Let’s face it; he was not redeemable in any way. But racism and class play a part in who dies and who doesn’t. And some condemned prisoners really turn their lives around. It makes sense as a lot of horrible crimes are committed under the influence of drugs and alcohol, so years of clean living is bound to allow for changed lives. Too bad the system isn’t flexible enough to allow for the few who manage it it in a demonstrable manner.

But see, look at me going off topic here, not writing about the book anymore. Perhaps that is one reason this is an important book — it can lead to discussions that go deeper than the superficial arguments for and against the death penalty. I just think it used too many examples to get us there. You may disagree.

[Steve Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started out strong, listing the last words of executed American criminals from the 18th century forward. When it got to the late 20th century and early 21st century the last words seemed repetitive and were often lengthy denials of guilt or condemnations of the justice system—voiced by many who were most likely guilty. That said, the reader may well come away with justification to believe on occasion a condemned individual was indeed innocent of wrongdoing. It’s clear to me that a number might well have been.

The internet was alive with accounts of the crimes of these latter day criminals, and some of them were far worse than the author details in his very brief descriptions of them. In one account the mother of a victim is said to have expressed surprise at the apology of the man who murdered her daughter. What isn’t mentioned in the book is that he repeatedly and sadistically taunted the mother over her daughter’s death, and said he’d do it again if given the chance. The brevity of the book’s entries rob each entry of what I thought was needful exposition.

I’m against the death penalty personally, given the flaws in the justice system that condemn innocent people. However, every time I read about the heinous nature of murders, I understand the emotional drive towards revenge that some folks have. I get the sense that this book was written with an anti-execution stance, and that the entries were sanitized to minimize the horror of the crimes.

[Trpusey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't read it cover to cover due to lack of time (skipped around) but it's so fascinating. Not sure what that says about me. ??? Macabre but fascinating.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting, informative book. Much more than just quotes.

[William B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Words are fascinating and Last Words of those about to executed are often the most fascinating. Elder has compiled what is the best compilation and portrait of Last Words of executed persons published to date. It is not only of excellent historic and cultural value -- it is a very interesting read. Last Words fascinate many people. When you add to the mix that these are the Last Words of a dark corner of society -- typically murderers or other horrific crimes (society's most repugnant offenses)-- not to mention that added wrinkle that some may be innocent -- it illustrates why their Last Words stand apart. As a student of Last Words, I have studied the topic for years. But Elder's subjects almost always have something that most of the people I write about do not have -- advanced knowledge of the time of their own death and method as well as the mental weight (acknowledged or not of what brought them to that point). They can prepare their Last Words and decide how to use them or not use them. As far as a work of research this book is excellent and extensive. Veracity of Last Words is a natural pitfall in the general subject of recording or reporting Last Words. But not so much with this book, by the nature of the chosen subjects. Last Words of the Executed is not a heavy-handed political book on the death penalty. Rather, Elder simply asks readers to listen closely to what they condemned have to say. -- William B. Brahms, author Last Words of Notable People: Final Words of More Than 3500 Noteworthy People Throughout History.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me the last thoughts and comments of people who know they are about to die is a profoundly interesting topic. What would I say? What would I consider so important that I would want to spend my last moments on earth discussing it? How would I want to be remembered?

The reality of this book is significantly more mundane than I anticipated. Around 3/4 of the hundreds of entries are Christian platitudes, professions of innocence (even in the face of unshakeable evidence), and apologies to families of victims. That said, there are also many insightful and even moving moments that give you plenty of pause before moving on to the next condemned. They range from philosophical to political to sarcastic and witty. Three of the most thought-provoking:

I am against this horrible form of murder by the state, but I would rather be standing here for the crime that, so help me God, I never remember committing, than to be sitting down there eagerly waiting to see a man die. Let the state of Illinois take shame upon itself. Goodbye." Edward Brislane, 2/11/1921

"I have something to say, but not at this time." Grover Cleveland Redding, 6/24/1921

"You all brought me here to be executed, not to make a speech. That's it." Charles Livingston, 11/21/1997

Not Bad Reviews

@pointblaek

[Erin Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book very quickly, which surprised me as it wasn't my usual type of book, namely there wasn't really a "story" to keep me engaged. However, I found the layout very interesting - starting from hangings, to firing squads, gas chamber, electric chair, and finally lethal injection. I also enjoyed learning about the history of each of the types of execution styles. The author did keep me engaged with the anecdotes of each set of last words and I appreciated that he didn't single any out for being famous or notorious. And finally, I thought it was interesting to see the shift from religious based declarations to more silly/shallow and politically motivated speeches in contemporary society.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book and a fast read. I also appreciated that the author didn't try to turn this political by focusing on supporting or denigrating the death penalty, but rather he let the prisoners' words speak for themselves. A very interesting read that spans quotes from the 1700s to just a few years ago. This is a book you will want to keep on your shelf for after so that you can use it for reference.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked up this book on a whim, and it was fairly interesting. The title says it all; a collection of the last statements, written and oral, of condemned criminals.

What's surprising is the large number of soon-to-be-executed cons who do not protest their innocence, and the large number who blame alcohol abuse as the sole reason for their misdeeds.

[Du · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It is always an interesting thing to hear or read someone's last words. In this case they are the last words of a condemned person. Some are funny, some are sad, most are interesting. It is a non fiction book, so unlike fiction I'm not sure you can rate the prose or style. I can state that I found it interesting and am glad I read it.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long-time friend of Tom's wrote this book, compiling the final words of people executed in our country since colonial days. Rob did a great job of sifting through all of the quotations and back stories to put together a moving collection. Very poignant and thought-provoking. Nice work, Rob!

[Anna Francesca]

Jumping around in the book (which is organized chronologically based on date-of-death) made for an engaging experience, but I didn't feel like digesting it cover-to-cover. I did like seeing the variety of responses that people had to receiving the death penalty: from denial, to apathy, to apology.

[Stephen Cranney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a morbid curiosity about what people had to say right before the state killed them. I was surprised at how many expressed remorse when they had nothing to gain or lose, I think it says something about the humans as naturally good or bad debate.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eye opener!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far I love it.

[Jamie Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read about the evolution of the death penalty and the nature of "last words" speeches in the United States.

[Liza Nikitas · Rating 1 out of 5]

ok, ok, i know i have kind of morbid taste. but this book had waaaaay too many quotes from the 17th and 18th centuries and not even modern stuff for my liking. i skimmed over a lot of it.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shivery, haunting, poignant. Spans American executions from colonial times to 2009. The last words are diverse in the matter of professed (and sometimes true) innocence, s well as remorse.

[Herb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful, well put-together book. Some of the last words were spiteful, some were remorseful, and some were even humorous and had me laughing out loud.

[Milt · Rating 2 out of 5]

read on mini UofC digital editions

[Kurt Basham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of interesting, but they all started blending together. Every one of them said about the same thing (either "I'm innocent" or "I'm sorry")