(Thanks to Robert Elder of Last Words of the Executed — the blog, and the book — for the guest post. This post originally appeared on the Last Words blog. Fans of this here site are highly likely to enjoy following Elder’s own pithy, almanac-style collection of last words on the scaffold. -ed.)
“I wish I had Corrick and Wynn on my lap.”
—Fred Blink, convicted of murder, electric chair, Illinois. Executed April 23, 1935
The men Blink addressed in his final statement were Tim Corrick, the husband of one of his victims, and L. L. Wynn, the prosecutor in the case. Blink claimed that Corrick gave him poisoned whiskey, which caused his murder spree. The World War I veteran was convicted in the shooting deaths of his former business partner and four other people. After the verdict was pronounced, Blink had to be lifted from his chair and forced from the courtroom.
On this day..
- 1845: Sarah Freeman, Shapwick Murderess
- 1941: Harry Gleeson, posthumously exonerated
- 1943: The massacre of Janowa Dolina
- 1886: Robert Silas Fowler, lustful
- 1290: Alv Erlingsson, the Last Viking
- 1801: Angre Kethi, Polygar prey
- 1886: Joseph Jackson and James Wasson, at Fort Smith
- 1945: Massacres of Treuenbrietzen
- Feast Day of St. George
- 1969: Sirhan Sirhan condemned
- 1992: Billy Wayne White, after 47 minutes
- 1945: Albrecht Haushofer, German Resistance intellectual