The Gruesome First Gas Chamber Execution
Some hypothesized the gas chamber would be a “humane” method of execution
“One hundred years from now Nevada will be referred to as a heathen commonwealth controlled by savages with only the outward symbols of civilization.” — the San Jose Mercury News.
In the early 1920s, the United States was looking for more humane and ethical forms death penalty executions. Nevada found its alternative in 1924: the gas chamber.
According to the YouTube channel, Jerry Explores History, Nevada officials thought the gas chamber was a more humane form of execution than traditional forms like hanging and death by firing squad. In particular, many were appalled by the horror of the electric chair. The notion of the gas chamber being a relatively more humane version of execution does not age well, especially since the Nazis killed millions using the gas chamber in the Holocaust.
The first person killed by gas chamber was Gee Jon, a Chinese national executed by lethal gas after murdering an older man from a rival gang. The first execution by gas chamber was not very humane — in fact, it was very gruesome. A botched execution led Gee to suffocate to death for 10 minutes with a crowd of 30 people watching.
