William George portrait   Save
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections
Description: This photograph is an oval portrait of William George of Muskingum County, who was executed by hanging on May 17, 1888, at the Ohio Penitentiary Annex. He was convicted of murdering an elderly farmer, James Scott, in Zanesville, Ohio, on July 18, 1887. Text on the photograph's enclosure reads: "No. 5, William George / of Muskingum County, Legally Executed May / 17, 1888, for Murder at Zanesville, Ohio." In Ohio, local law enforcement officers were responsible for conducting executions. In 1885, however, the Ohio State Penitentiary, located in Columbus, became the sole site of executions. At first, prisoners condemned to death were executed by hanging, but in 1897 the electric chair replaced the prison's gallows. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were electrocuted between 1897 and 1963, when the death penalty was halted in Ohio. William George was the fifth person to be executed at the penitentiary. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08030
Subjects: Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Crime; Homicide; Law enforcement
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)