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03171aam a2200397 i 4500 001 B4E39D30418011E5BCED309ADAD10320 003 SILO 005 20150813010039 008 150504s2015 nyuaf b 001 0 eng 010 $a 2015014590 020 $a 1631440268 (hbk.) 020 $a 9781631440267 (hbk.) 040 $a DLC $e rda $b eng $c DLC $d IG# $d BTCTA $d BDX $d YDXCP $d IH7 $d OCLCO $d OCLCF $d ILC $d CDX $d SILO 043 $a n-us--- 050 00 $a HV8699.U5 $b G354 2015 100 1 $a Galvin, Anthony. 245 10 $a Old sparky : $b the electric chair and the history of the death penalty / $c Anthony Galvin. 264 1 $a New York, NY : $b Carrel Books, $c [2015] 300 $a xii, 257 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : $b illustrations ; $c 24 cm 504 $a Includes bibliographical references and index. 520 $a "Old Sparky covers the history of capital punishment in America and the "current wars" between Edison and Westinghouse which led to the development of the electric chair. It examines how the electric chair became the most popular method of execution in America, before being superseded by lethal injection. Famous executions are explored, alongside quirky last meals and poignant last words. The death penalty remains a hot topic of debate in America, and Old Sparky does not shy away from that controversy. Executions have gone spectacularly wrong, with convicts being set alight, and needing up to five jolts of electricity before dying. There have been terrible miscarriages of justice, and the death penalty has not been applied even-handedly. Historically, African-Americans, the mentally challenged, and poor defendants have been likely to get the chair, an anomaly which led the Supreme Court to briefly suspend the death penalty. Since the resumption of capital punishment in 1976 Texas alone has executed more than 500 prisoners, and death row is full. "-- $c Provided by publisher. 500 $a Introduction -- A history of the death penalty -- Capital punishment in the USA -- The electrical death commission -- The war of the currents -- The development of the electric chair -- William Kemmler, the poor peddler -- The spread of the chair -- A cabinet of curiosities: six notable and unusual executions -- Last meals -- A moratorium on executions -- Supreme Court changes its mind: executions are back on -- Back with a bang -- Top ten: the most notorious victims of Old Sparky -- Refining the death penalty -- The rise of lethal injection -- The problem of innocence -- Innocence is no defense: Herrera v. Collins -- Into the future. 650 0 $a Electrocution $z United States. 650 0 $a Capital punishment $z United States. 650 0 $a Executions and executioners $z United States. 941 $a 8 952 $l UBPC631 $d 20231228012049.0 952 $l UGPF911 $d 20231207014447.0 952 $l YEPF572 $d 20200204081708.0 952 $l TYPH572 $d 20200110063625.0 952 $l OVUX522 $d 20191217021044.0 952 $l HYAX325 $d 20180623024419.0 952 $l PWAX296 $d 20160418124913.0 952 $l UQAX771 $d 20150813010852.0 956 $a http://locator.silo.lib.ia.us/search.cgi?index_0=id&term_0=B4E39D30418011E5BCED309ADAD10320 994 $a C0 $b JIDInitiate Another SILO Locator Search