Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 14, 2006 6:36:48 GMT -5
Arizona's 1st gas execution was a 'double'
In 1933 the town of Casa Grande was in turmoil. 2 young men were being
tried for the murder of an old prospector who was bludgeoned, shot to
death, and thrown down a well outside of town. The details of the crime,
the trial and the public interest it generated is a story in itself. The
subsequent verdict and unusual execution at the Arizona State Prison in
Florence, the first by lethal gas in Arizona, is a pivotal moment in
Arizona history. Now the story has been revisited with the publication of
a monograph on the case - The Hernandez Case and Double Execution -
written by Pat Faux and published by the Casa Grande Historical Society.
The Pinal County Historical Society Museum in Florence will host a program
and book signing by Faux at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10. The public is invited
to this free program at the museum, 715 S. Main St. in Florence.
Faux is a retired educator who has a deep interest in all things Arizona
and Florence in particular. As a dedicated volunteer at the Florence
museum she was the primary worker to process and organize the Della
Meadows collection on the Arizona State Prison. Meadows was the warden's
assistant and prison historian for many years and amassed an extensive
archive of documents and photos which PCHS acquired after Meadows' death.
(source: Casa Grande Valley Newspapers)
In 1933 the town of Casa Grande was in turmoil. 2 young men were being
tried for the murder of an old prospector who was bludgeoned, shot to
death, and thrown down a well outside of town. The details of the crime,
the trial and the public interest it generated is a story in itself. The
subsequent verdict and unusual execution at the Arizona State Prison in
Florence, the first by lethal gas in Arizona, is a pivotal moment in
Arizona history. Now the story has been revisited with the publication of
a monograph on the case - The Hernandez Case and Double Execution -
written by Pat Faux and published by the Casa Grande Historical Society.
The Pinal County Historical Society Museum in Florence will host a program
and book signing by Faux at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10. The public is invited
to this free program at the museum, 715 S. Main St. in Florence.
Faux is a retired educator who has a deep interest in all things Arizona
and Florence in particular. As a dedicated volunteer at the Florence
museum she was the primary worker to process and organize the Della
Meadows collection on the Arizona State Prison. Meadows was the warden's
assistant and prison historian for many years and amassed an extensive
archive of documents and photos which PCHS acquired after Meadows' death.
(source: Casa Grande Valley Newspapers)