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Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Death

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 09:34:35 AM EST
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In 2001, Oklahoma condemned murderer Alvie "Jim" Hale's last words were:

"I want to say goodbye to my family and friends. Thanks for being there and supporting me," he said. "Watch what you see here. Remember it, and go tell somebody."

In anticipation of the imminent execution of 24 year old Elijah Page who has ended his appeals and now prepares for death, reporter Jeff Martin of the Argus Leader today remembers an earlier execution he witnessed in Oklahoma, that of Alvie "Jim" Hale in 2001. It's a vivid recollection. The part about the "soundtrack of death" is chilling. But not as much as this:

Shortly after 9 p.m., a set of mini-blinds opens on a large window. We can see Hale, 53, in a hospital gown only a few feet in front of us. He is strapped to a gurney, his arms and legs shackled. Needles are already in place, one in each arm, and both are connected to tubes. He speaks for about a minute and a half. The microphone fails to pick up most of what he says.

"Let the execution begin," the warden calls out. Then the drugs start to flow. Death's final grip is evident as Hale's face bulges. His chest collapses when a final breath leaves his body. The microphone that didn't work during Hale's last words now picks up the sound of air rushing from his lungs.

A doctor checks him. Then a voice from the chamber makes it official: "Time of death, 9:24 p.m." The mini-blinds close.

Go tell somebody. It never ceases to amaze me that so many of those who profess to "respect life" for the unborn won't apply the same principle across the board to the living.

Here's more about Elijah Page. [hat tip to Rev. Mr. George W. Brooks J.D.]

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    Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Death | 14 comments (14 topical)
    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#1)
    by Lww on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 11:45:08 AM EST
    "Watch what you see here. Remember it, and go tell somebody."
    What a pompous pusilanimous pile of crap. How about a "I'm sorry?"

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 12:08:22 PM EST
    Death penalty supporters and other conservatarians always want to punish someone. Until it happens to them, selfish bastards. Old saying: "A liberal is a conservative who has suffered an injustice."

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 12:15:53 PM EST
    When it comes to capital punishment, you can tell U.S. by the company we keep. Perhaps it's time to join Old Europe.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#4)
    by Lww on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 12:16:25 PM EST
    There's another old saying "a conservative is a liberal who's been mugged." It's a mistake to make one of the prerequisites for being "anti-death penalty" feeling sorry for these monsters.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 12:35:29 PM EST
    As with most cases of this nature, (tradgedy, for both, and respective families, and such a harrowing tale of cruelty and death) there is only loss and losers. As avid as my opposition is to the death penalty I truly believe if Page wants to pursue this course of action then so be it. The following taken from your "Volunteering for death" article. TL's question:
    I don't think it's an unreasonable choice, even for the mentally stable. What would you do in that situation?
    And in the article you quote:
    Death-penalty opponent Robert Nave argues that isolation on death row and anxiety caused by years of appeals produce mental instability that causes volunteers to make an "essentially irrational" choice.
    And here I quote Edger who says it far better than I.
    I disagree with Nave that isolation on death row and anxiety caused by years of appeals produce mental instability that causes volunteers to make an "essentially irrational" choice. It may in fact be a supremely rational choice given their circumstance.
    Page is twenty four years old, he could face six decades in a cage, but I am not too sure that this is his motive for choosing to die. It does bring into question, and possibly mocks the theory that execution is the ultimate penalty. For Page the ultimate punishment would be a lifetime in jail with himself.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#6)
    by Al on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 12:37:39 PM EST
    LWW's choice of words to describe the convict - monster - serves to dehumanize him, and to turn the whole thing into a fairy tale (there is no such thing as monsters). This is necessary to dissociate oneself psychologically from the killing. It's not a matter of being for or against the death penalty. The difference between LWW and me is that I am willing to involve myself psychologically in the killing, and follow my natural instinct to do no harm, which is the instinct of any normal healthy person, including LWWW I'm sure. This leads me to reject the killing as a futile horrific ritual. Like the victim's sister, in this case.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#7)
    by Lww on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 02:21:11 PM EST
    Al, you lost me buddy... You mean the killing of the death row inmate or the real victim? If someone kidnaps and pumps five bullets into the victim and end up on deathrow they sure as hell aren't a victim. It's tough to join "Old Europe" when this violence saturated society produces more murders in a mid-sized city than all of "Old Europe" combined. The only problem I have with it is the poor (whether white black or green) get sentenced to death disproportianately. For that reason alone it should be abolished. But don't tell me I have to feel sorry for these "guys."

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#8)
    by Kewalo on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 05:01:44 PM EST
    I can't see that pity has anything to do with being against the DP. IMO nothing could be worse then locked up in an 8 X 10 room for the rest of my life. And I think if a convict wants to die, it is their choice and NOMB. I am against the DP because IMO it puts the state and by extention me in the position of doing what the convict has done, murder. It seems to me that we do not have the right to take a life, period. Very simple in my mind.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#9)
    by cpinva on Sun Aug 27, 2006 at 09:22:44 PM EST
    LWW, if the death penalty is such a wonderful, just punishment, why aren't they carried out in public, for all the world to see? in fact, how do we know that there has even been an actual execution? sure, there are "witnesses", but who says they aren't all just actors in a play? if the state, and by extension, the rest of the citizenry, believes in capital punishment, play it out in the public square, the way it used to be done. hell, make a day of it; have an undercard of floggings, leading up to the main event. the condemned, carried in by horse drawn carriage, waving to the crowd. after quaffing a symbolic last shot of whiskey, and grandly bowing to the assembled audience, saying a few well chosen last words, the hood is placed over the face, the noose drawn properly around the neck, knot behind the right ear. a drum roll as the death warrant is read aloud, culminating with the release of the trap door. a row of judges decides on points for style and elocution. yeah, damn, we have the makings of the next successful reality show!

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 12:10:03 AM EST
    Please ban the punk LWW. He is cruel and hurtful.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#11)
    by HK on Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 06:32:22 AM EST
    I have just finished reading Executioner: Pierrepoint, the autobiography of Albert Pierrepoint who was Britain's most prolific hangman. Anyone who is at all interested in this subject should read it. It is a fascinating insight into the career of a man who took hundreds of convicts to the scaffhold and who ended his career disillusioned by the death penalty. Those of you (in the US) can buy the book here. LWW describes those sentenced to death as monsters. Al counters this well above. Further, Albert Pierrepoint, who came face to face with many more murderers than most of us ever will, wrote this:
    Murderers are so often ordinary people, caught on the wrong foot. Ordinary men, without eloquence. Ordinary women, rarely beautiful.
    Really we do ourselves a disservice when we either glamourize or demonize murderers. LWW, you raise so many points that it is difficult to know which to address first. It is entirely possible to death row inmates to be victims themselves. This neither excuses what they did nor takes away any of the 'victimhood' of the person(s) who lost their life at the inmate's hand. Also, do you not think that capital punishment perpetuates the existance of a 'violence saturated society'? cpinva, placing the knot in the noose behind the right ear is the American way of hanging and apparently not the correct way. It leads to slow strangulation. In the UK, the knot was placed in front of the left side of the jaw which resulted in the instant severing of the spinal cord. Just thought that may be of interest. It would seem that the US has a long and continuing history of not getting executions right.

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#12)
    by cpinva on Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 01:39:18 PM EST
    cpinva, placing the knot in the noose behind the right ear is the American way of hanging and apparently not the correct way. It leads to slow strangulation. In the UK, the knot was placed in front of the left side of the jaw which resulted in the instant severing of the spinal cord. Just thought that may be of interest. It would seem that the US has a long and continuing history of not getting executions right.
    you're probably correct. had i taken a moment to do some quick research, i would have realized that. of course, the only "right" way to execute someone is with a guillotine: quick and perfect. no need for medical personnel. however, you do need to keep the blade sharpened. i was also being just a tad snarky. :)

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#13)
    by HK on Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 01:47:28 PM EST
    Just a tad snarky? Come on, I'm a Brit, we practically invented sarcasm ;) I fear you are painfully close to the truth of what some people are after, though. Just how close are you in the US to Saturday night viewing of The eXectution Factor?

    Re: Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Dea (none / 0) (#14)
    by HK on Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 01:49:26 PM EST
    Forgive the spelling. It's been a long day.

    Witness To an Execution: The Soundtrack of Death | 14 comments (14 topical)