Welcome back to Bad Things in History, where we bring you the ugly truth
about how civilization got where it is today. Humanity is very inventive. And there are few
things that awaken the creativity of our species more than killing each other.
The invention of firearms inspired governments all over the world. Using projectiles to end the lives
of condemned prisoners was effective and fast. Today we are going to tell you about firing squads
and some of those who were killed by them. -------
Shoot To Kill
The idea of a firing squad existed long before the discovery of gunpowder.
The earliest remains of the bow and arrow are from Europe around 18,000 years ago. Since most
of history took place before writing existed, we don t know when people began using arrows to kill
prisoners. But the Romans were considerate enough to document their procedures.
In the Roman Empire, enemies of the state were sometimes killed by a firing squad. The condemned
would be tied to a tree or other structure. Then several archers would stand in front of the
prisoner. When the order was given, the archers would release their arrows into the victim.
This method wasn t always effective. In the year 256
Sebastian, who is one of the earliest Christian Saints, was condemned to death by the Romans.
He was tied to a stake in the middle of a field then shot full of arrows. However, he did not die.
Sebastian recovered, but in the year 258 he confronted the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Sebastian complained about how the Emperor was treating Christians.
Diocletian considered this criticism briefly. Then he had Sebastian beaten
to death and thrown into the sewers. The Vikings also made use of firing squads.
In 869 a group of Vikings invaded Eastern England. They captured King Edmund and decided
to kill him with archers. Edmund was tied to a tree then his body was punctured with arrows.
But he did not die right away. An impatient Viking finished off the king with an axe.
Once firearms became a valuable military weapon, the concept of a firing squad
became more attractive. Bullets were more effective than arrows. And usually
they were cheaper as well. The date of the first firing squad
using firearms isn t known. But by the early 1800s it was a common method of execution for
militaries all over the world. Most of the time it was reserved for deserters and spies.
By the 20th century most countries used a standard procedure for firing squad
executions. The prisoner was brought in front of the marksmen and a hood was placed over the
victim s head. If the condemned criminal asked for it to be removed, then it would be.
In most cases a target would be placed over the heart. This indicated where
the shooters were supposed to aim. The number of marksmen aiming at the
target varied. But usually one of them would have a blank cartridge loaded into the rifle.
This was done, supposedly, so that none of the shooters knew who actually killed the prisoner.
Experienced soldiers knew the difference as blanks didn t cause the weapon to recoil.
When the order was given, the marksmen would open fire and execute the prisoner.
When a firing squad released bullets into the victim, death didn t always happen immediately.
But it did happen. This made it a tempting tool to use against civilians as well.
We will discuss that more in a future episode. For now our focus is on crime and punishment.
Today, very few countries use firing squads as a method for killing convicted criminals.
China usually kills with lethal injection.
Sometimes they choose to put a single bullet into the head of the prisoner.
They might also send the relatives a bill for the cost of the round used during the execution.
Iran also follows this method when using guns to kill criminals.
Taiwan tries to be more humane. Officials
sedate the prisoner then put a bullet into the heart or brain.
The United Arab Emirates still uses traditional firing squads for killing the condemned.
The most interesting stories about firing squad executions come from the United States.
The Shooting Machine Within the United States,
most of the country has never used firing squads for executing criminals.
One exception to this was Utah. The predominant religion in this area is Mormonism. For
many who shared this belief, being killed with bullets was better than hanging.
Some of them believed that blood had to be spilled for sins to be forgiven.
Starting in January 1911 Nevada became the second state to allow firing squads.
Within a year the first victim would arrive.
Andriza Mircovich was born in 1879 in Austria-Hungary.
He migrated to the United States around 1910. He didn t speak English very well and was illiterate
in his own language. So he didn t really understand what was happening most of the time.
On February 23rd, 1911, Andriza s cousin died in a fire. But
he didn t have a will. John Gregovich was the lawyer who handled the estate.
When the assets were finally distributed months later, Andriza was angry. He didn
t understand how probate law worked and thought that he deserved more.
Andriza decided to settle this score with a knife.
Early on the morning of May 14th, 1912, John Gregovich was at the train depot.
He was having a conversation with someone when Andriza approached yelling,
"I will get you, you old son-of-a-bitch!" Andriza then stabbed John in the chest and groin.
Although a nearby doctor tried to help, the injured man bled to death.
On June 15th, 1912, Andriza Mircovich was sentenced to death. But he thought
hanging took too long. So he chose the firing squad option instead.
The warden of Nevada State Prison was George W. Cowing. But he had a problem. Nobody would
volunteer for a firing squad. But the state of Nevada remained committed to following the law.
A special machine was constructed to ensure that Andriza was killed with bullets.
A rack of three rifles was attached to a steel frame. The trigger mechanisms
on the rifles were connected to strings. These strings were then attached to a spring.
Three prison guards would operate the machine. Each would cut a string. Only
one string would cause the rifles to fire. None of the guards would know which string did it.
When the machine arrived, prison warden George Cowing refused to have
anything to do with it. He resigned.
Denver S. Dickinson was a former Governor of Nevada. He was happy to accept the role of Warden
and oversee Andriza s execution. On the morning of May 14th, 1912,
Andriza Mircovich was brought into the execution chamber. He said his last words, which were:
"I die like a soldier" The strings were cut, and the machine fired.
Two rounds entered the heart and killed Andriza instantly.
The machine was never used again. Nevada also never used firing squads again.
The law allowing their use was repealed in 1921.
The shooting machine was placed into storage for decades. In July 1942 it was
donated as scrap metal to help the United States military during World War Two.
The Experiment
On one rare occasion a condemned prisoner decided to help scientists learn something new.
John Deering was born in September 1898. He was raised in Chicago, Illinois.
John was a troubled youth and was in and out of jail all the time.
On May 7th, 1938, John Deering carjacked a couple in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Two days later he shot a real estate agent who died.
On July 29th, 1938, John Deering was arrested in Hamtramck, Michigan. He was
accused of robbing a finance company. While sitting in a Michigan prison, John
received news that his mother had died. He became depressed and decided it was better to die than
sit in prison for decades. So he began confessing to the murders in Utah.
John s wish was granted. After a short trial he was found guilty by a Utah court
and sentenced to death. He decided to choose death by firing squad.
He also agreed to let doctors monitor his heart during the execution.
On the morning of October 31st, 1938, John Deering was brought to the execution chamber. There were
seventy-five witnesses present to watch the event.
A guard placed a hood over John s head. Then he placed a paper target over the heart.
A physician attached sensors to the wrists which were in turn connected to an electrocardiogram.
John Deering was allowed to speak his last words,
"Good-bye and good luck! Okay, let it go." He was then shot by the marksmen. When the bullets
entered John s heart it began spasming four seconds later. Finally it stopped after about
sixteen seconds. But he struggled for breath for nearly a minute before finally passing away.
After being shot it took 134 seconds for John Deering to die.
The Last To Go
Ronnie Lee Gardner was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 16th,
1961. He had a very troubling childhood. Ronnie s father left the family when he was just a baby.
At a year and a half old authorities found Ronnie walking down the street in dirty diapers.
But instead of helping the child they returned him to his mother.
In February 1980 he was convicted of robbery. Ronnie was sent to Utah State Prison.
On April 19th, 1981, he escaped the maximum security unit within the prison.
Ronnie was shot in the neck while trying to kill another inmate.
On August 6th, 1984, Ronnie began faking an illness. He appeared to be vomiting
uncontrollably. The prison took him to the University Of Utah Hospital.
He struck the transportation officer with such force that the man required plastic surgery
to repair his face. Ronnie Lee Gardner then held a medical student at gunpoint. He made
the student give him a ride on his motorcycle. On the night of October 9th, 1984, Ronnie ingested
a lot of cocaine. Then he robbed a tavern and shot the owner. When the victim died,
police began looking for Ronnie. They finally arrested him a couple of weeks later.
The trial began on April 2nd, 1985. What the guards did not know is that somebody had taped
a revolver to the bottom of a water fountain. Ronnie used the weapon to try and escape.
During the escape attempt he shot a lawyer in the eye, who later died.
He also shot a bailiff in the chest. Before getting away one guard shot Ronnie in the
chest as well. He was captured, then sent to the hospital. Doctors were able to save him.
Once recovered, there was a trial for Ronnie Lee Gardner. Jurors considered his fate
and on October 22nd, 1985, they found him guilty. He was sentenced to death.
Given the choice between hanging and firing squad, Ronnie thought death from bullets was
the better option. When explaining his choice to the court he said,
I'd prefer to die of old age, your honor,
but if that ain't possible, I'll take the firing squad.
For the next twenty-five years attorneys tried to get Ronnie s sentence reduced.
At the same time Utah officials tried to convince him to choose lethal injection instead.
Ronnie refused, saying: I like the firing squad. It's
so much easier ... and there's no mistakes.
In 2004 the Utah State Legislature passed a law which removed firing squads as an option
for condemned inmates. But those convicted before 2004 still had the right to choose it.
The state of Utah had no choice, they had to honor Ronnie s wishes.
On June 15th, 2010, Ronnie Lee Gardner was given his last meal. He had steak, lobster,
apple pie, and ice cream. Then he went without food for the next
two days while awaiting execution. He said it was for spiritual reasons.
On the morning of June 18th, he walked to the room where he would be killed.
When asked if he had any last words Ronnie said,
"I do not, no." He was strapped to a chair,
and a hood was placed over his head. Then the customary target was placed above the heart.
At 12:15 am the firing squad unleashed their rounds into Ronnie Lee Gardner s body.
The medical examiner pronounced him dead two minutes later.
Ronnie was the last person executed by firing squad in the United States, for now.
In March 2015, a new law was passed in Utah. If the state cannot acquire lethal injection drugs,
then a firing squad can be used instead. ------
Is the modern firing squad cruel and unusual punishment?
Or is it perhaps one of the better ways to die? Let us know what you think about this method
of execution in the comments below. If you found this episode interesting, then
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