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The State of Texas authorized the use of the electric chair in 1923, and ordered all executions to be carried out by the state in Huntsville. Prior to 1923, Texas counties were responsible for their own executions.The State of Texas executed the first inmate by electrocution on February 8, 1924. Charles Reynolds (Red River County) was executed. On that same date, four additional inmates, Ewell Morris, George Washington, Mack Matthews, and Melvin Johnson were executed.One of the most notorious inmates to be executed was Raymond Hamilton, a member of the "Bonnie and Clyde" gang. He was sentenced by Walker County and executed on May 10, 1935, for murder. Hamilton and another man had escaped from death row, only to be captured and returned to death row.
Death row was in the East Building of the Huntsville Unit from 1928 to 1952. From 1952 until 1965, the electric chair was in a building by the East Wall of the Huntsville Unit.It was built by incarcerated craftsmen in 1924.In 40 years, the state of Texas executed 361 death row inmates by electrocution, from 1924 to 1964.The state’s electric chair became known as “Old Sparky,” a nickname given by inmates who feared the contraption outfitted with leather arm and leg straps.Death row was first housed in the south wing of the “Walls” Unit and had nine cells. In 1953, the current death chamber was constructed for that purpose and had only eight cells. In 1990, the original death house was closed down and remains vacant today.When I was there in 1971, the chair was still in the death house,” he said. “Every Tuesday, we took inmates down there and they cleaned it up. Old Sparky stayed there until the time they brought the gurney in for lethal injection.” The last person was executed by Texas Electric chair was Joseph Johnson Jr on July 30th 1964. The electric is now at the Texas State prison museum. During the electric chair in Texas there are 3 cycles of 2400 volts for 20 seconds each. Their heads and left legs must be shaved. The Electric chair is now 99 years old in 2023.