Gee Jon
Encyclopedia
Gee Jon was a Chinese national
who was the first person in the United States
to be executed by lethal gas
. A member of the Hip Sing Tong criminal society from San Francisco, California
, Gee was sentenced to death for the murder of an elderly member from another gang in Nevada
. An unsuccessful attempt to pump poison gas directly into his cell at Nevada State Prison
led to the development of the gas chamber
.
descent in China
around 1895. He immigrated to the United States between 1907 and 1908 and spent most of his life at San Francisco
's Chinatown in California
. Gee became a member of the Hip Sing Tong society, which dealt in narcotics and liquor. In 1922, territorial disputes with the rival Bing Kong Tong
society led to the outbreak of hostilities.
. Hughie Sing, his American-educated apprentice of two years, pointed Kee out as a target for Gee. During the night of August 27, 1921, Gee knocked on the door of Kee's residence while armed with a Colt
.38 revolver
. Gee fatally shot Kee, who answered the door in his pajamas. Unlike many other Tong
killings, Gee and Sing were apprehended. The United States was caught up in anti-immigrant hysteria at the time.
. However, Sing's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
because he was only nineteen years old and Gee had committed the shooting itself. A bill authorizing the use of lethal gas had passed the Nevada State Legislature in 1921, making Gee eligible to become the first person to be executed by this method. Frame argued that Gee's sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment
, but his appeal was denied. The Supreme Court of Nevada
instead complimented the state legislators for "inflicting the death penalty in the most humane manner known to modern science." Raffetto unsuccessfully filed a writ of certiorari
with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
in San Francisco, California
. Gee was incarcerated in Nevada State Prison
at Carson City
.
, was the only distributor of liquid cyanide
in the western United States and refused to deliver it to Carson City over liability
concerns. The poison was used to eradicate pests from citrus groves in California. Warden Denver S. Dickerson
sent his assistant Tom Pickett to Los Angeles to personally pick up 20 pounds of lethal gas, which was contained in a mobile fumigating unit which cost $700. Four guards who did not want to participate in the process had resigned. The officials first attempted to pump poison gas directly into Gee's cell while he was sleeping, but without success because the gas leaked from the cell.
A makeshift gas chamber
was set up at the butcher shop of the prison. At least one cat was used to test the lethal effectiveness of the chamber. Gee was to be strapped onto a chair in the chamber, which was eleven feet long, ten feet wide, and eight feet high. A small window next to the wooden chair allowed witnesses to look inside. Attendees included news reporters, public health officials and representatives of the U.S. Army
. Gee wept as he was placed on the chair until the captain of the guards told him to "Brace up!" At 9:40 a.m. on February 8, 1924, the pump sprayed four pounds of hydrocyanic acid into the chamber. The weather was cold and humid. Because an electric heater failed, the chamber was 52 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the ideal 75 degrees, causing some of the acid to form a puddle on the floor. Gee appeared to lose consciousness in about five seconds, with his head continuing to nod up and down for six minutes. He was completely motionless after ten minutes. Some of the witnesses momentarily thought they smelled the odor of almond blossoms, a telltale sign of cyanide, leaking from the chamber. The warden had the witnesses cleared from the area. At about 10 a.m., a vent was opened and a fan was turned on to discharge the poison gas. The prison staff waited for the remaining puddle of hydrocyanic acid to evaporate before cleaning up the chamber. Gee's body was removed from the chamber at 12:20 p.m. and taken to the prison hospital. A group of seven doctors pronounced him dead, but did not conduct an autopsy on the body out of concern that some remaining gas could be released. Gee was 29 years old when he died.
printed, "One hundred years from now Nevada will be referred to as a heathen commonwealth controlled by savages with only the outward symbols of civilization."
Warden Dickerson reported to Nevada governor James G. Scrugham
and the legislature his opinion that the use of lethal gas was impractical and that he thought execution by firing squad
was still the best method of execution.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
who was the first person in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to be executed by lethal gas
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
. A member of the Hip Sing Tong criminal society from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Gee was sentenced to death for the murder of an elderly member from another gang in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. An unsuccessful attempt to pump poison gas directly into his cell at Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison is a penitentiary located in Carson City. The prison has been in continuous operation since it was established in 1862 and is managed by the Nevada Department of Corrections. It is one of the oldest prisons still operating in the United States. The high security facility housed...
led to the development of the gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
.
Background
Gee Jon was born of CantoneseCantonese people
The Cantonese people are Han people whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, China. The term "Cantonese people" would then be synonymous with the Bun Dei sub-ethnic group, and is sometimes known as Gwong Fu Jan for this narrower definition...
descent in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
around 1895. He immigrated to the United States between 1907 and 1908 and spent most of his life at San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
's Chinatown in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Gee became a member of the Hip Sing Tong society, which dealt in narcotics and liquor. In 1922, territorial disputes with the rival Bing Kong Tong
Bing Kong Tong
The Bing Kong Tong was one of the powerful Tongs in San Francisco's Chinatown during the early 20th century. Since most, if not all, Chinatowns founded in the United States in the 19th century were founded by migrants from the province of Canton , many place names were...
society led to the outbreak of hostilities.
Death of Tom Quong Kee
Tom Quong Kee was a 74-year-old laundry proprietor who was a member of the Bing Kong Tong in Mina, NevadaMina, Nevada
Mina is a small community in Mineral County in west-central Nevada on U.S. Route 95 at an elevation of . The 2010 population was 155.-History:...
. Hughie Sing, his American-educated apprentice of two years, pointed Kee out as a target for Gee. During the night of August 27, 1921, Gee knocked on the door of Kee's residence while armed with a Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
.38 revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
. Gee fatally shot Kee, who answered the door in his pajamas. Unlike many other Tong
Tong (organization)
The word tong means "hall" or "gathering place". In North America a tong is a type of organization found among Chinese living in the United States and Canada. These organizations are described as secret societies or sworn brotherhoods and are often tied to criminal activity...
killings, Gee and Sing were apprehended. The United States was caught up in anti-immigrant hysteria at the time.
Trial and sentencing
Gee and Sing were defended by attorneys James M. Frame and Fiore Raffetto. Gee and Sing were both convicted and sentenced to death in the District Court of Mineral County, NevadaMineral County, Nevada
Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,071. In 2009, it was estimated to have dropped to 4,662. Its county seat is Hawthorne.-History:...
. However, Sing's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
because he was only nineteen years old and Gee had committed the shooting itself. A bill authorizing the use of lethal gas had passed the Nevada State Legislature in 1921, making Gee eligible to become the first person to be executed by this method. Frame argued that Gee's sentence constituted cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
, but his appeal was denied. The Supreme Court of Nevada
Supreme Court of Nevada
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the state supreme court of Nevada. It is the highest judicial body of the Nevada state government.There are seven Justices of the court, who are elected to six-year terms in officially nonpartisan elections. The Governor appoints Justices in the case of a vacancy...
instead complimented the state legislators for "inflicting the death penalty in the most humane manner known to modern science." Raffetto unsuccessfully filed a writ of certiorari
Certiorari
Certiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Gee was incarcerated in Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison
Nevada State Prison is a penitentiary located in Carson City. The prison has been in continuous operation since it was established in 1862 and is managed by the Nevada Department of Corrections. It is one of the oldest prisons still operating in the United States. The high security facility housed...
at Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
.
Execution
The California Cyanide Company of Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, was the only distributor of liquid cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
in the western United States and refused to deliver it to Carson City over liability
Legal liability
Legal liability is the legal bound obligation to pay debts.* In law a person is said to be legally liable when they are financially and legally responsible for something. Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law. See Strict liability. Under English law, with the passing of the Theft...
concerns. The poison was used to eradicate pests from citrus groves in California. Warden Denver S. Dickerson
Denver S. Dickerson
Denver Sylvester Dickerson was an American politician. He was the 11th Governor of Nevada from 1908 to 1911. A member of the Silver – Democratic coalition party, he had previously held office as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Nevada from 1907 to 1908...
sent his assistant Tom Pickett to Los Angeles to personally pick up 20 pounds of lethal gas, which was contained in a mobile fumigating unit which cost $700. Four guards who did not want to participate in the process had resigned. The officials first attempted to pump poison gas directly into Gee's cell while he was sleeping, but without success because the gas leaked from the cell.
A makeshift gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
was set up at the butcher shop of the prison. At least one cat was used to test the lethal effectiveness of the chamber. Gee was to be strapped onto a chair in the chamber, which was eleven feet long, ten feet wide, and eight feet high. A small window next to the wooden chair allowed witnesses to look inside. Attendees included news reporters, public health officials and representatives of the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Gee wept as he was placed on the chair until the captain of the guards told him to "Brace up!" At 9:40 a.m. on February 8, 1924, the pump sprayed four pounds of hydrocyanic acid into the chamber. The weather was cold and humid. Because an electric heater failed, the chamber was 52 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the ideal 75 degrees, causing some of the acid to form a puddle on the floor. Gee appeared to lose consciousness in about five seconds, with his head continuing to nod up and down for six minutes. He was completely motionless after ten minutes. Some of the witnesses momentarily thought they smelled the odor of almond blossoms, a telltale sign of cyanide, leaking from the chamber. The warden had the witnesses cleared from the area. At about 10 a.m., a vent was opened and a fan was turned on to discharge the poison gas. The prison staff waited for the remaining puddle of hydrocyanic acid to evaporate before cleaning up the chamber. Gee's body was removed from the chamber at 12:20 p.m. and taken to the prison hospital. A group of seven doctors pronounced him dead, but did not conduct an autopsy on the body out of concern that some remaining gas could be released. Gee was 29 years old when he died.
Reaction
The Nevada State Journal proclaimed, "Nevada's novel death law is upheld by the highest court — humanity." However, the San Jose Mercury NewsSan Jose Mercury News
The San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
printed, "One hundred years from now Nevada will be referred to as a heathen commonwealth controlled by savages with only the outward symbols of civilization."
Warden Dickerson reported to Nevada governor James G. Scrugham
James G. Scrugham
James Graves Scrugham was an American politician. He was a Representative, a Senator, and the 14th Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada. He was a member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
and the legislature his opinion that the use of lethal gas was impractical and that he thought execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
was still the best method of execution.
See also
- Andriza MircovichAndriza MircovichAndriza Mircovich was an Austro-Hungarian national of Montenegrin descent. He was the first and only prisoner ever to be executed by shooting in the state of Nevada. He had been sentenced to death for the premeditated murder of John Gregovich in Tonopah, Nevada...
- Capital punishment in Nevada
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
- Chinese Exclusion Act
External links
- 1924: Gee Jon, debuting the gas chamber at ExecutedToday.com
- State of Nevada v. Gee Jon, 211 P. 676 - 1923