# Surviving the electric chair **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [December 1, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622 "2009-12-01T20:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pascal666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Pascal666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pascal666)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/1 "2009-12-01T20:41:00Z")
> **[Willie Francis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Francis)** > > Willie Francis (January 12, 1929 – May 9, 1947) was an African American teenager known for surviving a failed execution by electrocution in the United States. He was a convicted juvenile sentenced to death at age 16 by the state of Louisiana in 1945 for the murder of Andrew Thomas, a Cajun pharmacy owner in St. Martinville who had once employed him. In the modern day, Francis's guilt has been disputed. He was 17 when he survived the first attempt to execute him, as the chair malfunctioned. In 19... * * * Link to column: [What physically happens to someone electrocuted in the electric chair? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/199/what-physically-happens-to-someone-electrocuted-in-the-electric-chair) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/2 "2009-12-01T22:59:51Z")
I’m not sure that surviving a portable electric chair that had been improperly set up by a couple of drunks completely qualifies as surviving an electric chair. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/3 "2009-12-02T01:31:17Z")
So, curiosity re: guillotine is fine; curiousity re: fucking black hole death (which is fucking ridiculously impossible) is fine; curiosity re: death by stabbing, gunshot wound, vaginal trauma, anal penetration with foreign objects and whatever-the-fuck else is fine, but ask about death by the electric chair and Cecil calls someone an asshole? Fucking Hypocrite sack-o-shitschmear undiestain. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/4 "2009-12-02T02:24:38Z")
The column in question: [What physically happens to someone electrocuted in the electric chair?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/199/what-physically-happens-to-someone-electrocuted-in-the-electric-chair) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/5 "2009-12-02T02:40:13Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > So, curiosity re: guillotine is fine; curiousity re: fucking black hole death (which is fucking ridiculously impossible) is fine; curiosity re: death by stabbing, gunshot wound, vaginal trauma, anal penetration with foreign objects and whatever-the-fuck else is fine, but ask about death by the electric chair and Cecil calls someone an asshole? > > Fucking Hypocrite sack-o-shitschmear undiestain. Chill the fuck out. The correspondent wasn’t just asking about death by electric chair; he wanted to see it and, by all indications, smell it. That’s the smell of justice… Besides, it was 28 years ago, before the death penalty became fashionable again. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/6 "2009-12-02T03:28:48Z")
And these days, in Illinois and regarding, especially, anyone but John Gacy, it’s still tacky. Note: Have I (more than several times) expressed how insulted I am that Gacy never tried to kill me? Back in the day I was a pretty good looking fellow, working at the Chicago Greyhound station, and either starting at midnight or finishing at 12:15AM. Around the same time and place when Gacy was doing his prowling. And sure, before or after a shift slinging baggage and freight, the last thing I was interested in was a side job that required manual labor, but the LEAST he could’ve done was ASK. Harumph! Wife says he probably saw me but knew I’d put up too much of a fight. Wives think like this when trying to justify their pathetic choice in mates. Just like how she said, when I noted how, when out on long walks in empty places, nobody tried to mug me, “In those overalls you look like Lenny from ‘Of Mice and Me.’” I tell myself the latter was a compliment. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/7 "2009-12-02T12:32:05Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > So, curiosity re: guillotine is fine; curiousity re: fucking black hole death (which is fucking ridiculously impossible) is fine; curiosity re: death by stabbing, gunshot wound, vaginal trauma, anal penetration with foreign objects and whatever-the-fuck else is fine, but ask about death by the electric chair and Cecil calls someone an asshole? > > Fucking Hypocrite sack-o-shitschmear undiestain. The guy didn’t just ask, he said he had a fear… and, in the string of questions, both the first and last questions were “How can I watch one?” Also, this was back in 1981 and was one of the first of such questions to be asked; Cecil may have mellowed since. Note that the later question didn’t ask whether he could watch a decapitation. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/8 "2009-12-03T01:50:05Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Fucking Hypocrite sack-o-shitschmear undiestain. I have been reminded that **Cecil** is a member here. We allow insults to be directed against non-members and celebrities. We do NOT allow insults to be directed against fellow posters. Cecil is in sort of a strange position, being both a celebrity and writer of considerable importance to this board; in that position, he is not immune from critical comments. However, as a member of the board, he is entitled to some degree of respect. **SixSwordS** : the invective that you have used is over the line. Calling **Cecil** a “hypocrite” (or even a “fucking hypocrite”) would have been permissible (wrong, but permissable.) The remainder of your invective is just too much. Don’t do this again. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/9 "2009-12-03T02:02:09Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > I have been reminded that **Cecil** is a member here. And is he subject to a warning for calling someone an asshole? When they have no recourse? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/10 "2009-12-03T02:04:04Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > The remainder of your invective is just too much. Don’t do this again. Otherwise I hear your warning and respect it. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/11 "2009-12-03T02:10:01Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > And is he subject to a warning for calling someone an asshole? When they have no recourse? The rule about personal insults applies to this message board. Cecil called someone an asshole in a newspaper column, not on the Straight Dope Message Boards. If you’d like to write a newspaper article in which you call someone an asshole, we really don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-the-electric-chair/519622/12 "2009-12-03T02:13:20Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > And is he subject to a warning for calling someone an asshole? When they have no recourse? If the person’s feelings are still hurt after 28 years, they deserve the scorn.