George W. Barrett

George W. Barrett (February 28, 1887 – March 24, 1936), also known as "The Diamond King" and "Bad George," was an American car thief and murderer who became the first person sentenced to death by hanging under a congressional act that made it a capital offense to kill a federal agent.

Early life

Barrett was born in Kentucky, one of at least seven children of William Barrett and Nancy Jane Bowling. He had worked as a streetcar conductor in Cincinnati and was a "career hoodlum, moonshiner, car thief and murderer" prior to killing the federal agent. He was known as the "Diamond King" because he supposedly carried diamonds in his pocket.

On September 2, 1930, Barrett shot and killed his own 71-year-old mother (who had reportedly whipped his 11-year-old son) and pistol whipped his sister Rachel, whom he shot through the ear. His two brothers posted a $500 reward for his capture. After eight months of being on the run, he turned himself in the next spring and was charged with killing his mother and wounding his sister. The trial resulted in a hung jury. It was later reported that he had been tried for killing both his mother and sister. He admitted to shooting his mother in self-defense, but denied killing his sister, whom he said had died of pneumonia.

Shootout

Barrett came to the attention of the FBI because he was wanted for car theft and interstate transportation of vehicles as far as California.

The state of Indiana adopted the electric chair as execution method in 1913, and was unprepared to carry out the hanging as required in Barrett's federal sentence.

Barrett was still crippled from his wounds and had to be carried to the gallows on a stretcher and supported by deputy marshals. His last request was to see his younger brother, John, but no response was received to a telegram sent before his execution. Before the trap was sprung at 12:02 pm, Barrett was asked if he had any last words, but did not respond. He was pronounced dead, at age 49, before about 50 official witnesses.