John Proctor
John Proctor was put to death in the electric chair at the District jail in Washington on June 22, 1928, one of three men executed that day. Before his death he said goodbye to his mother, his sweetheart, his sisters and his brothers, and he held his mother and sweetheart in his arms for ten minutes, trying to comfort them. Police said he had taken poison and was unconscious before the execution, and a small envelope of poison tablets was found in his clothing, while a chemical analysis of his stomach contents was still pending, according to District Chemist Aubrey V. Fuller, reporting to Coroner J. Ramsay Nevitt. Police had not yet decided whether anyone who passed him the drug would face action. He was buried on a small family plot near Joplin, Virginia, with about 750 people attending, and his childhood playmates dug and filled in his grave.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state
Reported by: District Chemist Aubrey V. Fuller, reporting to Coroner J. Ramsay Nevitt (medical examiner or coroner); police.