A member of the firing squad:
“Try to take it easy, Eddie. Try to make it easy on yourself— and on us.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m okay. They’re not shooting me for deserting the United Stated Army—thousands of guys have done that. They’re shooting me for bread I stole when I was 12 years old.”

— Edward Donald “Eddie” Slovik, convicted of desertion, firing squad, northeastern France.
Executed January 31, 1945

On the French front lines Pvt. Slovik’s rifle unit suffered heavy shelling, and the young private attempted desertion twice. The second time he was recaptured in Belgium. In the final months of the war, Allied commander Dwight D. Eisenhower personally ordered Slovik’s execution in order to discourage would-be deserters. It wasn’t until 1987 that Slovik’s remains were shipped home to Detroit.

”I am innocent, Father, innocent.”

— Bartholomew Shea (alias Bat Shea) , convicted of murder, electric chair, New York.
Executed February 11, 1896

In Troy’s much-contested mayoral election of 1894, “fighting was general all over the city,” but there was only one instance of bloodshed. Shea, a “notorious character,” was charged with gunning down Robert Ross, a “fair play” election reformer.

“I am against this horrible form of murder by the state, but I would rather be standing here for the crime that, so help me God, I never remember committing, than to be sitting down there eagerly waiting to see a man die. Let the state of Illinois take shame upon itself. Good-bye.”

— Edward J. Brislane, convicted of murder, hanging, Illinois.
Executed February 11, 1921

While robbing the Crawford Theater, Brislane shot its manager, William Mills. “I shot Mills,” he said. “There was no reason. I was drunk and a damned fool.” Sheriff Peters rejected Brislane’s suggestion to have him hanged in Grant Park.