Roscoe Jackson

Roscoe "Red" Jackson (May 21, 1901 – May 21, 1937), was the last person to be publicly executed in the United States. Jackson confessed to the murder of Pearl Bozarth, a traveling salesman. Jackson was convicted of murder and hanged in Galena, Missouri.

Roscoe "Red" Jackson
Stone County, MO Courthouse where Jackson was hanged
Born	May 11, 1901
Died	May 21, 1937(1937-05-21) (aged 36) Galena, Missouri, U.S.
Cause of death	Execution by hanging
Resting place	Howards Ridge, Missouri
Known for	Being the final person to be publicly executed in the United States
Criminal status	Executed (May 21, 1937 (1937-05-21))
Conviction(s)	Murder
Criminal penalty	Death by hanging

Early life

Roscoe Jackson was born in Howards Ridge, Missouri, on May 11, 1901 to Andrew J. and Matilda (Kyle) Jackson. As the eldest son, Roscoe worked on the family farm with his father until he was 17 years old. He then left home and lost contact with his family as he drifted westward across the country.

Jackson's first run-in with the law came as a teenager. Jackson and another boy fought over a girl, with Jackson on the losing end. Afterwards, Jackson began carrying a gun and bragging about it, which resulted in his arrest and conviction of illegally carrying a concealed weapon.

Crime and arrest

In early August 1934, while hitchhiking in Branson, Jackson was picked up by Pearl Bozarth, the owner of a poultry medicine factory located in St. Louis, who had been traveling through the area selling poultry medication at the time. Bozarth gave Jackson a lift, and the men stopped in Forsyth for the evening. There, Bozarth paid for Jackson to have a meal and paid for his lodging for the night at Shadow Rock Camp.

Three days later, a local farmer found Bozarth's body in a field between Bradleyville and Brownbranch, his car and money were gone. His cause of death was likely multiple bullet wounds to the head. Bozarth's remains were taken by Forsyth police officers and Taney County Coroner Bob Thornhill to Branson. Remaining on his person was a watch, a ring, and 95 cents.

The owner of Shadow Rock Camp was W.G. Reed, a longtime friend of Bozarth. Reed told the investigators of the hitchhiker that was accompanying Bozarth at the camp. Reed, along with a local filling station attendant, were able to give descriptions of Jackson to the investigators that would ultimately help in Jackson's apprehension.

Investigators received a tip from Wewoka, Oklahoma that a man matching their suspect's description was in their town. Taney County Sheriff Bill Pumphrey and Prosecuting Attorney Joe Gideon made the trip from Forsyth to Wewoka to attempt to apprehend Bozarth's murderer. Roscoe 'Red' Jackson was captured at the home of Anna Whitten. He was still in possession of Bozarth's vehicle, though had attempted to disguise it by painting it; the investigators discovered buckets of black paint that Jackson had used to paint the vehicle.

When authorities returned Jackson to Forsyth, Reed positively identified him as the man who was with Bozarth. Jackson admitted to riding with Bozarth but insisted that there was another passenger, a man by the name of William Young, who committed the murder and forced Jackson to ride with him to Seminole, Oklahoma.

Trial

Although the murder took place in Taney County, Missouri the case was moved to Stone County, Missouri on a change of venue.

The trial began on December 10, 1934 with jury selection and voir dire, although witnesses were not called to the stand until 3:00 pm. The next day, at 12:00 pm, the jurors began deliberation.

The jury found Jackson guilty of first-degree murder, but they could not agree on the punishment. Judge Robert Gideon called in the jury after two hours of deliberation, and discovered that nine of the jurors were for the death penalty and three were for life imprisonment. After the jury explained to Judge Gideon that they would not be able to come to an agreement, they were dismissed; Judge Gideon then sentenced Jackson to death.

After begin convicted, Jackson confessed to the murder of Bozarth. He also confessed to murdering another man in Oklahoma.

Jackson was taken to the state penitentiary in Jefferson City where he was held in solitary confinement for over two years.

Execution

On May 20, 1937, Stone County Sheriff I.H. Coin, Deputy F.A. Moore, Taney County Sheriff Henry Simmons and Harvey George of the Missouri Highway Patrol traveled to Jefferson City to collect Jackson for the execution.

Jackson's father, Andrew J. Jackson, had made the trip from Howard's Ridge, near Gainesville, Missouri for his son's execution, although he did not witness the execution. While his father visited him in the county jail, Roscoe told his father, "What a man sows, that shall he also reap, and I am prepared to reap my harvest in the morning".

The next morning, a few minutes before six o'clock, it is estimated that at least 400 people were waiting outside the courthouse to witness the hanging of Roscoe Jackson. After the spectators had filed into the enclosure, Sheriff Coin quieted the crowd. On the runway was Father Ahern, Jackson's spiritual advisor, followed by Jackson. Father Ahern read aloud the Act of Contrition, and Jackson repeated the words after.

Jackson turned to face the crowd that was outside of the enclosure, and said, "Folks, not everybody realizes what it is die. When a person dies accidentally it isn't so hard, but when you die gradually, it is hard. I realize that I am the object of the whole occasion here. There is no use for any many to fear death because it must come to all of us. It is hard to ask you all to forgive me, I want you to feel that the whole burden of reproach centers on me. I want to ask those who believe in prayer to pray for me. I am leaving without any ingratitude in my heart toward anyone."

He then turned to face the crowd in the enclosure and was placed in the center of the trap. Deputy Moore placed the black hood over his face, Sheriff Simmons placed the noose around his neck, while other officers strapped his legs together.

Jackson then raised his hands and said, "Well, be good, folks."

Sheriff Coin pulled the lever, and Jackson fell ten feet. Ten minutes later, Jackson was pronounced dead by Dr. Kerr of Crane and Dr. Shumate of Reeds Spring.

Missouri's change from hanging to the gas chamber

In September of 1937, Governor Lloyd Crow Stark signed a bill that authorized the use of gas for executions. Three men were hanged in 1937 prior to Governor Stark's bill, those being Fred Adams (4/2/37), Dudley Barr (5/21/37), and Roscoe Jackson (5/21/37). Missouri would use the gas chamber on eight men in 1938.