Rainey Bethea | Photos | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Rainey BETHEA

Bethea's last meal in the Jefferson County Jail in Louisville.

Bethea handcuffed between Daviess County Deputy Sheriffs Albert Reisz, left,
and Lawrence Dishman, right, who traveled to Louisville the night before the
execution to bring him to Owensboro for his public hanging.

Construction of the scaffold.
Photo: Perry Ryan

Construction of the scaffold draws a crowd.
Photo: Perry Ryan

Rainey Bethea mounts the scaffold with deputies at his side.
Photo: Perry Ryan

14th August 1936: A huge crowd of over 15.000 people gathers around a scaffold to witness
the public hanging of 22-year old Rainey Bethea, Owensboro, Kentucky. Public outrage over
the manner of execution made Bethea's death the last public hanging in the country.
(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Taken moments after Rainey Bethea was hanged.
Photo: Perry Ryan

Coverage of Rainey Bethea's hanging from the New York Daily News, August 1936.

Sheriff Florence Thompson.
Photo: Perry Ryan

Sheriff Florence Thompson assembles her deputies.
Photo: Perry Ryan