“Old Sparky”: West Virginia’s electric chair and the prisoner forced to build it

Death Row Inmate’s Deadly Creation at West Virginia

The West Virginia State Penitentiary holds one of America’s most twisted ironies. In 1951, death row inmate Paul Glenn built the electric chair that would execute nine of his fellow prisoners.

Glenn was a skilled electrician serving time for murder when the state asked him to construct “Old Sparky. ” He wired every connection and tested every switch, knowing he might sit in it himself someday.

West Virginia became the last state to use the electric chair in 1959, retiring it forever. Here’s Glenn’s dark story and how you can see his deadly creation still displayed in the original execution room.

A Gruesome Hanging Shocked West Virginia in 1931

Frank Hyer’s execution on June 19, 1931, went horribly wrong at the West Virginia Penitentiary. When the trapdoor opened, his weight ripped his head off completely.

Blood sprayed on shocked onlookers who came to watch the public hanging. State officials quickly changed the rules, making future executions invite-only.

The bloody mishap pushed lawmakers to find a less brutal way to kill prisoners. Many people thought hanging was too cruel for modern times.

The Last State to Switch from Rope to Electricity

West Virginia lawmakers put forward House Bill 228 on February 10, 1949, to swap hanging for electrocution. The bill passed easily: 64-20 in the House and 70-9 in the Senate.

Governor Okey Patteson signed it, making West Virginia the last state in America to use the electric chair. The new law didn’t affect inmates already on death row.

Officials now faced a practical problem: they needed someone to build their electric chair.

Prisoner Paul Glenn Built His Fellow Inmates’ Killer

Prison staff gave the job to Paul Glenn, an inmate with electrical know-how who lived among men who might die in his creation. Glenn built “Old Sparky” right over the old gallows trapdoor.

Word spread through the prison about Glenn’s project, and other inmates turned against him.

The bad blood grew so strong that officials moved Glenn to another prison for his safety after other prisoners threatened him.

Three Buttons Eased the Executioners’ Guilt

The chair’s control system used three push-buttons worked at the same time by three different prison staff. Only one button actually sent electricity through the condemned person.

The other two did nothing. This setup let each worker think they might not have caused the death.

Prison officials made this system to help staff handle the mental burden of killing another person.

Two Drunk Killers Became the First in Line

Harry Burdette, 21, and Fred Painter, 32, earned their date with Old Sparky after they beat Edward C. O’Brien to death.

The men attacked the soft drink salesman in a Charleston parking lot during a July 1949 street fight. Both killers drank 4½ pints of whiskey and nearly a case of beer before the murder.

Their deaths got delayed several times as their lawyers filed appeals, but their time ran out in 1951.

Reporters Got Rare Access to the Condemned Men

Warden Orel Skeen broke tradition by letting reporters talk to Burdette and Painter just one hour before their deaths on March 26, 1951.

This unusual access created buzz around West Virginia’s first use of the electric chair.

Reporters asked the men about their crimes, final thoughts, and how they felt about being the first to die by electricity in the state. The interviews showed the public what men thinking about death had to say.

Future Senator Byrd Watched History Unfold

Young state delegate Robert Byrd sat among the official witnesses to see the historic first electrocutions. Byrd later became the longest-serving U.S. Senator in American history.

Herbert Schupbach, who wrote the electric chair law, also came to see his work put into action.

The witness list included politicians, police, and reporters who gathered to record this turning point in West Virginia’s justice system.

Burdette’s Death Took Less Than Four Minutes

Harry Burdette got strapped into Old Sparky at 9:02 p.m. on March 26, 1951. The executioners pushed their buttons, and a single jolt of electricity killed him.

Dr. Charles A. Zeller checked for signs of life and declared Burdette dead after three minutes and forty-eight seconds.

Prison officials thought the first execution went well since it happened quickly with no problems.

Staff removed the body to make way for the second condemned man.

Painter Survived the First Jolt of Electricity

Fred Painter took his seat in the chair at 9:10 p.m. , just eight minutes after Burdette died. The first surge of electricity knocked him out but failed to kill him.

Executioners had to send a second jolt through his body. Painter’s death took more than twice as long as his partner’s, a total of nine minutes before Dr. Zeller declared him dead at 9:19 p.m.

The longer execution raised doubts about whether the electric chair was really more humane than hanging.

Two Inmates Escaped During the Execution Chaos

While everyone focused on the historic executions, two other prisoners grabbed their chance and escaped from the prison. The media circus and unusual activity created the perfect distraction.

Guards paid more attention to handling the execution event than watching other areas of the prison.

The escapees slipped away during the commotion, showing how even a maximum-security prison could have weak spots when routines changed.

Old Sparky Claimed Nine Lives Before Retirement

Between 1951 and 1959, nine men died in West Virginia’s electric chair. The last execution took place in 1959, and the state abolished the death penalty in 1965.

Old Sparky now sits on display at the former West Virginia Penitentiary, which operates as a tourist attraction. Visitors can see the chair built by an inmate to kill his fellow prisoners.

Senator Byrd later reflected that watching those first executions left “an indelible impression” on his memory, a grim reminder of how justice worked in mid-century America.

Visiting West Virginia State Penitentiary, West Virginia

The West Virginia State Penitentiary at 818 Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville offers 90-minute guided tours starting at $15 per person.

You’ll see cell blocks, the cafeteria with prisoner murals, and the execution area where “Old Sparky” was used. Extended Monday tours include the Sugar Shack and Psych Ward.

You need to book online in advance and complete a waiver. The building has no heating or air conditioning, so dress for the weather.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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