Folsom's 93

The Lives and Crimes of Folsom Prison's Executed Men


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Find me now on Substack

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Sorry about that. The good news is that I’m back at it, “it” being continued work on the stories of Folsom Prison’s executed men, but in a “new and improved” way. After ten years, I am working on a complete rewrite of Folsom’s 93 with a new press and I’m eager to share it with you. However, you must patient as we’re looking at 2025 for the release. In the meantime, I’m posting regularly on Substack and it’s free to join and to read my posts, so I’d love for you come on by. I’m using this new space to discuss criminal justice issues, both past and present, and to provide some rewrite tidbits. I’ll also throw in some fascinating historical goodies I’ve come across in my research. For a more detailed update on what’s been happening, check out How I got here. As always, thanks for your support over the years.

As the picture implies, c’mon, follow me on this journey. I’d love to have you along.

P.S. Sorry if you’re getting a double dose of me if you follow me at AprilJMoore . . . I have to make my rounds. (Another reason to catch me just on Substack.)


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“Justice for All” Radio Show Interview

Folsom's 93: The Lives and Crimes of Folsom Prison's Executed Men

I’m excited to announce that this Saturday, January 10th, I’ll be talking with George Yates of “Justice for All,” on WHKT out of Chesapeake, VA. Catch it at 2 p.m. EST/12 p.m. MST for the hour-long interview. If you can’t tune in, it’ll likely be posted online. I’ll be sure to update you when that happens. I’m thrilled to be a guest on his show and I’m looking forward to chatting about Folsom’s 93.


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Folsom’s in Color

Folsom's 22I wanted to share this colorized picture of William M. Gray, Folsom’s 22nd execution. My son has been playing around with Photoshop, and this one particular shot has always stood out to him, so he wanted to see what he could do with it. Given the information surrounding Gray’s case, I’m not entirely convinced he committed the crime for which he hanged. I’ll leave you with his last words.

” . . . there could be no God, else an innocent man would not be hanged.”

 


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Their Last Suppers

I suppose it’s been quite a while since you’ve heard from me, unless you following my ramblings over at AprilJMoore, where I tend to stay busier. Folsom’s has been doing well and is heading into its second printing shortly, which is great news! I’ll keep you posted on that.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some additions to Julie Green’s Last Supper collection. You may recall a post I did back in April of 2012 about Julie’s work. On various dinner plates, she paints the last suppers of executed inmates. It’s an incredible collection of 550 plates showing a tiny glimpse into the final hours of a condemned prisoner. I had contacted her about the possibility of painting some of Folsom’s 93 last suppers and through information I provided coupled with her own research, she painted 18 plates. Oppenehimer last supper

#28 Jacob Oppenheimer, July 11, 1913
Candy, cigars

Weber last supper# 23 Adolph Julius Weber, September 27, 1906
A hearty breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon and sausage

Shannon last supper#57 Willard C. Shannon, May 4, 1928
Toast, strawberries and chocolate

You can view the other 15’s last suppers at Julie’s website. Look for:
Ivan Kovalev: february 21, 1896
Paulo Kamaunu, June 19, 1896
George Washington Roberts, September 4, 1896
Alex Kels, January 4, 1924
John Geregac, January 16, 1925
Alfred Bollinger, October 9, 1925
Charles Peevia, August 27, 1926
Paul Rowland, September 27, 1929
Anthony Brown, January 3, 1930
Roy Stokes, January 3, 1930
Walter E. Burke, January 10, 1930
James Gregg, January 10, 1930
Aldrich Welsford Lutz, June 21, 1935
George Hall, March 27, 1936
Earl Budd Kimball, May 22, 1936

You can also see all 550 plates HERE.


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Book Review from NewPages

Thank you, New Pages for the nice review of Folsom’s 93!

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“The matter-of-fact detailing of events in the entries does not make for dull reading. These individual stories are not only mini-biographies but also an informal history of California.”

Check it out HERE.