MICHIGAN and it’s No DEATH PENALTY HISTORY

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         (No Executions in Michigan?)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Michigan has it’s share of nicknames, The Great Lake(s) State- The Wolverine State- The Mitten State- Water (Winter) Wonderland. It get’s Statehood on January 26 1837 the 26th in Union. It’s capital is Lansing and it’s largest city is Detriot. It’s area is 96.716 sq miles that ranks it at 11. A length of 456 miles, width 386 miles, an elevation of 900 feet, the highest elevation of 1,979 feet, and the lowest elevation 571 feet Lake Erie. The poulation as of 2010 (I guess they just stopped counting after that) was 9,883,635 which ranks it at 10th. Latitude 41 degrees by 41 N to 48 degrees by 18 N, Longitude 82 degrees by 7 W to 90 degrees by 25 W.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (A TWISTED TALE of  MICHIGAN)                                                                                                                                          Michigan and it’s Death Penalty is different from all the other states, let’s start before U.S. jurisdiction, under French jurisdiction 1683 4 are executed, Folle Avoine- native american- murder- shot on November 29 1683, Unknown- native american- murder- shot on November 29 1683. Pierre Berge (or Boucher) dit La Tulipe- white- assault- hung on November 26 1705, the hanging takes place in Montreal, Bartellemy Pichon dit La Roze- white- desertion- hung. Under British jurisdiction 5 are executed, unknown female slave (owners name was Clapham) native american- murder- hung April 1763, Michael Due’- white- murder- late 1760’s, Joseph Hecker- white- murder- hung December 1775, Jean Baptiste Contincineau- white- burglary- hung March 26 1777, Ann Wyley- black- burglary- hung March 26 1777. Under U.S. jurisdiction 6 are executed, Buhnah- native american- murder- (unkown method was used) executed in 1819, Ketauka- native american- murder- hung December 27 1821, Kewaubis- native american- murder- hung December 27 1821, James Brown-white- murder- hung February 1 1830, Stephen Simmons- white- murder- hung September 24 1830, Wau-Bau-Ne-Me-Mee- native american- murder- hung July 1836. He is last to be executed, that is until July 8 1938, wait  no one has ever been executed in the state since it’s statehood. Right Michigan has not but the Federal Goverment has. But hold on there is no Death Penalty in the state. I told you this tale is twisted like an Alfred Hitchcock movie.                                                                                                                      Anthony Chebatoris born in Poland 1900, he was convicted of bank robbery and murder. Let’s take a look at his crime and find out how he was executed in a state with no Death Penalty. September 29 1937, along with paroled convict 29 year old Jack Gracey they plan to rob the Chemical State Savings Bank on Main Street in Midland Michigan. Dow Chemicals payroll was due that day. Gracey armed with a sawed off shotgun enters first. Chebatoris enters behind him armed with a revolver.  Clarence H. Macomber bank president gets the shotgun shoved into his ribs by Gracey. They start to fight over the shotgun, Chebatoris shoots Macomber in the shoulder. Paul D. Bywater bank cashier hears the shot and approached the counter, Chebatoris shoots him in the gut. Both survive the shots. Botching the robbery they now have to get the fuck out of there. As they get into their black 2 door Ford, enter into our story Dr. Frank L. Hardy. He has his 2nd floor dental office which was adjacent to the bank. Hearing the shots he grabs his hunting rifle and starts shooting at the getaway car. What a sight so far. One of the doctor’s shots hit Chebatoris and the Ford hits a parked car. Enter Henry S. Porter a truck driver into our story. Looking for where the shots were coming from, Porter who’s cap and uniform could be mistaken for a police officer’s.Chebatoris shoots and kills him, Gracey tries to get in the truck but Hardy not a bad shot kills him with a head shot. Chebatoris sees this and starts running to the railroad yard. He tries to steal a car drivin by Levi Myer but he is apprehended by Midland County Sheriff Ira M. Smith.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       (THE FEDS RULE)                                                                                                                                                                                He is tried and sentenced to Death, you see his mistake was the bank robbery is now a Federal crime. That means it does not matter of the states Death Penalty law, if your convicted of a Capital Crime that falls under Federal jurisdiction you will be executed. On October 29, 1937, Chebatoris was found guilty of murder under section 588c of the Federal Bank Robbery Act, and the jury, which had the option to bestow a death sentence, did so. Governor Frank Murphy attempted to get Chebatoris’s sentence commuted to life imprisonment, “Everyone knows [Chebatoris] is guilty,” Murphy said. “I’m trying to prevent the federal government from erecting a scaffold and hanging a man in my state, where it hasn’t been done in 108 years.”When his request for commutation was rejected, Murphy argued the execution should be carried out in another state. Murphy appealed all the way to President Franklin D. Roosevelt after Judge Tuttle refused to change the location of the execution, but to no avail. Murphy stated that the execution was “a blot on Michigan’s civilized record.” Chebatoris was subsequently hanged at the Federal Prison Farm just outside Milan, Michigan on July 8, 1938. He left his cell at 5:04 A.M. and began the walk to the gallows accompanied by Rev. Fr. Lee Laige, who prayed as they walked. Chebatoris plunged through the trap door at 5:08 and was pronounced dead thirteen minutes later. Chebatoris was interred at Marble Park Cemetery in Milan after a Catholic ceremony attended by two brothers and a sister. Wow what a freaking story, stay tuned in to the 3rd Floor Podcast for these stories and more where getting are shit together for the 2nd season so keep coming back here to find out the latest and check out all the shows on the 3rd Floor Podcast @anchor @spotify everywhere iTunes listeners hit the purple icon with a 5 star reveiw and leave a quick comment like hi hello just help get us ranked thanks until next time ……