Dow Hover

Article summary

Dow B. Hover (November 16, 1900 – June 1, 1990) was an American executioner who was the last person to serve as a New York State Electrician, the state's executioner and operator of the electric chair. He was the last person to serve as an executioner in the state, which has since abolished capital punishment. On August 15, 1963 at Sing Sing prison, Hover executed Eddie Lee Mays, the last person to be executed by the State of New York. Hover, a native and lifelong resident of Germantown, worked as a deputy sheriff for Columbia County. When on August 5, 1953, longtime state electrician Joseph Francel left his post after 14 years on service, Hover was hired to replace him, securing the job through his contacts at the Columbia County sheriff's office. He was 52 years old at that time and, like five of his predecessors, was a trained electrician. In addition to his work as a deputy sheriff, Hover earned $150 for each execution he did at Sing Sing prison, which was roughly 160 miles away from his usual place of work. Adjusted for inflation, his pay would be equivalent to $1,000 per execution. Hover also received travel reimbursement, usually eight cents per mile. Unlike his predecessor, whose name regularly appeared in the media, Hover kept his second job a secret.…

Key claims

1. date of death: 1990-06-01 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of death is "1990-06-01". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

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