Arsenic Anna :The True Story of Anna Marie Hahn
Death Chamber
Anna Marie Hahn was transferred to the Ohio State Penitentiary on December 1, 1937. Her attorneys kept the court system busy with appeals and her March 10 execution date came and went. Her case passed through the Ohio court system several times before being taken to the United States Supreme Court. Nonetheless, they agreed with the state of Ohio and refused to block her execution.
On Tuesday Dec. 6, 1938, Ohio Governor Martin L. Davey made a formal statement, in which he refused to interfere with the decision of the courts . . Later that day, accounts on local radio, by Special Dispatch from The Cincinnati Inquirer, reported that Anna’s execution was scheduled for 8 o’clock the next evening.
The following day Anna spent much of her time writing four separate letters, which she later handed to her attorneys. As the clock grew nearer her emotions became more difficult to control and she was an emotional wreck by the time prison authorities arrived to walk her down to the death chamber.
“Oh heavenly father! Oh God! Oh God! I can’t go! I won’t go!” she cried out, according to The Cincinnati Crime Book. She was unable to walk to the chamber on her own and had to rely on the guards to help her along.
As they made their way into the death chamber Anna passed out and collapsed to the floor. Officials quickly revived her with an ammonia capsule and then strapped her into the chair. “Don’t do this to me,” she continued to cry out. “Oh, no, no, no. Warden Woodard, don’t let them do this to me.” Tears began to role down the Warden Woodard’s face as he solemnly replied, “I am sorry, but we can’t help it.”
Upon hearing the warden’s words Anna began to scream, “Please don’t. Oh, my boy. Think of my boy. Won’t someone, won’t anyone, come and do something for me? Isn’t there anybody to help me? Anyone? Anyone? Is nobody going to help me?”
As prison officials let the clock click down, in the off chance that the Governor might call, Anna called out for Father John Sullivan, the prison chaplain. “Father, come close,” she said. Together the two began to recite the Lord’s Prayer, but just halfway through the switch was thrown and Anna’s body jerked and convulsed as the electricity flowed through it. Anna Marie Hahn was officially pronounced dead at 8:13 p.m.
The Ohio Historical Society reports that on December 8, 1938, Anna Marie Hahn’s body was buried in unsanctified ground at the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.
