Dow B. Hover (November 16, 1900 – June 1, 1990)''U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014'' was an American executioner who was the last person to serve as a

New York State Electrician New York State Electrician was a euphemistic title given to the chief executioner of the State of New York during the use of the electric chair. The position existed from 1890 until the state's last execution in 1963, although the final State Ele ...

, the state's executioner and operator of the

electric chair The electric chair is a specialized device used for capital punishment through electrocution. The condemned is strapped to a custom wooden chair and electrocuted via electrodes attached to the head and leg. Alfred P. Southwick, a Buffalo, New Yo ...

. 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 Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a maximum-security prison for men operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining (village), New York, Ossining, New York, United States. It is abou ...

prison, Hover executed

Eddie Lee Mays Eddie Lee Mays (March 15, 1929August 15, 1963) was the last person to be executed by the state of New York. He was convicted of first degree murder and robbery in 1962. Mays was 34 years old at the time of execution. Early life Eddle Lee Mays wa ...

, the last person to be executed by the

State of New York New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

. Hover, a native and lifelong resident of Germantown, worked as a

deputy sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is commonly ...

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. On the nights he drove to

to carry out an execution, he changed the license plates on his car before he even left his garage. Hover was a well-known citizen of Germantown, because of his primary position as a deputy sheriff. In addition to many state executions during the administrations of

Governors A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Thomas E. Dewey Thomas Edmund Dewey (March 24, 1902 – March 16, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th Governor of New York from 1943 to 1954. He was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in 1944 and ...

W. Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891July 26, 1986) was an American politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was a founder of Harriman & Co. which merged with the older Brown Brothers to form the Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. investment ...

and

Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich "Rocky" Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was the 41st vice president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford. He was also the 49th governor of New York, serving from 1959 to 197 ...

, he executed

gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...

Gerhard Puff, a federal inmate. He also performed fourteen executions in

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and was the executioner for six executions in Connecticut during the mid-1950s to early 1960s. Hover was married at the age of 20 and had two children. He was the founder of a laboratory animal supply company, Taconic Farms, that he later sold. Hover held a General Class amateur radio license, since some time before 1969. His call sign was WA2QQY. His later life was characterized by intense grief. He suffered frequent migraines, possibly as a result of job-related stress. Hover died of an apparent suicide by

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...

inhalation on June 1, 1990, being found dead at his home garage while in his car with the engine running. ''Execution Nights'', a song about the life of Dow B. Hover was written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter, Lorne Clarke. The song was included on Clarke's 2007 CD release, ''Moonlight & Cider''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hover, Dow 1900 births 1990 suicides 1990 deaths 20th-century American people American electricians American executioners New York (state) sheriffs People from New York (state) Suicides by carbon monoxide poisoning Suicides in New York (state)