Son of Harry Francis Butcher Sr and Edith Sosbe. Harry was in the armed forces from 1944-1946. He was a truck driver in the oil industry.
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Harry Butcher Dies With Prayer On Lips
Huntsville, Tex. - Harry F. Butcher, 29, convicted rapist of a Texas housewife, died today in the state prison electric chair, apparently praying silently.
"Praise God in the highest," Butcher said just before he was strapped into the chair. He had waited in seeming good cheer, but kept his eyes closed and moved his lips silently as he awaited death.
He received the first charge of electricity at 12:04 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 12:06.
Butcher's body was to be shipped today to his family home, South Bend, Ind. His mother, Mrs. E. M. Dormer of South Bend, was to accompany the body.
Butcher was executed for the March 14, 1954, rape of an Odessa housewife. The Board of Pardons and Paroles yesterday turned down a last plea to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
Before the board's decision was announced, Butcher said "My only hope is that I can get my sentence commuted so I can get others to follow the teachings of Jesus."
He was baptized last night in the Catholic faith. He said he had been baptized once before, but "It wasn't the real thing."
"Maybe that's why I backslid." he said.
He gave his mother a delayed Mother's Day gift Wednesday. He said "She was so happy."
Mrs. Dormer, appealing to the pardons board Tuesday, said an Odessa attorney named Young had contaced the woman involved and said she and her husband wrote the board of pardons asking that the sentence be commuted.
The board of pardons said it hadn't received such a letter.
Butcher ordered fried chicken, gravy, ice tea and white bread for his last meal.
- Big Spring Daily Herald, May 20, 1955
----------
Harry Butcher Dies With Prayer On Lips
Huntsville, Tex. - Harry F. Butcher, 29, convicted rapist of a Texas housewife, died today in the state prison electric chair, apparently praying silently.
"Praise God in the highest," Butcher said just before he was strapped into the chair. He had waited in seeming good cheer, but kept his eyes closed and moved his lips silently as he awaited death.
He received the first charge of electricity at 12:04 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 12:06.
Butcher's body was to be shipped today to his family home, South Bend, Ind. His mother, Mrs. E. M. Dormer of South Bend, was to accompany the body.
Butcher was executed for the March 14, 1954, rape of an Odessa housewife. The Board of Pardons and Paroles yesterday turned down a last plea to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
Before the board's decision was announced, Butcher said "My only hope is that I can get my sentence commuted so I can get others to follow the teachings of Jesus."
He was baptized last night in the Catholic faith. He said he had been baptized once before, but "It wasn't the real thing."
"Maybe that's why I backslid." he said.
He gave his mother a delayed Mother's Day gift Wednesday. He said "She was so happy."
Mrs. Dormer, appealing to the pardons board Tuesday, said an Odessa attorney named Young had contaced the woman involved and said she and her husband wrote the board of pardons asking that the sentence be commuted.
The board of pardons said it hadn't received such a letter.
Butcher ordered fried chicken, gravy, ice tea and white bread for his last meal.
- Big Spring Daily Herald, May 20, 1955
Son of Harry Francis Butcher Sr and Edith Sosbe. Harry was in the armed forces from 1944-1946. He was a truck driver in the oil industry.
----------
Harry Butcher Dies With Prayer On Lips
Huntsville, Tex. - Harry F. Butcher, 29, convicted rapist of a Texas housewife, died today in the state prison electric chair, apparently praying silently.
"Praise God in the highest," Butcher said just before he was strapped into the chair. He had waited in seeming good cheer, but kept his eyes closed and moved his lips silently as he awaited death.
He received the first charge of electricity at 12:04 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 12:06.
Butcher's body was to be shipped today to his family home, South Bend, Ind. His mother, Mrs. E. M. Dormer of South Bend, was to accompany the body.
Butcher was executed for the March 14, 1954, rape of an Odessa housewife. The Board of Pardons and Paroles yesterday turned down a last plea to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
Before the board's decision was announced, Butcher said "My only hope is that I can get my sentence commuted so I can get others to follow the teachings of Jesus."
He was baptized last night in the Catholic faith. He said he had been baptized once before, but "It wasn't the real thing."
"Maybe that's why I backslid." he said.
He gave his mother a delayed Mother's Day gift Wednesday. He said "She was so happy."
Mrs. Dormer, appealing to the pardons board Tuesday, said an Odessa attorney named Young had contaced the woman involved and said she and her husband wrote the board of pardons asking that the sentence be commuted.
The board of pardons said it hadn't received such a letter.
Butcher ordered fried chicken, gravy, ice tea and white bread for his last meal.
- Big Spring Daily Herald, May 20, 1955
----------
Harry Butcher Dies With Prayer On Lips
Huntsville, Tex. - Harry F. Butcher, 29, convicted rapist of a Texas housewife, died today in the state prison electric chair, apparently praying silently.
"Praise God in the highest," Butcher said just before he was strapped into the chair. He had waited in seeming good cheer, but kept his eyes closed and moved his lips silently as he awaited death.
He received the first charge of electricity at 12:04 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 12:06.
Butcher's body was to be shipped today to his family home, South Bend, Ind. His mother, Mrs. E. M. Dormer of South Bend, was to accompany the body.
Butcher was executed for the March 14, 1954, rape of an Odessa housewife. The Board of Pardons and Paroles yesterday turned down a last plea to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.
Before the board's decision was announced, Butcher said "My only hope is that I can get my sentence commuted so I can get others to follow the teachings of Jesus."
He was baptized last night in the Catholic faith. He said he had been baptized once before, but "It wasn't the real thing."
"Maybe that's why I backslid." he said.
He gave his mother a delayed Mother's Day gift Wednesday. He said "She was so happy."
Mrs. Dormer, appealing to the pardons board Tuesday, said an Odessa attorney named Young had contaced the woman involved and said she and her husband wrote the board of pardons asking that the sentence be commuted.
The board of pardons said it hadn't received such a letter.
Butcher ordered fried chicken, gravy, ice tea and white bread for his last meal.
- Big Spring Daily Herald, May 20, 1955
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