John Hulbert (executioner)

Auburn housed one of the three electric chairs in which condemned criminals were put to death by the state of New York, and was also the site of the first electrocution in the world, that of William Kemmler.

Since Currier had become state executioner for Massachusetts and Elliott had quit his job at Auburn for some time, Davis selected Hulbert as his new assistant and trained him to perform executions as well.

Since Davis subsequently resigned his post, Hulbert was hired as his successor: when, on August 31, 1914, George Coyer and Giuseppe DeGioia were executed in Auburn's electric chair, newspaper reports noted the presence of a new executioner, whose identity wasn't revealed to the press.

Hulbert went to lengths to maintain his privacy: he never allowed the press to obtain a photograph[9] and managed to remain anonymous for some time;[10] newspapers described him as "the man who walks alone".

In June 1921, he was due to electrocute Hattle Dixon, a Brooklyn woman convicted for murder, but her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by governor Miller.

[18] According to Squire, Hulbert became significantly depressed about his job, but performed the duty for the $150 fee, claiming he didn't make enough money as a chief engineer.

[16] Hulbert thought frequently about resigning his post, but waited until he became eligible for a pension as Auburn's chief engineer, which happened in late June 1925.