On Nov. 4, 1932, 31-year-old Fred Hulsey and his father, William, were scheduled to be executed for triple murder in the first and only father-son execution in Georgia history.
The Hulseys — both farmers from Polk Co. — were convicted in the murder of three men after a poker brawl on their north Georgia farm in June 1930.
Just hours before he was meant to enter the death chamber, Fred attempted suicide as the prison chaplain read Scriptures. In a dramatic confession, he admitted he was the sole slayer and that his father was just an accessory to the crime, helping Fred put the bodies in an abandoned well.
Gov. Richard B. Russell Jr. — out of town at the time — was reached by phone and ordered that the execution proceed if Fred's wounds from his attempted suicide weren't fatal.
In the death chamber, Fred turned to the chaplain and said some of his last words: "Please tell my father that I'll meet him in heaven."
Fred's body was removed and William made his way into the chamber and confirmed his son's confession. "The Lord is with me," he said. "I am innocent of this crime, but I was there when it happened."
About the Author
