NPR's Renee Montagne travels to Owensboro, Kentucky, to report on America's last public execution. In August of 1936, 20,000 people watched Rainey Bethea die by court order on the gallows. The hanging drew such a crowd at the time because Owensboro's sheriff was a woman, and a mother of four. Reporters from all over the country - and the world - decried the "carnival in Owensboro" marshaled by a "pistol-packing lady sheriff." Kentucky was so embarrassed by the press coverage that it soon joined all other U.S. states by banning public executions altogether. (8:46) ****LANGUAGE ADVISORY**** The word "nigger" is used in this piece at 5:28 from start of the audio segment****
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.