George Hassell
Encyclopedia
George Jefferson Hassell (July, 1888 – February 10, 1928) was a convicted mass murder
er who murdered his wife and eight children (ranging in age between two and twenty-one years old) on December 5, 1926 in Farwell, Texas
.
, the youngest of seven children. After his brother died from being kicked in the head by a mule
, he married his brother's widow, Susan Ferguson of Oklahoma
.
and stockings to kill them, in order from youngest to oldest. He woke the two eldest boys and a scuffle ensued, ending with Hassell killing them with a shotgun
and an axe
. All of the bodies were then stored in the newly dug root cellar
by the house.
The victims:
Susie, age 41
Alton, age 21
Virgil, age 15
Maudie, age 13
Russell, age 11
David, age 7
Johnnie, age 6
Nannie Martha, age 4
Samuel, age 22 months
but survived, and excavations revealed the remains in the root cellar.
After Hassell confessed, a short trial was convened, and Farwell and its sister city of Texico, New Mexico
took on a carnival atmosphere. On February 10, 1928, George Hassell became the 37th man to be put to death in the electric chair
in the state of Texas.
, embezzlement
and military desertion
. According to his testimony his initial act was a crime of passion, and he killed the children to protect himself. A psychiatric
report at the time characterizes him as a sociopath
.
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
er who murdered his wife and eight children (ranging in age between two and twenty-one years old) on December 5, 1926 in Farwell, Texas
Farwell, Texas
Farwell is a city in and the county seat of Parmer County, Texas, United States. Farwell is located on the Texas-New Mexico border with the town of Texico, New Mexico on the opposite side...
.
Family background
Hassell was born in Smithville, TexasSmithville, Texas
Smithville is a city in Bastrop County, Texas, United States, near the Colorado River. The population was 3,901 at the 2000 census. The population grew to an estimated 4,339 for 2004.-History:...
, the youngest of seven children. After his brother died from being kicked in the head by a mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
, he married his brother's widow, Susan Ferguson of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Crime
On the night of December 5, 1926, Hassell and his wife argued over his involvement with Ferguson's under-aged daughter. Hassell proceeded to strike his wife in the face repeatedly with a ballpeen hammer. After the murder of his wife he moved between each member of the family's beds, using a straight razorStraight razor
A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors.Although straight razors were once the principal method of manual shaving, they have been largely overshadowed by the safety razor, incorporating a disposable blade...
and stockings to kill them, in order from youngest to oldest. He woke the two eldest boys and a scuffle ensued, ending with Hassell killing them with a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
and an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
. All of the bodies were then stored in the newly dug root cellar
Root cellar
A root cellar is a structure built underground or partially underground and used to store vegetables, fruits, and nuts or other foods.-Construction:Common construction methods are:...
by the house.
The victims:
Susie, age 41
Alton, age 21
Virgil, age 15
Maudie, age 13
Russell, age 11
David, age 7
Johnnie, age 6
Nannie Martha, age 4
Samuel, age 22 months
Arrest And Execution
Hassell claimed to the town he and his family were returning to Oklahoma, and sold all of their belongings in a large yard sale. During the auction a wagon ran over the sinkhole and aroused the suspicion of law enforcement. Soon afterward, Hassell attempted suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
but survived, and excavations revealed the remains in the root cellar.
After Hassell confessed, a short trial was convened, and Farwell and its sister city of Texico, New Mexico
Texico, New Mexico
Texico is a city in Curry County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,065 at the 2000 census.-Name:The name is a portmanteau of "Texas" and "New Mexico". Texico is located on the Texas-New Mexico border...
took on a carnival atmosphere. On February 10, 1928, George Hassell became the 37th man to be put to death in the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
in the state of Texas.
Motive
Hassell had a long history of criminal behavior, including the murder of another family in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
and military desertion
Desertion
In military terminology, desertion is the abandonment of a "duty" or post without permission and is done with the intention of not returning...
. According to his testimony his initial act was a crime of passion, and he killed the children to protect himself. A psychiatric
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
report at the time characterizes him as a sociopath
Antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder is described by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition , as an Axis II personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood...
.