John Rooney (murderer)
Encyclopedia
John Rooney was an American
convicted murder
er and was the last person executed
by North Dakota
.
On 26 August 1902, a farm worker named Harold Sweet was shot and killed during a robbery
near the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad tracks on the west side of Fargo, North Dakota
. Rooney was arrested and charged with first degree murder. In January 1903 Rooney was convicted by a jury
and on 31 March 1903, he was sentenced to death by hanging
.
Rooney's appeals went to the Supreme Court of the United States
. Rooney argued that because on 9 March 1903, the North Dakota Legislature had changed the law to mandate that all executions should be conducted in a prison
rather than in public, the application of his sentence was being applied ex post facto, since no such law existed at the time of the murder. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, holding that "the place of execution, when the punishment is death, within the limits of the state, is of no practical consequence to the criminal."
Rooney was hanged at the Cass County
prison on 17 October 1905. It was the first execution in North Dakota's history to be held in a prison as opposed to in public.
North Dakota abolished the death penalty in 1915. It was reinstated from 1939 to 1977, but no one was executed by North Dakota during that time, making Rooney the last person executed by North Dakota.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
convicted murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
er and was the last person executed
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
.
On 26 August 1902, a farm worker named Harold Sweet was shot and killed during a robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
near the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad tracks on the west side of Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
. Rooney was arrested and charged with first degree murder. In January 1903 Rooney was convicted by a jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
and on 31 March 1903, he was sentenced to death by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
.
Rooney's appeals went to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Rooney argued that because on 9 March 1903, the North Dakota Legislature had changed the law to mandate that all executions should be conducted in a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
rather than in public, the application of his sentence was being applied ex post facto, since no such law existed at the time of the murder. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, holding that "the place of execution, when the punishment is death, within the limits of the state, is of no practical consequence to the criminal."
Rooney was hanged at the Cass County
Cass County, North Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 123,138 people, 51,315 households, and 29,814 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile . There were 53,790 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile...
prison on 17 October 1905. It was the first execution in North Dakota's history to be held in a prison as opposed to in public.
North Dakota abolished the death penalty in 1915. It was reinstated from 1939 to 1977, but no one was executed by North Dakota during that time, making Rooney the last person executed by North Dakota.
See also
- Capital punishment in North Dakota
- List of most recent executions by jurisdiction