“They Had All Got Religion”: Christian Clergy at Two Texas Executions, 1904 & 1924

Texas hanged James Morris in 1904 and electrocuted Charles Reynolds and five others in 1924. At each execution, Christian clergy played wildly different roles. At the hanging, the preacher led the crowd in prayer and song. At the electrocutions, it's unclear what, exactly, the prison chaplain did, if anything. Between the two executions, Texas changed how and where it conducted executions. How did the changes in law and execution setting affect carceral religious practice? To answer this question, this paper will look at Texas history and capital punishment archives. It will attempt to explore the particulars of the execution days and the clergy’s role in both, with particular attention to the carceral setting, the role of the law, and race. Exploring the history of their presence is paramount to our understanding of the relationship between religion and carceral law, as well as the assurance of prisoners' religious rights.