Talk:Old Sparky

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Many states have called their electric chair "Old Sparky". I would like to know why anyone thinks this usage is specific or primary to Florida. Wahkeenah 12:59, 2 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Probably because it's the most famous (cf. the Tiny Davis buissiness). 68.39.174.238 16:58, 18 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Which "Old Sparky" is it that is made from the gallows it replaced? I'm assuming that's a reference to the Florida chair, simply because so much of the page is taken up by Florida references, but it should really be made clear, if anyone knows. Lilitou 21:17, 27 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I have a Guinness World Records 2002 book that says that Old Sparky "was built in 1923-24 by an inmate who was facing the death penalty, and used until 1964"; it was also "the first chair used for electrocutions in Texas." Unfortunately, I'm having trouble looking it up on the GWR website, so can you help me to look for the Texas "Old Sparky" there? Thank you. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Angeldeb82 (talk • contribs) 19:25, 23 April 2007 (UTC).[reply]

The article lists other states with electric chairs nicknamed "Old Sparky." So why no info on them?--293.xx.xxx.xx 19:37, 30 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've added Texas, Georgia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. I'll do others if I can find adequate info. Heather (talk) 01:46, 25 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The part about South Carolina is wrong. Act No. 43 makes electrocution the default method of execution of the sentence of death. Act No. 43 clearly says that: "A person convicted of capital crime and [sentenced to death, abridged] shall suffer the penalty by electrocution, or, at the election of the convicted person... If the convicted person waives the right of election, the penalty shall be inflicted by electrocution." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.71.38.169 (talk) 18:34, 28 February 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I'm surprised nothing is here about Ted Bundy's exeuction. His hair caught on fire also, and they needed to electrocute him several times before he actually died. Another botched Florida execution.

Are you sure that you are not confusing Bundy with Jesse Tafero? Tafero's hair caught fire. I have never heard of any "drama" attending Bundy's execution, in fact all of the secondary sources I have read indicate that Bundy was "subdued" in attitude and gave his love to his family as his last words. Nothing at all about flames. Tafero was executed the next year (1990) and he isn't as well known as Bundy. Oglach na hEireann (talk) 03:59, 2 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Why is there a sentence indicating the nickname of some electric chairs as "Old Smokey" in the Old Sparky article? I was going to add "Yellow Mama" the nickname of Alabama's chair, but figured that it was off topic. Old Smokey and Yellow Mama should be in the Electric chair article, and probably are. Not sure that they need to be here.Oglach na hEireann (talk) 04:02, 2 March 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I agree that neither "Old Smokey" nor the newly added "Old Betsy" should be part of an article about Old Sparky. The first paragraph of the page now reads like a list of nicknames for electric chairs in different states. Felz1 (talk) 22:39, 18 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Why is the chair named old sparky? Is there some history behind that? Nakonana (talk) 19:18, 17 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Your article about Ole Sparky's first use in "Kentucky" is incorrect. You list James Buckner from Marion County as the first man electrocuted in Kentucky but it was actually a Black Man named Shay Penman from Lincoln County and my reference is from the Interior Journal Newspaper from Stanford, Kentucky in Lincoln County Friday, May 5, 1911 version. He was convicted of assaulting a 10 year old girl.

The man you name wasn't executed until July 1911. You can find the reference in the Library of Congress as Interior Journal Volume XXXVIII, NO. 35 Friday May 5, 1911 and he was executed the next day.

Anyway keep up the good work. I also know because I grew up in that County and it's well known there. Jslogan0244 (talk) 23:29, 11 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

It has been proposed in this section that Old Sparky be renamed and moved to Electric chairs in the United States. A bot will list this discussion on the requested moves current discussions subpage within an hour of this tag being placed. The discussion may be closed 7 days after being opened, if consensus has been reached (see the closing instructions). Please base arguments on article title policy, and keep discussion succinct and civil. Please use }. Do not use } directly. Links: current log • target log • direct move

Old Sparky → Electric chairs in the United States – Wikipedia is not a dictionary, so we should choose a title doesn't need defining, if possible. Also, the use of cute nickname for a device for killing people is repulsive. Isaac Rabinovitch (talk) 08:01, 1 February 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. Jeffrey34555 (talk) 04:11, 8 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]

• Oppose There are a number of other articles about U.S. based electric chairs, see Category:Electric chairs. A name change simply wouldn't be accurate, and widening the scope like this would require a new page to be created and this merged into it, neither of which requires a move discussion. WP:NOTDICTIONARY would not appear to apply in this instance because the article explains the name, and is not a dictionary definition. And the name offending people's sensibilities is not a valid argument at all. Wikipedia is not censored, so if this is the common name for the chair, it ought to be called that. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 10:46, 1 February 2026 (UTC)[reply] Please don't play the censorship card. Censorship is the suppression of speech. If my argument were that you couldn't even mention the nickname, that would be censorship. Nor is "Old Sparky" a "common name." It's a nickname popular among advocates of the death penalty, with implied derision of those opposed to the death penalty. We can document its existence, but it's inappropriate to use it as a primary descriptor, just as it's inappropriate to use "Sleepy Joe" or "Banana Jesus" to refer to the politicians known by those nicknames. As for expanding the scope of the article: there's no rule against that. It's even been done before. Originally, the article was just about the Florida electric chair. Somebody pointed out that the nickname was used for other electric chairs, so those were added. We might as well complete the process and merge in those other electric chairs — it's less work than creating a new article. Isaac Rabinovitch (talk) 02:18, 2 February 2026 (UTC)[reply] They're not playing the censorship card, policy they are referencing is simply called Wikipedia is not censored—blindlynx 00:07, 3 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]
• support mostly because the current title fails recognizability and naturalness when it comes to what this article is actually about. While we're at it Old Smokey should be merged in after the move if it goes ahead—blindlynx 15:54, 1 February 2026 (UTC)[reply] My point still stands, this article is not about all electric chairs in the US. It is only about a group of chairs in several states. It might just be loosely grouped by having the same name but otherwise not being related, but nevertheless moving it wouldn't make sense compared to merging it. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 00:16, 2 February 2026 (UTC)[reply] Fair point. I think merging the various electric chair articles into Electric chairs in the United States makes the most sense, but can wait untill this is closed before proposing that—blindlynx 00:59, 2 February 2026 (UTC)[reply] Oppose This article only refers to one type of electric chair in the United Sates, not all types. The other types are linked to on the page. Guz13 (talk) 02:07, 3 February 2026 (UTC)[reply] What do you mean by "types"? The thing they all have in common is they have the same nickname. Isaac Rabinovitch (talk) 03:33, 3 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]
• Oppose common nickname for the equipment in these jurisdictions. Randy Kryn (talk) 16:56, 8 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]