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[BigRedDog]

Well part of Milan is in Monroe County and part of it is in Washtenaw County...  the prison complex is actually in Washtenaw...   but still very close to Monroe County...  lots of residents worked and still work there.

My wife actually worked for many years at the bank where the armed robbery happened that ended in the hanging of one robber.  A bystander was shot and killed and therefore it became a capital crime. 

I've mentioned this event here on MT before...  when I have time I'll try to find the posts and link them here.

Part of the story I remember from local 'lore' was the part about the local dentist who shot the two robbers as they tried to escape.  He was sitting in his 2nd floor office cleaning his deer rifle when he heard all the commotion in the street below him.  He loaded his rifle, took aim out the window and shot both robbers.  One was killed and the other was injured enough to allow him to be caught later.  This all happened while the robbers were attempting to 'carjack' people in the street.  I wonder if this would have been the first attempt at carjacking in Michigan?

Another episode I've heard many times from local lore...  Ira Smith was the local very popular sheriff...  not sure if he was popular before this event or if this is what made him popular...  on the day of the execution the sheriff was supposed to stand on the gallows and be the official county witness to the execution.  When it came time to "spring the trap" under the condemned robber/murderer the official hangman hesitated...  said he couldn't do it!!!  Immediately Sheriff Smith stepped forward, grabbed the lever and said something along the line of "well I can do it, it's no different than killing a pig" and with that he dispatched the condemned.  Not sure that's info you'll find in any official history books but I've heard it too many times from too many sources for it not to be somewhat factual.

Here's a very thorough article from the Midland Daily News on the robbery and subsequent events:

http://www.ourmidland.com/accent/article_cbf7e556-6728-11e2-bcc0-0019bb2963f4.html

[BigRedDog]

This book gives a 'slight variation' of the events on the gallows that morning...  but certainly confirms that the executioner was not ready to perform:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VsmZphjPLJQC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=grave+milan+michigan+prison+hanged&source=bl&ots=IlmXAUW4Ja&sig=pq2s-LcTd4n7sQfqJIzRI-vZ95g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vWIKUcPRBpSA0AH0j4GwDw&ved=0CFUQ6AEwBzgK#v=onepage&q=grave%20milan%20michigan%20prison%20hanged&f=false

[BigRedDog]

Here's the blog article from our own Erie Hiker (haven't heard much from him lately)...  he has several sources he cites I'll have to check out later:

http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/2007/08/the-execution-of-anthony-chebatoris-milan-prison/

[BigRedDog]

One of the links in Mike's blog was the gravesite...   I had stumbled on it a few weeks ago while researching some other Milan area links:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6353608

[Pax]

   I'm looking forward to the next one.  Shall we take nominations for who that'll be?

[The Fuzz]

I'd like to cast my vote now for Kwame and Bobby Fergeson.

[Baggins]

   I'm looking forward to the next one.  Shall we take nominations for who that'll be?

I'll second that, I'm all for capital punishment...Clear out those over crowded prisons...!

[Professor H]

The only "real" deterrent that would make a criminal think... 

Of course you have to feed and cloth them for about 10 years now to go through that process 

No such thing as a speedy trial anymore!

[BigRedDog]

Article from the MEN website on the Milan Prison being temporary home for Kwame:

http://www.monroenews.com/news/2013/mar/17/kilpatrick-latest-notable-inmate-milan-prison/

The article in the paper last night was longer and had info about the guy executed there.  Don't know if there's any way the MEN staff can link to that or not

[SidecarFlip]

...In the article, the historian says "everyone thinks it's cool' that Kwame is there.  Whats so cool about an imprisoned polished turd, I'll never know.....

He won't be there long.  Just long enough and close enough to tramsport for his sentencing and then off to the never-never land of the Federal Penal System with his small suitcase and soap on a rope......

Kwame, Kwame, How I love ya, my dear old Kwame.......

The folks in Detroit will mis ya more when you go to...whever.