Public Hangings at Winter Island
From Salem Links and Lore
There were multiple public hangings at Winter Island in the later 1700's and early 1800's.
Some of these were:
- Bryan Sheehen, hanged on Jan. 16, 1772
- Isaac Coombs, hanged Dec. 21,1786
- Henry Blackburn, hanged on Jan. 14, 1796
- Stephen M. Clark, hanged on May 10, 1821
Clark's case fueled the movement in Massachusetts to reduce the number of capital crimes, if not abolish the death penalty altogether. By 1852, only murder remained on the books as a capital offense.
See Also
Annals of Salem Felt, Vol. 2, p. 462-5
Old Salem in Ballad and Song p.20-21
