Francis & Smith Streets
The last time the death penalty was enforced in Rhode Island was on February 14, 1845. John Gordon, an Irish-immigrant, was hanged for the murder of Amasa Sprague, a wealthy textile merchant. Many believe that Gordon was given an unfair trail. With hardly any evidence or connection to the crime and due to his low class and Irish background as well as the prestige and notoriety of the deceased, John Gordon was found guilty.
In 2011, Governor Lincoln Chafee pardoned John Gordon because of the lack of evidence at the time of the crime. The area between Francis and Smith Street, which currently overlooks the mall, is the approximate location of the hanging of John Gordon. After John Gordon’s execution, the death penalty was abolished in Rhode Island and has not been used since. The maximum sentence one can receive in the state of Rhode Island for murder is life without parole.
