08/02/2026
The first man killed by gas chamber.
Gee Jon (29)
Background
Gee Jon was born around 1895 in Canton to a Cantonese family.
He immigrated to the United States between 1907 and 1908. He spent most of his life at San Francisco's Chinatown in California, though he was recorded as having briefly lived in the Chinatown area of Stockton.
Gee became a member of the Hip Sing Tong society, which dealt in narcotics and liquor. In 1922, territorial disputes with the Bing Kong Tong society led to the outbreak of hostilities.
Murder
Either the 18th or 20th August 1921 (the exact date is unclear) Gee Jon travelled from Reno to Mina with his 19 year old “apprentice”, Hughie Sing.
On the evening of 27th August 1921, Gee Jon and Hughie Sing knocked on the door of a cabin owned by 74 year old, laundry proprietor, Tom Quong Kee.
Gee Jon was holding a .38 caliber c**t revolver, which he pointed at Tom and shot him twice in the chest.
The morning of the 28th August 1921, Toms body was found by one of his close friends, who immediately called the police.
Deputy sheriff W.J Hammel arrived in the scene where he found the presence of 2 sets of footprints.
Hammel was extremely knowledgeable about the current gang situation in Reno and surrounding areas. He had heard rumours concerning 2 men travelling to Reno in order to kill someone as an initiation into the gang, under the pretence they were looking for work.
In fact in a strange twist of fate Hammel had spoken to 2 men only days before on the train. These men had asked the sheriff about work in the area, spiking his initial suspicions.
Based on his suspicions Hammel reported this to his boss.
The link between the crime and the names of the suspects are unsure, there is limited information on how the police found their names.
But nevertheless Gee and Sing were apprehended the same day in Reno.
During interrogation, Sing confessed to his role in the murder and implicated Gee as the one to fire the fatal shots, under the belief that this would lead to his immediate release from custody.
Trial and sentencing
The trial began in February 1922, In Nevada. Both men pled not guilty, despite Sing confessing during questioning he recanted.
Both Gee and Sing were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
New ex*****on bill
In 1921 a bill authorising the use of gas chambers for ex*****ons was passed by the Nevada state legislature.
Meaning both Gee and Sing would become the first people eligible to be executed by this method.
Sentencing cont
On the 25th January 1924 (2 years after the original sentence) Sings conviction was commuted to life in prison due to him being 19 at the time of the crime.
Skipping forward, Sing was actually released on parole in 1938.
In terms of Gee, his lawyer attempted to claim that the ex*****on would be considered “cruel and unusual punishment” a fact that was denied.
Ex*****on prep
The only distributor of cyanide in America at the time was “the California cyanide company” in LA. They refused to deliver the cyanide to Carson city, where Gee was being held in prison, as they were worried about liability.
Warden Denver Dickerson refused to accept this so sent his assistant Tom Pickett to LA to collect the cyanide.
Also at the time 4 other prison guards quit their jobs as they refused to contribute to this kind of ex*****on.
Initially they attempted to pump gas into Gees prison cell whilst he slept but quickly discovered that wouldn’t work due to the gas escaping through the prison bars.
So a makeshift gas chamber was built in the butchers room in the prison. There was a small window for people to watch.
The day before the chamber was tested using 2 cats. It is claimed they died peacefully within 15 seconds.
The ex*****on
7th February 1924, Gee has a visit from 2 of his friends and his cousin, where he told them "gas all the same as rope or shoot'em gun".
That evening he had his final meal of ham, eggs, toast and a cup of coffee.
8th February 1924, Gee was walked down to the chamber where a guard told him to die like a man.
He was tied to a metal bench whilst the cyanide was prepared. Gee apparently sobbed whilst he was waiting.
At 9.40am, a pump sprayer 4lb of cyanide into the chamber whilst many spectators watched through the window.
Because an electric heater failed, the chamber was 52 °F (11 °C) instead of the ideal 75 °F (24 °C), causing some of the acid to form a puddle on the floor. Gee turned his head to look for the source of the noise, then appeared to lose consciousness in about five seconds, with his head continuing to nod up and down for six minutes.[9]During this time, an attending physician had declared Gee dead and encouraged attendees to examine him closely through the glass, only for Gee to jerk his head up again. He was completely motionless after ten minutes.
10.00am, the area was cleared and the room was aired out to get rid of the gas. Fans were turned on and windows opened. The staff waited for the puddles on cyanide to evaporate before they entered the chamber.
12.20pm, Gees body was finally removed from the chamber. Seven doctors pronounced him dead but no autopsy was concluded incase the gases were released from his body.
Gee become the first person to ever be executed via gas chamber. A method that was later considered barbaric and against human rights.
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