Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Syd Whittle
Taken: November 28, 2005
Caption: "Yankee Jim"
Additional Description: James W. Robinson, who was known as “Yankee Jim,” suffered the extreme penalty for stealing the only rowboat in San Diego Bay. The verdict of the jury was as follows: "Your jurors in the within case of James W. Robinson have the honor to return the verdict of guilty and do therefore sentence him, James Robinson, to be hanged by the neck until dead. Cave C. Couts, Foreman of the Jury” The poor fellow could not believe that he was to be hanged until the very last moment. He appeared to think it all a grim joke or, at the worst, a serious effort to impress him with enormity of his evil ways. He was still talking when the Deputy Sheriff gave the signal. Then the cart was driven from beneath him, and he was left dangling in the air. Surely, the punishment was far more wicked than the crime, yet the example must have proved effective in discouraging theft. Yankee Jim converted to the Roman Catholic Church prior to his death, thus his baptismal name of Santiago (Spanish for James). His Godfather was Philip Crosthwaite, the Deputy Sheriff who gave the signal for the execution.
Submitted: September 22, 2008, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
Database Locator Identification Number: p36388
File Size: 1.770 Megabytes

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