Women and the Death Penalty in Alabama - Part II: Why No One Wept for Miss Dennison

The number of murderers put to death since the United States reinstated the death penalty in 1976 has now topped a thousand. Since journalists like to have a "news hook," the occasion has resulted in a plethora of stories about the death penalty in theory and practice in the United States. It seems that public opinion is slipping a bit; polls show that support for the death sentence has dropped from four in five Americans to two in three... but that's still a clear majority.

And it's stories like the murder of Shirley Dianne Weldon that engender such support.

It's hard for the mother of a little 2 1/2-year-old boy to write about a murderess such as Miss Earle Dennison, the sixteenth woman executed by the State of Alabama. The very fact that she was the first white woman ever executed in Alabama tells you she did something perfectly awful and horrible to contemplate.

Miss Earle Dennison was a widow and a surgical nurse; she worked at the Wetumpka General Hospital for more than 25 years. Her late husband had a sister who also had a husband and a little girl named Shirley and a boy named Orville.

Shirley was a little over two years old when Aunt Earle paid an early afternoon call to their humble farmhouse in rural Elmore County on May 1, 1952. During the visit, Aunt Earle gave little Shirley an orange drink that included a substance that is very bad for little girls. When Shirley began to vomit, Aunt Earle gave her a bottle of Coca-Cola that was also laced with something. Shirley became terribly sick, and her mother insisted on rushing her to Wetumpka General.

When it appeared that the little girl was gravely ill and would die, Aunt Earle left the hospital. She drove twelve miles to the home of an insurance agent. There she paid the premium for a life insurance policy she had taken out on her niece's life -- the policy was about to lapse. Aunt Earle, you see, had insured little Shirley for $6,500.

In 1952, that was about enough money to buy three nice new cars.

A few hours after the policy on her life was renewed, Shirley Weldon died. An autopsy revealed the presence of arsenic, which was also found in the cup and Coca-Cola bottle out of which the little girl drank. Arsenic was also found on the dresses worn by the girl's mother and aunt, where Shirley had vomited.

The existence of the insurance policies was discovered in a matter of days. Earle Dennison took an overdose of sleeping pills and was unconscious when arrested. Her life was salvaged at the hospital and thereafter she confessed on several occasions and in writing to having murdered her niece.

Dennison was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. The Alabama Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the decision (Dennison v. State, 259 Ala. 424 (1953)). She was executed in the electric chair on September 4, 1953. Her last words were "Please forgive me for everything I did. I forgive everybody."

From the date that Earle Dennison murdered Shirley to the date of her execution, one year, four months, and three days elapsed. Justice was swift for confessed child murderers in 1953. Much more swift than it is today. And if every case were as clear as the Dennison case and as awful to contemplate, one has to wonder whether public support for the death penalty wouldn't be even stronger.

Comments

[J.Taylor]

I am trying to find out who murdered a nine year old girl named Phyllis Dean Carver. She was murdered in Jefferson County, Alabama in April of 1949. A cousin was arrested for the murder seeral years later but he was cleared in 1959. I seem to remember that some one turned themselves in years later but I don't remember who or when.

[jim mccord]

Earle Dennison also poisoned another niece to collect on a life insurance policy.Shirley Weldon's older sister,Polly was poisoned less than 3 years before her death.Therefore she was guilty of two childrens' murders.She was an evil person and deserved her sentence being carried out.The twenty seven seconds that it took for her to die by electric current was a lark in light of the suffering that her nieces' endured.Side note:Shortly after the execution took place,the victims' parents successfully sued the insurance carrier for $75K,a huge sum in 1953.The Co. had allowed the Aunt,Ms. Dennison to insure her two nieces under suspicious circumstances to say the least.The Weldon family was certainly entitled to this compensation much like Ms. Dennison earned her date with Yellow Mama,the State's electric chair.Good riddance Ms. Dennison.

[mfritz]

"I am trying to find out who murdered a nine year old girl named Phyllis Dean Carver. She was murdered in Jefferson County, Alabama in April of 1949. A cousin was arrested for the murder seeral years later but he was cleared in 1959. I seem to remember that some one turned themselves in years later but I don't remember who or when."

I understand the original suspect was PAROLED in 1959 but not pardoned until 1963, which would support the idea that some sort of death-bed confession may have been involved.

[Debbie Robbins]

I am also trying to find out if 9 yr old Phyllis Dean Carver's 1949 murder found at bayview lake was ever solved and if so, who did this?

[Deborah Ward]

From what I understand of what the family has told she also poisoined the older brother but did not manage to kill him. Later her nephew killed the girls father on 12/09/1969 and only recieved 5 years for it.

[SANDRA WEAVER]

I AM THE NIECE OF PHYLLIS DEAN CARVER THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT HER DEATH ARE INCONCLUSIVE.IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO COMMENT ON MY AUNTS DEATH PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS STRIGHT.

[Megan curtis]

My nameis Megan curtis. Mrs. Dennison is my grea aunt, shirley an polly are my fathers sisters,Orvil,was the on tha was pisoned and he lived through it. Mrs.Dennison also killed her husband, they done altopsy after her execution,and they found arsenic in his system too, she also had insurence policys on him. all the weldon family children names were, orvil,johnny,shirley,polly,don,and the twins my father Jed and Jane. my father and his sister were adopted out they were sold to the state after my granddaddy was killed by my grandmothers brother. he shot him with a shotgun.thats why the state got my dad and aunt. they reunited with there family about 20 years ago. it is a story.

[Vicki Dennison]

Just for the Dennison name sake: She MARRIED in! She was a Nixon before her Dennison marriage. We Dennisons are crazy...but we aren't THAT crazy. :) Polly and Shirley were my grandfather's first cousins.

Have a good day!

[Christie McMurtrey McQueen]

I was told by one of my Aunt's that Dennison was related to us. I would like to know how. Willa Dean McQueen was my grandmother, great grandmother Hettie B. McQueen. I do not know her maiden name.

[Bonnie]

I would like to hear what the Carver side of the family thinks happened. I went to school with some of the Carvers in Mulga and they were FINE PEOPLE. I lived in Mulga and Bayview growing up.

[Stephanie Wires]

My family has been interested in the Carver case for a very long time. Is there anyway to contact someone in private?

[Ludie]

I use to work with Phylis Dean Carvers sister and they have a pretty good idea who killed the child but have no proof and the man they suspect is dead now. She contacted unsolved mysteries but her parents were old and really didn't want to go through that again.