Today in Wheeling History: February 23--Irene Schroeder, former Wheeling resident and notorious criminal, became the first woman to be executed by electrocution in Pennsylvania (1931).
Irene Schroeder, born Irene Crawford on February 17, 1909, in Benwood, West Virginia, was the youngest of eight surviving children. Growing up in a large, working-class family presented many challenges. Her parents, struggling to make ends meet, provided a difficult and unstable environment. When Irene was eight, her mother Martha died, and she subsequently lived with several relatives, including her older sister Ruby (Crawford) Shrader. Irene's early years were marked by poverty and hardship, contributing to her rebellious nature.
At 15, she married Homer Shrader, and they had a son named Donald. The marriage was short-lived, and Irene soon found herself working as a waitress in Wheeling. It was here she met Walter Glenn Dague, a married man and World War I veteran. The two began a tumultuous relationship that led them down a path of crime.
On December 27, 1929, Irene, Dague, and her brother Tom Crawford were involved in a robbery in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in the fatal shooting of a police officer. A receipt for a red scarf purchased in Wheeling linked Irene to the crime. On December 31, 1929, local investigators arrived at the home of Ray and Ruby Shrader in Bellaire, Ohio, where Schroeder’s father had since taken her son Donnie. Officials were astonished when Donnie said, “Mommy shot a cop just like you!” indicating his Uncle Tom and “Papa” (Walter Glenn Dague) were involved.
After a nationwide manhunt, Irene and Dague were captured by Arizona sheriff's deputies in Florence, Arizona, on January 17, 1930. Irene and Dague were sentenced to death. Irene Schroeder was executed by electrocution on February 23, 1931, at Rockview Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, becoming the first woman to be electrocuted in the state. Walter Glenn Dague was also executed by electrocution. Irene is buried in an unmarked grave.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/33db9dwp), Lawrence County Memoirs (https://tinyurl.com/4kk3c4kr), Blue Ridge True Crime (https://tinyurl.com/4w4pz23f), RootsWeb (https://tinyurl.com/336r2djk)
Photo credits: Lawrence County Memoirs
Irene Schroeder, born Irene Crawford on February 17, 1909, in Benwood, West Virginia, was the youngest of eight surviving children. Growing up in a large, working-class family presented many challenges. Her parents, struggling to make ends meet, provided a difficult and unstable environment. When Irene was eight, her mother Martha died, and she subsequently lived with several relatives, including her older sister Ruby (Crawford) Shrader. Irene's early years were marked by poverty and hardship, contributing to her rebellious nature.
At 15, she married Homer Shrader, and they had a son named Donald. The marriage was short-lived, and Irene soon found herself working as a waitress in Wheeling. It was here she met Walter Glenn Dague, a married man and World War I veteran. The two began a tumultuous relationship that led them down a path of crime.
On December 27, 1929, Irene, Dague, and her brother Tom Crawford were involved in a robbery in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in the fatal shooting of a police officer. A receipt for a red scarf purchased in Wheeling linked Irene to the crime. On December 31, 1929, local investigators arrived at the home of Ray and Ruby Shrader in Bellaire, Ohio, where Schroeder’s father had since taken her son Donnie. Officials were astonished when Donnie said, “Mommy shot a cop just like you!” indicating his Uncle Tom and “Papa” (Walter Glenn Dague) were involved.
After a nationwide manhunt, Irene and Dague were captured by Arizona sheriff's deputies in Florence, Arizona, on January 17, 1930. Irene and Dague were sentenced to death. Irene Schroeder was executed by electrocution on February 23, 1931, at Rockview Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, becoming the first woman to be electrocuted in the state. Walter Glenn Dague was also executed by electrocution. Irene is buried in an unmarked grave.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/33db9dwp), Lawrence County Memoirs (https://tinyurl.com/4kk3c4kr), Blue Ridge True Crime (https://tinyurl.com/4w4pz23f), RootsWeb (https://tinyurl.com/336r2djk)
Photo credits: Lawrence County Memoirs
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