Lizzie Borden Society Forum

For some morbid reason, I am fascinated by people's last words. And their last activities; their last meal.

I was reading about Franklin D. Roosevelt's death the other day, and he said: "I have a terrific headache" and passed out, not reviving. His cause of death was a cerebral hemmorage.


What will my last words be? Well, it might be these if I don't stop quoting myself on here. - Sherry Chapman

I have also been fascinated by "last words" and by epitaphs. I compiled a list of the last words of death row inmates for a blog on another site. Some of them I even found kind of humorous. These ones in particular.
Talk about being morbid.

"Well, gentlemen, you are about to see a baked Appel."
George Appel, d. 1928 -executed in the electric chair in New York.


"How about this for a headline for tomorrow's paper? French fries."
James French, d. 1966 - executed in the electric chair in Oklahoma.


"I did not get my Spaghetti-O's, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this."
Thomas J. Grasso, d. March 20, 1995 - executed by injection in Oklahoma.

Those are wonderful, Allen! "French Fries"??

There was a book out years ago that compiled a bunch of last words and last meals of people about to be executed. The last meals is real interesting, too. Gee, that one you quoted asked for Spaghettios?

Came across this strange one - the last words of Washington Irving. "Well, I must arrange my pillows for another night. When will this end?"

Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.
~~ Oscar Wilde, writer, d. November 30, 1900

Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something.
~~ Pancho Villa, Mexican revolutionary, d. 1923

I owe much; I have nothing; the rest I leave to the poor.
~~ François Rabelais, writer, d. 1553

Here am I, dying of a hundred good symptoms.
~~ Alexander Pope, writer, d. May 30, 1744

I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room - and ** it - died in a hotel room.
~~ Eugene O'Neill, writer, d. November 27, 1953

Yes, it's tough, but not as tough as doing comedy.
When asked if he thought dying was tough.
~~ Edmund Gwenn, actor, d. September 6, 1959


and for the unique pleasure of the meticulous researchers and exacting translators that grace the LBS Forum...

I am about to -- or I am going to -- die: either expression is correct.
~~ Dominique Bouhours, French grammarian, d. 1702

Marie Antoinette, after accidentally stepping on the toe of her executioner:

I beg your pardon, monsieur. I did not do it on purpose.

I always think of Stonewall Jackson's, "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."

If memory serves, General Lee's last words were "Strike the tents!"

Just as interesting as famous last words are the phrases that famous people would have liked to have on their tombstone but were denied.

My favorite was Clark Gable who wanted on his grave stone:

"Back to silents."

This is a great pun, considering Clark Gable started in silent movies.

There's another tombstone phrase that I can't find the source for, but I think it may have been Mark Twain. He wanted:

"I knew if I stuck around long enough, something like this was bound to happen."