My favorite famous last words
From this page on WikiPedia loosely categorized by me:
Toughest
- “No! I didn’t come here to make a speech. I came here to die.”
Who: Crawford Goldsby, aka Cherokee Bill, when asked if he had anything to say before he was hanged. - “Hey, fellas! How about this for a headline for tomorrow’s paper? ‘French Fries’!”
Who: James French (No relation to your humble blogger).
Notes: French, a convicted murderer, was sentenced to the electric chair. He shouted these words to members of the press who were to witness his execution.
Ironic
- “That’s very obvious..”
Who: John F. Kennedy, responding to Mrs. Connolly’s comment, “Mr. President, you can’t say that Dallas doesn’t love you.” - “I think I’m going to make it!”
Who: Richard Loeb, half of the famous murderers Leopold and Loeb; said after being slashed ninety times with a razor by a fellow inmate
Funniest
- “Why yes, A bulletproof vest”
Who: Domonic Willard
Notes: Willard was a small time foot soldier during the Prohibition just before his death by firing squad, he was asked if he had any last requests. - “Don’t let it end like this. Tell them I said something.”
Who: Francisco (“Pancho”) Villa - “Now, now, my good man, this is no time for making enemies.”
Who: Voltaire (attributed), when asked by a priest to renounce Satan
Deadpan
- “Already?”
Who: Hangquin Zhou - “It’s stopped.”
Who: Joseph Henry Green, upon checking his own pulse.
Succinct & True
- “To my friends: My work is done. Why wait?”
Who: George Eastman, Inventor (in his suicide note)
Odd and Worth Mentioning
- “I see black light.”
Who: Victor Hugo