The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-14 00:00:00

DOUBLE EXECUTION IN PARIS.

The Paris Correspondent of The Times writes :
Barrd and Lebiez, who enticed a widow woman into
their lodgings on the pretence of exchanging some
bonds for her and then murdered her, were executed
between five and six on Saturday morning in the square
opposite La Roquette Prison. An attempt is always
made to keep the day of execution a secret, but in this
case, Fridays and Sundays being always avoided, there
was less uncertainty than usual, and a large crowd
collected at night to wait for the ghastly spectacle.
The police and soldiery were not sufficiently strong.
and at the last moment the enclosure round the
guillotine was forced by the mob. Several leading
newspapers call for executions inside the gaol instead
of this feeble compromise between publicity and
Neorecy."

The Paris Correxpondent of the Daily Telegraph gives the
tollovring account of the execution :
- -

"It was hoped that, during the period of the Exhi-
bition, we should not have the scene of a public execu-
tion presented within the City of Faris. After the
discovery of the murder committed by Barr 4 and
Lebiez, however, it was felt that the disagreeable event
could not be avoided consistently with the provisions
of the law. These two men, who barbarously killed
an old woman to get possession of her savings, amount-
ing to about £2OO, were publicly guillotined yesterday
morning in front of the prison of La Roquette. Con-
trary to custom, the public generally bad got to know
beforehand the time at which the execution would
take place, and the consequence was the assembly of
an immense crowd on the Place de la Roquette, whence
a confused noise, composed oi .oud jests and murmurs,
proceeded, which must have reached the ears of the
condemned men. If so, this was the first intimation
they had that their appeal for mercy was finally re-
fused by the Marshal. When the hour arrived for
conducting the prisoners to the scaffold the officers
proceeded first to the cell of Barr& Their communi-
cation filled him with terror. He trembled, and
could only steady himself with copious draughts of
wine and puffing furiously at a cigarette. Before ac-
r-ompanying the officers and the priest he examined
a Man of papers so slowly that the impression
left on those present was that he desired to gain
time. Lebiez, the medical student who cut the
body into pieces acted very differently. He had
sat up playing cards till three in the morning, at
which time his calculations must have been die
turbed by the cries of the ribald mob without.
After putting aside the cards, he read some pages
in A History of Navigators,' and then went
quietly to sleep. On entering his cell in the morn-
ing, the officers were obliged to wake him from a
deep slumber. When he understood their business, he
at once jumped out of bed, dressed himself, and set to
work to arrange his papers, refusing to drink or smoke.
He went through the process of pinioning with perfect
calmness, offering in that respect a contrast to his com-
panion, who wa.: obliged to drink more wine in order
to sustain the operation. On starting for the scaffold
Barre asked for another cigarette, which was refused.
OD the way out of the prison the warders were obliged
to support Band. Lebiez, on the contrary, walked
with a steady step. The only moment at which the
latter winced was when he saw his companion's head
roll from the knife and witnessed the gush of blood
through which he had to walk to his own doom. Pro-
nouncing the words, Adieu, messieurs,' he stepped
forward, one of his old companions calling out from the
crowd, Bravo, Lebiez !' In another second he also had
passed through the hands of the executioner. Both men
had expressed their contrition in their last days, and
had conformed to the rites of the Roman Catholic
Church, although they had formerly been strong ad.
vocates of Materialism. Before being executed Lebiez
said to his father, Do what you like with my body;
but do not allow any cast of my head to be taken, as
I wish to disappear for ever.' His remains were
Claimed by his family. Those of Barr g were handed
over to the School of Medicine for dissection. The
double execution, of which the details have been gener-
ally discussed to-day, has produced a gloomy impres-
sion on the whole city."