The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-25 00:00:00

THE EXECUTION OF MATRACCIA.

Matraccia, the Italian who, as reported in the Messen-
ger, was some short time back condemned to death by
the Court of Assizes of Aix for a series of extraordinary
murders at Marseilles, was executed in the latter city on
Saturday morning. At four o'clock he was awakened
by the chaplain and director of the prison, and told that
the petition for a commutation of punishment, which
he had sent to the Emperor, was rejected, and that
he was about to be executed. He received the an-
nouncement with the greatest calmness, and getting
up, seated himself on the side of the, bed, and took
some coffee and smoked several cigars. At six
o'clock he attended mass, and during the service he
appeared very deviant. The mass was followed by a ser-
mon, which seemed to make a great impression on
him. The service was attended by all the pri-
soners. When it was concluded, Matraccia was taken
back to his cell, and supplied with breakfast. iihortly
before seven the clerk of the Court of Assizes read to
him the text of his condemnation, the chaplain translat-
ing it into Italian. He listened to the readinn and
translation with great resignation, and when they were
concluded embraced the clerk and all the persons pre-
sent, most of whom were so affected that they
shed tears. Shortly after, the executioners of Aix
and Nimes, accompanied by an assistant, arrived, and
proceeded to pinion the condemned. He was then freed
from the irons on tie legs, and he asked if he could not
be allowed to walk to the scaffold, but was told that ho
must be conveyed is a cellular van. He then begged,
as a special favour, that he 'night be accompanied by
one of his friends, a countryman, who had becn with
him all the morning and that his parrot, which was in
a cage in his cell, might be taken with him to the scaf-
fold. Both these requests were grant-3, and he was
placed in a van, the chaplain being in attendance on
him. Arrived at the scaffold, whioh was erected i❑ the
place St. Michael, aid which was surrounded by an im-
mense crowd, consis ing of at least 30,000 persons, the
vehicle stopped, arc: the cage containing the parrot
was, to the surprise of the spectators, first placed on
the scaffold ; the criminal, his friend, and the
chaplain thee aligited from the van. Matraccia
cast a glance at the guillotine, and embraced several
persons who were present. Then supported by his
friend and the cha7lain, ho ascended the steps of the
scaffold, and in doing so it was observed that he slightly
trembled. When hi reached the platform he kissed
with great fervour tie crucifix which the chaplain pre-
sented.; then he embraced the chaplain and his friend
and then, turning the parrot, ho said in Italian,
"Your waiter is about to die, and he embraces you for
the last time !" Afterwards he advanced towards the
front of the icaffol I, end cried to the people, " I demand
pardon of the inhahitints of Marseilles for the scandal
I have occasioned I Pray for me, for in a few minutes I
shall pray for you I" He W 93 then seized by the execu-
tioners, and in a few seconds all was over.

A letter from Smyrna gives a few details concerning
the loss of the Roscoe, already known by telegraph. An
Austrian steamer haling arrived with intelligence that a
vess,l, laden with c)al, was on fire near Gliediz, the
admiral dispatched tae Brandon, steamer. to her assist-
ance. She proved to be the English brig Roscoe, which
was on shore, and horning furiously in consequence of
the inflammable nature of the cargo, and the wind blow-
ing fresh at the time. The crew, nineteen in number,
bad got into three bogs, and been able to save some of
their property. Just after the arrival of the steamer,
the Lrig, having burned to the water's edge, filled and
went down. The crew were afterwards taken on board
the Brandon and couleyed to Smyrna.