The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-09-04

'c'no'eu 10 the JAIL IN Jauer, and WOuit
have been convicted at the next tern
of the Criminal Assize Court, but he
persistent denials and her innocent
prepossessing appearance made SO pro
found an impression on the jury tia
they failed to agree. So size remained
in Jail for nine months, and in the be-
ginning of April her second trial tool
place. This time the jury was mad.
out of sterner stuff, and the young muir
deress was promptly convicted of tn,
terrible crime with which she stoot
charged. When the President of tn,
Assize pronounced her doom she turn
ed very pale and uttered half-stifei
shrek, but she soon regained her com
posuIe, and when the officers led bel
back to her cell she chatted almos
gayly with them.
|. The trial and its results created 6
profound sensation in that part of Sill
esia. Some kind hearted philan throp.
lists, among them several aristocrati,
ladies, took an interest in the fate o.
Hermina Clauser, and they sent to the
Emperor William the First of Germany
a petition setting forth all the facts Of
the case which had been brought Out
during the trial, and urging the com.
mutation Of the sentence to a term OF
imprisonment. The Emperor, how
ever, refused to interfere, and on the
10th of July the sentence of the law
was carried into effect.
THE EXECUTION.
Never before had SO many people
assembled in front of the jail of Jauer,
where the scaffold on which the young
mnrderess was to he executed h d
been erected. 1t was low, square
platform, without a railing. In the
middle stood the block on which the
fair cnlpri! was to lay down her head.
Assistant Execntioner Reiffschnei,ier
a man of thirty. heavy set with pleas.
ing countenance, and dressed in an ele.
giant suit Of black broadcloth, was to
deal Hermina the fatal blow. He was
on hand, with two assistants, at half
past six. At 7 o'clock Hermina Clau.
sen was led out by two gendarmes.
She had all along manifested so sub
missive spirit that it had been deem
ed needless to pinion her arms. She
was dressed in black SO in suit and
looked very handsome. There was
even smile on her lips, and but for
a certain weired fire in her eyes, her
flushed cheeks and the c0nvulsiye
heavings of her breast, one might have
thought almost that she was going to a
pleasure party, and not to her doom.
She was followed by a priest and sew.
eral prison officials. A few policeman
surrounded the scafold.
CLINGlNG TO LIFE.
After she had assembled the fatal
ST. ucture, she looked for moment at
the block, and visable shudder passed
through her frame. The priest said
\ few words 70 her, exhorting her to
confess her crime, but she shook her
head. Then the exeeutioner approach
I'd her, and in kindly voice, asked
her to allow him to bare her neck.
This seemed to sting her to the quick.
Looking wildly about her she burst in
20 fierce scream, almost Q yell, which
made everybody shudder. And then,
horrible to say, she flung herself from
lie scaffold, and with wild energy
began to force her way through the
crowd, which was petri6ed with terror
md amazement a. the unwanton scene.
The officers, however, overlook he, in
minute or two, and, after fierce
truggle, in which the doomed girl
ought like an Infatuated tigress, and
'it one of the officers savagely into the
land, she was bound hand and foot.
md carried back on the scaffold, vel
ing and shreiking all the time in ter
or and despair. The headsman quick
y tore open her dress at the neck, and
he struggling, screaming girl was fast
ned to the block. A leathern thong
vas attached to her head and tied to
he outside of the block, her neck be-
ng stretched to an unnatural length.
A siCKENING SIGHT.
Now the executi6ner took his AZ,
arge, formidable instrument. He
aised it quickly and struck. The |
ickening walls of the victim ceased of
sudden. The head dropped down,
nd the trunk raised itself up, large
tream of blood spouting into the air
wo or thee feet high, while the exe-
utioner and his assistantsj jumped from
he scaffold in order not to be soiled
= the girls life blood.
The trunk was united, and, together
18th the head, put into a rough pine
offin. A cart was sent fora prison
fetal marking the words, "Medical
aculty of the Breslan University" on
and fifteen minutes afterward the
feless remains of the young murder
IS were on their way to the capital of
llesia to be used by the medical pro-
SSOrs fhprp for ono frn;ool p,roo,,o