Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-01-30
A NOVEL EXECUTION IN SWEDEN

About one year ago the Government OF Swe-
den and Norway, iu consequence Of the nulAer-
GUS horrors which had taken place al execu- |
tions,by the axe or sword, of criminals sentenced
TO death, resolved 10 adopt another mode oil ex-
ecution' and appointed for this purpose conf |
mttee Of six persons, who carefully examined
the various modes Of inficting the extreme
penalty ofthe law the civilized countries Of
the world. They reported 10 the government
month OF two sfterwsrd In their report
they discarded hanging, because, they said, IN
numerous instances 1t was fiaught with untold
suferings fol the culprit the guiliotne, although
| as a general thing, 1t worked well In the eSse
Of persons with sho,i uccks was almost inappli-
| cable shooting because it was uncertain, sew
eial volieys being frequently required to dis
patch the sufferers.
| The committee finally recommended the adop-
| ton Of novel mode of execution, which, they
said, after mature examination, they were con.
| WINGED was the best and most humane that had
ever been employed yet. II was As follows;-
| The criminal who was to suffer death was 10 De
placed in sort of round wooden cone, open at
the top, so that only his head and neck would
p-o.rude.
Over his shoulder sort OF lid was to be
placed, tightly filling around the lower part oil
bis neck. Then another lid was to be placed
on 1t, contai hing a sharp knife shaped like a
circle, and TO which a wooden handle was to
be placed in the wooden cone and having his
neck inelt sed in the lower lid, cannot move OF
all. The executioner then puts funnel shaped
cover On the cone, whereby the cuprit is COM
pletely concealed from view
Everything them Is ready; the cxecutioneI
seizes the handle of The knife and gives II Q
quick jerk, and the culprits head Is severed
from the body. All the preparations for the
execution require but little more than minute
and the sickle-shaped k nite does Its deadly wori
with unflllng certainty.
The royal government at Stockholm, atte
subjecting this mode O: execution TO severa
tests, foud that 1t was as represented by thu
committee, and derreed its adoption. II wa
; first applied on the 18th of November last, q
Ttomseo, In Northern Norway, at the execu
ton of Russian sailor and two Lapland fisher
men, who had been convicted Of murder, arsor
and robbery, under the most atrocious circnn
stances.
The names Of the three doomed men wer,
. Nicholas KurusoH, Abcn Tikty and FREQ Lille
AL three Of them were brutal looking fellows
and everybody said that they had abuntlntl,
deserved the terrible sentence passed "poi
them.
: having become generally known that ,i"aIi
; would be inflicted upon them, not, rs bad "to
t, fore been the case by the axe or ,woi' III
, In the new manner which we have dr.ttihr,
above, an immense concourse Of people SUI
rounded the mound In the suburbs OF the cuy
for hours before the executioner and his Vic
Tins made their appearance. Nothing was Il
be seen on the mound in question but TIN
wooden cone, which, with the cover, WAS abou
six feet in height.
At II O'Clock A A., the three criminals heav
lily ironed, emerged from the Loford gate
They were preceded by some court officials ant
a drummer, who beat doleful role. Behint
. them marched the executioner and his thre,
assistants.
The three doomed men hardly seemed to rea
, lie the dreadful position In which they wer
! placed. The Russian sailor bad in his moutl
short clay pipe, from which lie drew clouds o
smoke. The two Laplanders were singing
wierd song In a low tone of voice. Upon reach
ing the top Of the ladder, the executioner AM
his assistants lifted the Russian into the opeI
cone and then adjusted the upper part, which
! was moable, SO that tue criminals bare neci
and head only protruded, and then the cove
I was put on his head, and che executioner, witt
! Jerk, drew the handle Of the knife to thu
right. He waited q moment and then RAISED
the cover. From 1t fell the Russians head, ant
. streams OF blood issued from the cone. The
Laplanders looked ON listlsssly while the assis
tants Of the executioner removed tue head AM
: Itrunk Of the dead Russian from the cone.-
:, They were then hurried TO the same place, AM
!. were despatched with equal rap idity The ex
a ecution Of the three men did not last over seye
:, or eight minutes, while, previously, that OF
- single criminal had sometimes occupied t~lc
:, the length OF time.