Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-10-29
Under the Axe.

tered on the 24th OF SepleInDtI, lcoo: d
dark cell, in which tall man, with long
black hair, and pair of restless dark eyes
in face by no means unprepossessing, was
chained 10 the wall.
''SefelogeY' said the jailer, in tremu-
lous voice, "Will you be mani The
prisoner looked at him with aa expression
of terror He muttered few incoherent
words. Tomorrow at day-break," pro-
ceeded the jailor, ''all will be over
The prisoner sprang to his feet. The
clanking of his chains caused the Jaiier TO
shudder
"You mean that / shall not be among
the land of the living tomorrow morning
at daybreak p he gasped stepping close up
TO the jailer The latter nodded his head
''Iou will now be prepared for the scat
fold, Sefeloge," he said 10 the prisoner
Sefeloge uttered cry of torror, and stag
gered back to his humble couch.
'Tm not prepared to die, he moaned,
bursting into tears ''ls there no hope
''None He will be here directly.
'sWhog"
The headsman. He will cut off your
hair"
A convulsive tremor passed through the
prisoners frame He began to utter heart
lrending cries. At this moment the door
of the cell opened A middle-aged man OF
very resolute mien stepped in. You can
leave us alone, -" said the newcomer TO the
taller who quietly withdrew. And now
commenced truly revolving scene. The
prisoner shrank from the stranger IN mute
despair.
..You had better be as docile as possible.
am the headsman, said the stranger. ''Sit
down by my side
.eNol No!n shrieked the Inflated pris-
loner, 81 am not ready to die yet
''You shall not die yet reioined the
headsman. You will be dcapitated to-
morrow"
mo! Noi
The headsman DRAGGED him by his chain
toward him. The prisoner endeavored
frantically to resist him, but the headsman 5
great strength enabled him to overcome the
resistance of the struggling wretch. While
the latter was wildly clanking his chains,
the headsman cut off the collar OF his coat
with a small. but very sharp knife. The
shirt collar was removed, and with a pair OF
sharp scissors the hair of the prisoner was
removed. the whole operation consuming
but few minutes. In the meantime
the prisoner. whom the touch Of the
cold steel caused to shudder again and
again, uttered loud wells. groans and impre-
cations.
.'Oh. that my bullet had not missed the
heart of that cruel king" he finally ex-
claimed.
silence! :" thundered the headsman.
Another such remark and l shall have TO
gag you!"
down with King Frederick William
the Fourth - c.ied the prisoner detiantly.
The next second the hcadSnan had fas-
tened small iron Gag in the mouth OF his
victim. The latter tried to cry out, but was
lble te ,yfOduce only sort of low gIIrgling
sound The headsnan then commenced to
feel the prisoners neck with his hand. He
nodded his head with an air of satisfaction.
That's a good neck" he munnured.
Then he left the cell. The doomed man
was no other than a would-be regicide Sc
feloge. who had deliberately fired at the
breast OF King Frederick William the
Fourth. of Prussia. But his bullet had re-
bounded. the king wearing a mail-clad
vest What Sefeloge'S motive was in at
tempting TO shoot king has never been def
niteIv ascer,ained. He seemed to be a sort
of crack-hrained utopist, and a number of
eminent physicians pronounced him insane.
Efforts were made to induce the king to
commute the sentence of death that had
been passed upon Sefeloge. But Frederick
William turned deaf ear TO these remon-
strances. His reason had been unsettled by
the revolutionary connections of lS4S, and
IL L. = l.,
already insane. Thus q crowned madman
signed the death-warrant of another iuna;ic.
Until midnight SefelOge remained in his cell
heavily ironed and gagged. Then his fet-
ters were removed, and a sumptuOus repast
was served up to him. On the eve Of their
executions. Prussian culprits are treated
with great liherality. They gave him also a
bottle Of port wine. which he drank so rap
idly that he was soon completely intOXica-
ted And now the doomed regicade be-
came horribly hilarious. He made fun of
himself, and joked about his impending
death. He demanded more wine. and it
was given TO him AT last lie fell into
sort Of siupor, and passed 4 few hours in
! fitful slumbeT.
| AT five o'clock in the morning the heads
man shook him by the shoulder. Sefeloge
uttered cry of alarm. Upon recognising
the headsman he turned deadly pale. ITS
| time :" said the headsnan. The prisoner
threw himself upon the stone floor of his
cell and rolled on it, prey to indescriba
bic anguish. His appeals for mercy be-
came deafening. and in this condition had
TO be carried to the scaffold. There he be
came almost superhumanly strong. and for
six minutes the headsman and his attend
ants were unable to drag him to the block
upon which he was 10 end his life. The
witnesses Of the shocking scene on the scaf-
fold were terribly excited One Of the
clerks of the court tainted. Others had to
leave the scailOld in hot haste Sefeloge's
yells and rOars were 50 deafening that they
were heard at a considerable distance Al
last he was fastened to the block lie ut
tered last cry, when the headsman's axe
descended on his neck, and thick stream
Of blood rose from his trunk lie was dead