Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-08-13
rounGuEvlErF At AN EXECUTION:

We fastened along the second corri-
dor, and found ourselves in the room,
where the only furniture was d single
stool. II wns on thia seet that The last
toilet ~ The condemned ma was to be
made. As We entered Ivy n door q
man in o dress coat and white necktie
came ont OF another and advanced to
meet us with q grave and measured
step. He looked like a diplomat or =
clergyman, but he Was the exacitionef.
He was followed by q little old man In
. black frock Goat, the first assistant Of
NJ, de Paris, the executiofief OF Beaa-
vais. This old man held in his hand q
leather bag. Troppmann stood motion
less in front Of the stool: we had
stopped at the same time and formed d
kroub afohnd Him. Tie esecution5r
and his assistant were standing on the
right; next to them was the priest.
The Commandant and Claude we're on
The LETT Sf. the prisoner. The old man
opened his bag with q key and drew
out several white straps with buckles;
he knelt down with some difficulty be-
hind Troppman and began to fasten his
feet. The condemned man had invol-
UNFAIRLY placed his foot ON one of the
stfabs; the Old mah tried to feKtofe IL
and then said: Pardon me, sir"
touching Troppmann on the calf to at
tract his attention. The prisoner
turned around, and, with q polite nod,
raised his foot and let the strap go.
During this tims the priest WAS reading
In 4 lew tone from a pfayef-book in the
French language. The two other as
~sistants OF the executipnsr hurriedlf
removed the etfait-i&cket. took h5id 81
TfOppmannis arms and fastened them,
with the hands crossed behind his back,
and surrounded his whole body with
straps, NJ. de Paris giving his instruc-
tions by pointing with his finger from
left to right.
A short jacket WAS thrown over his
shoulders, and the executionsr took
hold Of the rope. "Cpme, Tfuppiiann,s
said NJ, Claude, il the midst of a se-
pu1chral silence, @the, last moment has
come; in a few mineits all will be fin
ished. Do YOU still persist in asserting
that you Ind aceomplices?" Yes, sir,
/ persist" answered Troppmann, and
his pleasant baritone voice had not al
tered. The condemned man accompa-
MED these words with a slight nod, as
if it was with regret that he did not an
swer differently in order to please his
questioner. "Well, let us CO." said
Claude.
vs. went oiit into the large court
yard of the prison. 1t was 6:45 o'clock
the sky was hardly Lit up; a fog filled
the air aud yelled everything. The
bowling If the mob deafened us, it was
an intefminable, noisy and insupporta-
BILE hooting, which fell upon us before VIC
had hardly crossed the threshold. Our
party had again grown smaller, and, as
WI fastened toward the gate, some re-
NAMED behind. I, myself, as / walked
with the others, felt u strong inclina-
ton to do the same. Troppmann ad-
vanced rapidly. dragging his feet, for
the straps impeded his steps. How
small he seemed to me, how young
almost q child. All at once, slowly,
like o throat spreading its jaws, the
gate opened in front of us; O cry of sat
isfacticn burst from the crowd, and the
monster which was waiting for it's prey
presented itself to our sight, with its
two uprights and its knife in the air.
A glacial cold penetrated us-a cold
which made me feel sick at heart-and
I felt my legs giving way under me.
However, / watched Troppmann; he
drew back, threw back his head, his
knees gave way, 90 though he had re-
ceived q blow on tho chest. "He il
going to faint" said q voice near me
But he at once recovered himself, and
walked forward with o firm step.
These who wished to see how the head
would fall preceded him, running. ]
had not the courage; my heart gave
way. / stopped neal the gate. / saw
the cxecutioner suddenly appear on the
left side of the guillotine. l saw how
Troppmap, separating from the group
of invited spectators. whom he left be
low, went up the ~steps-there were ter
Of them-I saw how he stopped ani
cast a glance backward; / heard hin
pronounce these words: "Tell M
Claude" / saw him on the platform
I saw how two men seized him on thu
right and left as spiders seize a fly;
saw how he advanced, head foremost
and how his feet moved. But then
turned away and waited; the grount
swan under me. It seemed as though
I had to wait o whole eternity. l hat
had the time to notice that on the ap
pearance of Troppmann the shout Q
the crowd had burst forth like a bomb
then o breathless silence followed. Il
front OF me stood q sentinel, a younI
fellow with rosy checks and robus
figure. I saw that he was staring a
me with . frightened and stupid per
plexity, and / said to myself: Here j
q soldier, born in some distant village
the child of nm honest family. VIVA
are they showing him here?" At las
/ heard a light blow. the sound of tw
pieces OF wood striking together; it wa
the upper semi-circle Of the cola
which hold the head of the condemne
man motionless which had fallen int
its place. Then / heard a deep roal
ing, something rolled noisily and CAV
forth . gushing sound. You Nigh
have thought it some powerful animl
which had just relieved itself by a sue
den vomit. / al find no other con
parison. Everything around me turne
black. Some one seized mo by til
arm; / looked; it was the subordinat
Of Claude, whom, as / learned aftel
ward, Maxine du Camp had asked |
watch over me. "You are very pale
will you have q little water ?" he asket
smiling. / thanked him, and I return
ed to the courtyard Of the prison
which seemed to me q shelter from TIL
atrocities that were being committe
outside the door.
Any Small Boy, with q Stick,
csn kill : tiger,-if tho tiger happens TO I