The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21

by foul means. and that she really was inno-
cent. A reaction in the girls favor took
place. and during the eighteen months In
tervening bttween the trial and her eXccu-
ton, every effort possible was made by per-
sonages of prominence and influence who
were convinced of the girls innocence to
free her.
Before the departure of the Queen Regent
for Saint Scbastien deputati0u obtained an
audience from the sovereign and pleaded the
cause of the murderesS, entreatlnS her
Majesty to grant her free pardon. She
certainly would have yielded, as she is both
tender-hearted and merciful. but Mr.. Ca
novas del Castillo declared that the Spanish
Government absolutely refused to interfere
with the sentence of the court. The Queen
therefore refused TO exercise her right 10
grant a free pardon.
Wien this fact was communicated to the
condemned woman she fell into state of
the most absolute despair: she cried and
moaned dav and night, repeatedly accusing
Dolores Ayila of having been the guiltler one
Of the two and complaining bitterly that the
real criminal was not condemned to death
instead Of herself. On the evening preceding
the day OF execution, according to the Span
lSh custom, she was placed III chapel during
the twenty-fUur hours before her death.
There she was received by a score Of
monks who wore the black cowl and white
cross Of the Hemandad de PuZy Carload
Brotherhood. This religious order has since
the middle ages taken charge OF criminals
condemned to death during the last day OF
their life. and it was from their hands that
Senior Verdugo, the eXecutioner, received
Hignia Balaguer.
TIE mission of this brotherhood is to
soften as much as possible the last moments
of the condemned, and TO minimize the hor-
Tor of the inhumau Spanish custom of plac-
ing the criminal for twenty-fOur hours in
chapel open to the public, and where all the
naughty Senoras and Washers of Madrid
cOngregate to stare at the unfortunate, who
is being necessarily preached az by relays OF
monks during the entire time spent in the
chapel Hignia occupied an armchair
placed between two rows OF "Freres de la
Hermandad" who were chanting the prayers
for the dying. The bell tolled increasingly,
and every time the clock struck another
hour which marked tho approach of death
to the woman Shudder ran through her
frame. Sill hore had not fled from her
bosom. She believed that the Regents
pardon would be handed to her by the
executi0ner.
| shall never forget the expression of an
guiSh on her countenance as | saw her in
the Chapelle Ardrnle on the night before
her execution. Her large eyes wandered
restlessly around the chapel walls. her face
was of an aShen hue, save where hectic
spots burned feverishy on each sunken
cheek. She held large wooden crucltiX in
her trembling hand, and from time to time
she would press it cOnYuSvely against her
breast. She had been very handsome at
the time she had murdered her mistress, but
her beauty had faded, like that Of flower
cast into glowing oven, during the long
confinement
Her frame was thin to emaciation, and the
glitter of her dark eyes gave one the impress
sion that she was partly bereft of reason.
She was already half dead when the eXecu-
toner presented himself at the chapel TO
claim his victim, and according to traditional
usage, kDelt before her and craved her par
don for being obliged to obey the order given
to him by the Justice.
He then proceeded to p;nion her arms ana
legs with fine whip-co d, and slipped over her
head the sinister black cloth robe and hood
worn by the condemned criminal on the way
TO the sCaffold. Two monks thereupOn led
the woman out Of the chapel and supported
hel across large courtyard and up the steps
of the platform where the garrote stood.
Tie vast yard was crowded by ten thou
sand spectators in gay holiday attire. who
whiled away the interval before the eXecu-
ton by hurting curses at the eXecutiOner.
Although neither strange nor unprecedented
this occurrence almost paral4 Zed the man
while preparing for his disagreeable task.
The unfortunate woman took her place in
the seat Of the horrible machine of death.
and Immediately the iron collar was adj
justed around the neck. The collar is Sc
cured to stout upright post by means of an
apparatus which by few turns OF a thumb
screw causes the band OF iron TO lnStanta-
neously contract, thereby choking to death
surely, il slowly, the unfortunate victim Of
the garrOte.
Hardly had the collar been set in its place
when tie eXecutoner gave three rapid turns
to the screw and his official act was COM
pleted. Among these nearest to the scat
fold the sounds emitted by the lips of the
woman were plainly heard. The head
moved from side TO side, and 4 well-detined
movement Of every part Of the body was
observed. In about minute the motion Of
the head had ceased, but the tremOr-like
movement of the body continued for short
time afterward. Then the head fell slightly
to one side and all was still.
She was dead.
The horrible death of the murderess did
not seem to produce any revuisiOn OF feeling
in the hearts of the spectators, but when
the handkerchief covering her face was re-
moved cry of horror and disgust arose
from the crowd. Women tainted away,
children screamed and men started aghast.
Her face was hideouSly distorted by strangu-
lation in its most awful form, and her
tongue, black and lumited, protruded from
her purple lips. And yet during the ten
hours for which the body remained exposed
to the public, almost every inhabitant of
this city came to have a look at it!
In the dead OF the night the monks of
Hermandad carried away the body, which,
clothed in nuns garb. was inferred i'll
corner of the cemetery devoted to the burial
of criminals. On the next day Il mass was
celebrated for the repOSe CT her soul, at
which the judges who had pronounced her
death sentence, the pr son officials and the
executioner were present.