The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-07-30
LOST THEIR HEADS.
Two Youthful Accomplices in a Muir
der Executed by the Guillotine
in Paris.
An Awful Scene Caused by One of the
Doomed Men Resisting the
EXeCutiOners.

PARIS, July 2S-The execution of young
Berland and Dore, two accomplices of Mere
Berland in what is known as the Corbevoie
murder took place this morning in the
Place de la Roquette.
Dore walked calmly to the guiIlotine, but
a desperate struggle with Berland took place
on the scafold. Finally the executioners
succeeded in forcing the criminal down
upon the dascule and from there slid his
head under the knife. The execution of
the two men occupied only eight minutes
of time. Mere Berland, as already cabled,
has been granted a reprieve.
The usual crowds OF people had gathered
last night and very early this morning on
the famous Place de la Roquette, where all
Paris executions by the guillotine take
place. The an-about-tOwn an d the
woman bout-town We're there in force re-
CARELESS OF the fact that they had been
anxiOusly waiting for the execution for q
week past, and that they had haunted the
nelghborhood OF the gloomy old prison
morning after morning, daily expecting the
"feast Of blood to which they had invited
themselves.
Dore left lis cell and the prison a few
minutes later with extreme composure., He
made no objections as Deibler (Monsieur
de Paris) the chief eXecutoner assisted by
his son. attended to the criminals toilet, or
executioner's preparations, in dress, etc.
But though he had thus far conducted him.
self with wonderful courage, Dore faltered
and trembled as he reached the shadow of
the red-painted uprights Of the guillotine
and caught sight of the deadly, shining
knife which was to sever his head from his
body. The murderer at the sight of
THE INSTRUMENT OF EXECUTION
seemed to become dazed and helpless, and
in this condition the execut toner's helped
him up the steps to the platform of the
guillotine and quickly threw him upon the
bascule, strapped him down, slid his head
into the lunette and in a second or so the
knife fell, and Do1e's head rolled into the
.sawdust-flled basket awaiting it.
Young Berland died in an entirely di fer
ent manner. When he was awakened he
showed a considerable amount of bravado,
and remarked with hideous smile, mo
more card playing for me-" In conversa-
ton with the prison officials and execu-
tioners while his toilet was being made
Berland showed that he resented his moth
ers reprieve and that he was very much
disappointed that she was not to die with
him. When all the pre- parations for death
were made, Berland walked jauntiy across
the prison yard and maintained his air of
bravado and cool impudencs until he
reached the platform Of the guillotine.
Just as the executioners were on the
point OF throwing him upon the bascule or
sliding plank to which he was to be
strapped previous to being pushed beneath
the kni.e, Berland made desperate resist
ance and terrible scene took place in 1ull
view OF the thousands of eager spectators
gathered in the Place de la Roquette In
spite of his struggles, however, the execu-
TONERS and guards held Berlaud upon the
scaffold and eventually threw him upon
the fatal plank, slid him beneath the grim
uprghts and, as the young criminal was
writhing furiously, the knife tell and Ber-
lands head rolled into the basket
No sooner had this occurred than the
crowds, with a combined mighty rus h,
broke through the Gordon OF troops and
police and rushing up to the scaffold,
gloated over the blood stained apparatus,
some OF the most depraved taking hand
full ofsawdust away with them as SOU
venir Of the execution.