Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-04
The Murderer of GOuffe Pays the Pen
atty for His Crime Upon
the Paris Guillotine.
HE REMAINS COOL TO THE LAST.
There Were Only Twenty-Five Seconds
From the Time He Left Prison
Until the Knife Fell.
TIE LAST MESSAGE TO HIS FAMILY.
In Accordance With HIS Wish the Body Not Given Up to
Doctors for Dissection
rBY pUNLAP's CABLE COMPANY J

murderer OF Gouffe, paid the penalty of his
crime this morning at about z O'Clock in the
Place De La Roquette. The news of the ap-
proach of the execution had been kept a
secret from everybody except the police and
the journalists, to whom notice was given
last night at about IL o'clock, while the
police de sure had been notified at o'clock
in the afternoon to hold themselves in readi-
ness.
Owing to the great secrecy observed, there
were only few members of the public at
La Roquette, and the consequent scandals
of former executions, the presence Of crowds
passing the night at the scene of the execu-
ton were not repeated. The street was
barred at both exuemities by a Gordon of
police, and Gardes Republicaines who were
mounted. Only 100 people who were
furnished with tickets were allowed to pene-
trate the barriere.
Preparing for the Execution.
In spite OF the great cold and fog which
prevailed at 4 o'clock this morning, nearly
hundred of those who were privileged to
be present had taken up their positions sur
rounding the square wooden halustrade which
marked the site of the guillotine At O'Clock
two conveyances appeared on the scene. These
contained the various parts of the instrument
of DEATH One was larger than the other, but
they both resembled the travelling caravans of
stroling jugglers. From one was taken the
large zinc basket which was shortly to receive
the headless body of the murderer. Regard
ing this, a reporter heard a policeman remark
to a colleague, when Eyraud catches sight of
that he will fancy it is the trunk in which he
slowed away Gouffe's body"
At this moment a facre, No. 3,56s. drove up
bringing the Abbe Faure, the chaplain of La
Roquette who quickly disappeared inside the
walls of the prison. The coachman was drunk,
and without loss of time he began negotiations
for the roof of his cab to these spectators who
were not already sufficiently well stationed.
He asked sous for each place, and apparently
got what he wanted. Some moments later nine
people were perched on the top of the vehicle.
The public endured, without too great a show
of impatience, the long hours of expectation.
There was no shouting, singing or squabbllng,
and the rowdy portion kept at respectful dis
tance.
Testing the Working of the GuiIlotine.
At last the guillotine rose in its place under
the supervision of Diebler, who with an um-
brella tucked under his arm, had the appear
ance of a respectable landlord supervising some
work of an interesting nature on his property
Then his assistants tried the working of the
triangular-shaped knife several times in order
to see that it glided properly. The onlookers
watched the instrument OF death with almost
breathless interest as it swiftly went up and
down in the groove.
At o'clock there was perfect daylight
Shortly afterward the gendarmes unsheathed
their swords, the gates of La Roquette opened
and Eyraud emerged from between them.
The collar OF his shirt was cut very low and
he shuddered slightly under the chilling effect
of the sharp morning air. The color of his face
was yellow rather than white. He took in the
surroundings at glance which had in it no
trace of fear. He walked or rather shuffied in
the direction of the guillotine fast as his
bonds allowed him. The Able Faure supported
left QlstaQn6lO
from the guIllotine, Eyraud paused The chap
lain believing that the supreme moment had
arrived, approached the condemned man for
the final embrace, but Eyrsud, with signii-
cant shrug of the shoulders, repelled MIN, and,
in vibrating voice, cried, ''Constans is an
assassin! He is much more an assassin than 1r'
The Knife Quickly Falls.
At the very first words the execurioner's as.
sistants had pushed Eyraud on the bascule and
the last words were pronounced Just as the
knife descended. The execution was performed
with almost incredible rapidity. Your reporter
counted only % seconds from the time when the
prison gates opened to the moment
when the headless corpse was hastily
thrust into the zinc basket, while the head
dropped into the wooden pail. The official re-
port, which is the duty of the Commissioner of
Police OF the quarter Roquette to draw up as
process verbal of every execution. is as follows:
Copy OF the documents setting forth the de-
tail of Eyraud's execution.
I'VE Haron, Commissioner of Police ad in
term. on this Sd of February having received
an order to proceed to La Roquette for the car
rying out of the execution of Michael Eyraud
we repaired in the morning to the cell in which
the condemned man lay, accompanied by Mon
sleur Beauquesne, the Director OF the Prison;
Monsieur Louiche, Judge dInstruction; Mon
sieur Droch the Grefler of the Court of Ap-
peal; Monsieur Goron, Chef de Surete and the
Able Faure, the chaplain. Under the super.
vision of Diebler the guilotine had been
erected. At Z o'clock we repaired TO cell Nc L
occupied by the condemned man"
Ready for the Execution.
Eyraud was fully dressed and seated upon his
bed. As ordinarily the warders on duty are re-
lieyed at 6:Sp in the morning, the failure to do
so on the present occasion was a notification to
the condemned that the day of execution had at
last arrived. Monsieur Beauquesne informed
Eyraud that the appeal for clemency had been
rejected, and added, Courage, Eyraud,"
to which tn latter replied, "Bien Ten aurari. -
He then undressed without assistance, and ex-
changed the prison clothes for his former at
tire and pair of white canvas shoes. The di-
rector of the prison inquired of Eyraud whether
he had any revelations to make. He replied in
the negative.
The Abbe then asked if there was any mes
sage for his wife and daughter, "Certainly L
have. Bid them adIeu. May they be happy -
The Able then offered him some brandy, which
he declined, saying it would make him ILL.,
Supported by two gendarmes he was conducted
TO the hall. where the toilette des condamnes
length broke the silence by addressing Mon
sleur Beauquesne. He said; MAY / ask that
my body shall not be sent for dissection. But
if 1t is so. where will it be sent?"
The abbe assured him that his BODY would he
handed to his family and he thanked the
Abbe. Then with firm countenance and in a
loud voice, Eyraud exclaimed: "Constans eu
raison. II a gagne son affaire ct ellie est jolic
celle la il decorara Gabrielle" Then tdrnine
TO the warden, he said: You are hurting my
fingers; don't clutch so tightly" He then
thrust aside the able who again offered him
some brandy.
The Head and Trunk Buried.
The body was placed in a special van i'm.
mediately after the execution and conveyed to
the Cemetery D'Ivry under an escort of four
gendarmes with drawn swords. The van with
its escort reached the cemetery at $40 1t was
there met by van containing the representa-.
tives of the faculty of medicine who demanded
the body OF the criminal for the purpose OF
Qssectlon according to the customary practice
but being notified by Monsieur Goron that the
tired.
One of Deiblers assistants then opened the
basket, took out the body and the head one
alter the other. The two sections of the neck
presented Jagged edges of tleedin flesh. and
the sawdust at the bottom of the basket was
saturated with blood. The expression of tho
face was calm. The eyes were closed, the
mouth was distorted by slight grimace The
assistant lifted the head by one of the ears apo
placed it in the cOffin of white wood where the
body already lay. The coffin was then lowered
into the grave which awaited it alongside the
graves of Prado and Praerzini.
Entitled to the Best.
All are entitled to the best that their none,
will buy, so every family should have at once
bottle of the best family remedy SvruD nt
Fig, TO cleanse the $ stem when costlve ol