Morning journal and courier., 1891-06-08

by official red-tspeism as in accordance with the ceremony about to occur He himself set the example by seating him self, as the direct representative of the crown, at the head of table placed at the end of the courtyard, close to the entrance The table left but a narrow space for the entrance of the criminal It was draped with black cloth, and everything on it was decorated with the same sign of mourning and death. The writing materials, Bible and law books were craped, and even the acts and documents were bound with black thread, and the tapes attached had heavy black seals.
 ''To the right of the states attorney sat the judges in their sombre robes of office, and to the left the secretaries and the newspaper representatives. At the end of the narrow yard were two tables also draped in black. On one of these lay three broadswords, unsheathed. The bright rays of the morning sun glinted and gleamed upon the shining strips of steel, and the black handles of the weap- ons were long enough to allow of their being grasped by two sturdy hands. On the other table lay a basin of water and three snowy white towels, each edged with the all-pervading black. About two feet further away, near the wall, stood the low block In striking contrast to all its sur roundings, the dread log of wood, which was to be the last resting place of the neck of the criminal while still in life, was draped with bright scarlet cloth. This was quite new and spotless. as if it had been specially purchased for the occasion. To the right hand leaning against the wall was bench, also black, upon which the coat and shirt of the murderer were subse- quently thrown.
 At the stroke of eight o'clock the bell of the prison began to toll the solemn death knell of the convict. Half a minute later the executioner appeared, wearing his scarlet hood, with bare arms and shoulder ing gleaming axe, as the insignia of his ghastly office.
 Reindel, the headsman, is a stalwart, well proportioned man, who stood fully six feet in his shoes, had a strong face and wore heavy beard. He seemed by his carriage to combine the dignity of the tombour major with the heavy tread of one of the Kaiser's colossal cuirassiers. Reindel has served twenty years in the army, and was always considered a most exemplary soldier. Being an expert with the sword and giant in strength, Reindel was appointed to the post of headsman, just as other faithful servants of the em- peror are given positions as game-keepers, servants or gendarnes. The office is sup posed to be an honorary and dignified one, but the headsman seems to appreciate its honor and dignity most
 Behind Reindel came his three lusty sons, each wearing pair of leather trou- sers, high boots and red woolen shirts, with their sleeves rolled up above the el bows. The condemned convict followed, I, leaning on the arm of one of the prison officials, with his eyes turned toward the priest, who held crucifix in his uplifted hand Suddenly the headsmsn shouted in stentorian tones, military fashion: Halt! FrontI" and the next instant tbe little pro cesson stood like wall facing the states attorney. The latter rose with dignity and solemnity and read the death warrant and the imperial rescript declining to com mute the sentence. Then he invited the executioner and the culprit to examine the signature of the Kaiser 10 the document. | This formality was gone through with the most scrupulous minuieness, and then the states attorney cried out in a firm voice: ''Executioner Reindel, I deliver up the | culprit to you-now do your duty" The sturdy sons of the headsmen grasped | Schmeidicke from behind and bore him to ! the block. There his coat and shirt were | roughly torn from his back and the crimi- | nal was forced to the ground, two of the | men holding his arms and legs, while the third grasped him firmly by the head. ! Not word was spoken during these prep 1 arations, and no sound broke the death like stiffness save the heavy breathing of | the murderer, whose massive frame seemed | like a statue in the hands of the stalwart | sons of the headsman. At the table where | We sat the same awful stiffness prevailed. ! The judges ana the states attorney care. | fully watched every detail of the grim | preparations, nothing evidently escaping | their observation, but their beardless, i'm | passive faces betrayed no symptoms oi l emotion.
 | Finally came the most extraordinary | part of the whole proceedings-sst | ing for the dramatic, almost ludicrous, as | pect given to an otherwise dignified and impressive scene. Reindel, who had il the interval lifted one of the glitterinl
 blades from the table and raised it up ir
 the air before him, suddenly exclaimed
 '1 wish you to observe that we work with
 out any apparatus and do not bind tht
 prisoner" Hardly were the words out oi
 his mouth than his gleaming swort
 whizzed through the air like & lightning | lash and the prisoners head rolled to tn,
 other side of the block. severed by tn,
 first stroke of the sweeping blade.
 From the time the executioner's son
 seized Schmiedicke to the moment tn
 headsman lifted his dripping blade ant
 cried, "It is done" exactly one minute ha,
 elapsed by my watch, which lay before In
 on the table. The whole of the legs
 tragedy was conducted in most methodi
 cal, business, like fashion, but the remar
 of Reindel as to the absence of apparatu
 sounded to me too much like the sharp as
 surance of a cohjuror at a music hall wh
 desires to prepare his audience for som special feat of legerdemain.
 ]: This was the sixteenth execution carrie , cut by the firm of Reindel & Sons sine ' the beginning of the year. Their avocs
 ton extends to all parts of the Germa
 empire, with the exception of Bavaris
 which country considers itself big enoug
 to have headsman of its own.