The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-25
A GERMAN EXECUTION.
The Terrible Penalty Paid by an Offend
Against the Law.

The Terrible Penalty Paid by an offender
Against the Law.
The public executioner of Berlin is q
curious funetiOnary In accordance with
his promise hs sent me a dispatch at
o'clock one morning early last lncnth, re-
auesting me to call at once at the PlOtZenSee
Prison, as a criminal named Karl Schmie-
dicke was to be beheaded at o'clock pre-
csely the same day, says Berlin special to
the New York Press.
In the courtyard of the prison, which
served as the place of execution, / found
about fifty people waiting, who were eYi-
dently on the same errand as myself.
At 1855 the States Attorney directed
everybody to stand or sit at the exact posi-
tion regarded by official red tapeism as in ac-
cordance with the ceremony about to occur.
He himself set the example by seating him
self, as the direct representative Of the
crowu at the head OF table placed at the
end of the courtyard, close to the entrance.
To the right OF the States attorney sat the
Judges In their somber robes Of office, and
to the left the secretaries and the news paper
representatives. At the end OF the narrow
ward were two tables, also draped in black.
On one of these lay three brOaGSwOrds un-
sheathed The bright rays of the morning
sun glinted and cleaned upon the shining
strips of steel. and the black handles of the
weapons were long enough to allow OF their
being grasped by two sturdy hands.
About two feet further away, near the
wall, stood the low block. In striking con-
trast tn all its surroundings, 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 red cloth.
This was quite new and spOtlesS ny if il had
been specially purchased for the occasion.
At the stroke of o'clock the belt Of the
prison began to toll the solemn death knell
of the convict. Half a minute later the
executouer appeared wearing his scarlet
hood with bare arms, and shouldering a
cleaning AK as the insignia of his CHASTITY
Office.
Rendel, the headSman. is stalwart, we'll
prOpOrtOned man, who stood fully six feet
in bis shoes, had a strong face and wore
heavy beard
Behind Reindel came his three lusty sons,
each wearing Il pair of leather trousers,
high boots and red WOODEN shirts with their
sleeves rolled up above the elbows. The
condemned convict followed, leaning on the
arm of one OF the prison officials, with his
eyes turned toward the priest, who held
crucifix to his uplifted hand. Suddenly the
headsman shouted in stent0rian tones, mill
tary fashion, Halt FrontH and the next
instant the little procession stood like all
facing the States Attorney.
The latter rose with dignity and solemnity
perial rescript declining to commute the sem
teHee. Then he invited the executloner and
the culprlt to examine the signature of the
Kaiser to the document This formality
was gone through with the most scrupu-
lous minuteness, and then the States At
tornpy cried out in firm voice: "Execu-
toner Reindel, deliver up the cnlprit to
you; now do your duty"
The sturdy sons of the headsman graspei
Schmedicke from behind and bore him to
the block. There his coat and shirt were
roughly torn from his back, and the GRIM
inal was forced to the ground, two OF the
men holding his arms and legs, while the
third grasped him firmly by the head. Not
a word was spoken during these prepara-
tiOns, and no sound broke the deathlike
stiffness save the heavy breathing of the
murderer, whose massive frame seemed like
statue in the hands Of the stalwart sons OF
the headSman.
Finally came the most extraordinary part
OF the whole proceedings-astoniS for
the dramatic, almost ludcrOus aspect given
to an otherwise dignliied and impressive
scene. Reindel, who had in the interval
lifted one of the glittering blades from the
table and raised IL up In the air before him,
suddenly exclaimed, II wish you to observe
that we work without any apparatus, and
do not bind the prisoner" Hardly were
the words out of his mouth than his geam-
ing sword whiZzed through the air like a
lightning flash, and the prisoners head
rolled to the other side of the block, sew
cred completely by the first stroke of the
sweeping blade From the time the execu-
toners sons seized Schmiedicke to the mo-
ment the headsman lifted his dripping blade
and cried, at is done," exactly one minute
had elapsed by my watch.
This Can BE Taken Cum Grano Sails.
Mad River, which runs through Winsted,
Conn.,, is the home of suckers, soma speci-
NaiOhiun or oil oh hos