The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-04
A MURDEREss BEHEADED.
Her Neck Severed With a Sword-A
Scene in a Berlin Prison.
From the Baltimore American.

From the Baltimore American.
Berlin, Oct. 30-A woman was executed
in this city to-day she being the first
woman to suffer the death penalty here
since Berlin was made a kaiserstadt.
The last woman to suffer the extreme
penalty of the law was executed in 1916.
The victim to-day was Emile Zillman,
( nee kuehne, OF Hammer. Prussian Silesia.
She had been convicted of the murder of
| her husband, and the facts elected at the
Trial showed that the crime was most de-
liberate and cOld-blOOded Frau Gilman
was 40 years old. In Germany cap
ltal sentences are carried out by a
headsman, and to-day Reindel of Mag
denburg acted in that capacity. The
preparations for the execution were kept
secret Even Reindel did not until last
night know who twas ne waste decapitate
The condemned woman, who had been in
generated in the MOabit prison, was only
apprised of the nearness of her fate at
half-paSt one o'clock yesterday afternoon
Up to that time she had firmly believed
that the emperor would grant her a res
pite. When she was told she was to die
to-day she broke down completely and
her actions were pitiable.
The Moabit prison has no execution
yard and the prisoner was, therefore,
transferred to the Ploetzensee prison
She was taken there yesterday in a van, u
number of mounted policemen riding
around the conveyance
The prison was reached about 2:3O
o'clock, and the woman was placed in n
cell on the ground floor, in the so-called
Masks wing. A female warder remained
with her throughout the night. When
supper time came the prisoner asked that
she be served with beefsteak aud coffee,
remarking as she proffered her request
1T will be the last time | will want to
eat"
She partook very heartily Of the food
furnished her.
AS darkness set in she became very
restless. She would lie on the pallet for
4 time, and then get up and walk up and
down in her narrow cell Most all the
night was passed in this manner, the
prisoner continually protesting her limo
cence
At Z o'clock the execution attendants
appeared in the cell, accompanied by a
clergyman and several other persons.
Frau Gilman was then told that it was
time for the final preparations for death
to be made. The woman was in an agony
of fear, and made not the slightest resist
ance to those detailed to prepare her for
her awful fate.
A woman stepped up to her as she sat
with wide staring eyes on a clair and ex-
peditiOusly cut from her dress IA circular
piece about the neck. Then her dark
brown hair was twisted into knot and
fastened on the top of the head, leaving
her whole neck entirely bare.
At o'clock two warderS took her by
the arms, lifted her from her seat, and
half led, half carried her, into the court
yard where the headsman's block had
been placed. Beside it stood the execu-
TONER, resting on the hilt of his heavy
sword.
Half dead with fear, the woman was
placed beside the block and there sup
ported while Prosecutor Lademuun read
to her the sentence of death.
The prisoner was told to kneel, but she
apparently did not hear, and the wardens
gently but firmly forced her down until
her head rested on the block While they
were doing this a handkerchief that had
been temporarily placed around her neck
was removed.
The next instant after her head touched
the block there was a cleaning flash of
steel, and the head of the woman dropped
into the basket to receive it. As the blood
flowed in a torrent from the severed
neck, the execuuOner exclaimed 1.-The
sentence of the law has been executed.
May God have mercy upon the poor sin
DerN