Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-11-02
Executed With a sword.

A woman was executed in Berlin
Monday, she being the first woman 10
suffer the death penalty there since
Berlin was made a Kaisertadt. The
last woman to suffer the extreme pen
atty of the law was executed in 1916.
The victim Monday was Emile Iil!-
man, nee Kuehne, OF Hammer, Prus-
sian Silesia. She had been convicted
of the murder of her husband, aud the
facts elected at the trial showed that
the crime was most deliberate and cold
blooded. Frau Zillman was forty-fve
years old.
In Germany capital sentences are car
ried out by headsman, and Monday
Reiudel, of Madgeburg, acted in that
capacity. The preparations for the ex-
ecution were kept secret. Even Rein
del did not untjlSunday night know who
he was decapitate. The condemned
woman, who had been incarcerated in
the Moabit prison, was only apprised
of the nearDess of her fate at 1::O
o'clock Sunday afternoon. Up to that
time she had firmly believed that the
Emperor would grant her respite.
When she was told that she was TO die
Monday she broke down completely,
and her actions were pitiable.
The Moabit prison mas no execution
ward, and the prisoner was therefore
transferred to the Ploetzenze prison.
She was taken there Monday in van,
number of mounted policemen riding
around the conveyance. The prison
was reached at $50 and the woman
was placed in a cell on the ground floor
in the masked wing. A female warder
remained with her throughout the
night.
When supper time came the prison
er asked that she be served with be
steak and coffee, remarking as she prof.
fered her request: 1T will be the las.
time will want TO eat"
She partook very heartily of the food
furnished her. AS darkness set III she
became very restless. She would lie
on the pallet fora time and then get
UP and walk up and down in her mar
row cell. Most all the night was pass
ed in this manner, the prisoner contin-
ualIy protesting her innocence.
At I o'clock the execution attendants
appeared in the cell, accompanied by Il
ciergvmen and several other persons.
Frau Zillman 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 slight
est resistance to those detailed to pre-
pare her for her awful fate.
woman stepped up to her as she sat with
wide staring eyes on chair and expeditions
lv cut from her dress a circular piece about
| the neck Then her dark brown hair wa
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
arm, lifted her from her seat, and halt led,
half carried her into the court yard where
| the headmau's block had been placed. Be
side it stood the executioner, resting on the
hilt of his heavy sword. Half dead with ie
the woman was placed beside the block and
there supported while Prosecutor Laamin
read to her the sentence of death.
The prisoner was told to kneel, but she ap-
parently did not hear, apd the warders gent
| il but firmly forced her down until her heid
rested ou the block. While they were doing
this handkt rchef that had been tempoia'i-
| jv 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 excel
toner exclaimed
The sentence OF the Law has been execut.
ed. May God have mercy upon thee, sinner.