The evening world., 1894-02-05
UNDER A KEEN BLADE.
Valiant Loses His Head and An
archy Loses a Follower.
Impressive Scenes at the Guiuotine
in Paris This Morning.
Crowds of Spectators Held Back by
Great Force of Troops.
tBy Associated Press.)

W. NssoVlhteu FTtssD
PARIS. Feb, 5.-Auguste Valiant, the
Anarchist. who on Dec. 9 last threw a
bomb into the Chamber OF Deputies.
was executed at about 100 o'clock this
morning. His last words were:
Death to Society: long 1--we Anarchy"
Late last evening the news spread
throughout Paris in some myster-
ious Mariner that Valiant was to be
executed, and people began gathering
about the famous prison Of La Roquette
In spite of the rain. Workmen erected
barricades across all the streets leading
to the square, from which the people
were soon driven by the police.
Many of the crowd appeared to be In
sympathy with valiant, n were loud
In their ~blasphemies and threats of re-
venge. Shortly before 3 o'clock a detac.l-
ment of the Garde Republicaine arrived
upon the spot and the centre Of the
Place de la Roquette was cleared. Later
a squadron of ounted Gardes Republi-
caine arrived on the spot. The crowd
steadily increased. and finally a rush up
the Rue la Roquette caused a counter
movement on the part Of the police. and
the %populace was swept backward until
order was completely restored.
By this time fully 1000 policemen OF
various descriptions and Gardes Repub-
licaine were upon the spot. and the death
machine arrived in two large vans at
about $3.50 o'clock. NJ. Diebler, known as
Monsieur de Paris, the public execu-
toner, dressed in a frock coat and a
high hat, superintended the work OF put
ting the guillotine together. When the
guillotine was ready for Its deadly work
the executioner. lantern In hand. care
c thiiS eH including the wicker basket,
nearly filled With sawdust, which was to
receive the head of the Anarchist.
NJ. Diebler told the police that there
seemed to be less space than. usual In
the square. The officers replied that the
crowd was kept at the usual distance.
Then NJ. Diebler said:
We'll. never mind. However. a bomb
might easily be thrown from the bar
riers."
Their back. About this time, the group OF
newspaper men to witness the
execution heard that President Garnet
had received several threatening letters
and that the police were taking eX-
traordinary precautions to prevent the
possibility of an outrage.
The judicial authorities arrived at the
prison at 6.i5 o'clock, and, entering the
and informed him that his last hour
had arrived.
Valiant turned deadly, pale. but he
DtSbl uTtSSlllB VIII al IL ildSt III
could be expected. and remarked to one
Of the prison attendants:
"Yor see l was. right in saying that
my sentence would not be committed"
While Valiant was dressing one OF the
officers, noticing that the, Anarchists
hands tremblea slightly as he put on his
""Have Courage, valiant"
At this Valiant smiled In a slckly man
ner and. throwing his head up. re-
Never fear; I will know how 70 die"
a large glass OF some strong cordial. In
nerves. valiant gently put 1t on one side.
ii Rave no need Of artificial strength.
and dessPise "a a m man T Sis fa nee"s 'rah's 10
His bearing won, him the sympathy OF
those present, and a veteran officer OF
the Gardes said In an undertohe' "Ihat
At exactly 100 o'clock the officer in
command OF the Gardes Republicaine
gave the order Draw swords no,..
the s%cabbards followed. and as the
swords flashed high in the air above the
heads of the soldiers on horseback and
came down to the carry the infantry
were called to attention and a deep and
significant silence fell over the crowds
assembled about the Place de la Ro-
Very soon afterwards the black gates
of the prison were swung open ana
Valiant appeared, head erect and de-
fant. etwee NJ. Diebler and his as
s~istants. The crowd was not slow to
notice that no chaplain accompanied
the condemned man. and 1t was said In
a loud tone from several among those
gathered to witness the execution: He
dies a true Anarchist"
Here and there as valiant appeared
were heard II few faint cries OF "Vive
When valiant neared the guillotine, he
glanced upward at the cleaning knife
Suspended between the two uprights. the
blade shining out clear and distinct,
ing to the rays or the many lanterns
around the scaffold, and then he also
shouted:
A moment later. as he was ascending
the steps leading TO the platform OF the
guillotine, the desperate Anarchist
shouted:
"A mort les Bourgeois" C'Death to
the bourgeois"
AS he uttered this cry valiant reached
the foot of the Siding plank which car
ries the body of the criminal. when
strapped onto it. beneath the knife. Az
ter one quick push, he cried; Death
to society"
Valiant had hardly uttered these words
when he was seized by NJ. Diebler's as
s~iStants and thrown upon the plank. 70
which he wa strapped with remarkabls
the lunette or hole In the end OF the
scaffold, upon which a half circle, or
locking piece falls after the head is
through. a spring was touched and the
shining knife above the Anarchists neck
sped downward with Il swift and noise
less movement. There was a squirt OF
blood and the head OF Valiant, separated
from the trunk fell into the basket OF
sawdust. and all was over.
From the GROVE there
went up a dull murmur of apparent re:
lief, and the troops grounded arms and
'eturned swords with a c%latter. and u
clash which had deadly significance.
With the greatest rapidly. the head and
body of the Anarchist were gathered up.
placed in separate baskets and were
scorted away from the scene OF the
execution at a gallop, II the body of the
Anarchist is unclaimed. 1t will go TO the
Academy OF Medicine.