The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-16
keen blade and another anarchist had

keen blade and another anarchist had
died for a mistaken cause.
There was no unusual demonstrations
attending the execution.
The news of the decision to execute
Santo in the early morning spread rap
idly, notwithstanding the efforts to keep
rants in the vicinity were crowded al
evening with people who wanted to Wit
ness the execution.
However. these psople were compelled
to leave their placs of shelter. as tavern
keepers had orders to close their doors
at that hour and the streets leading 10
the prison were occupied by troops. -.
Santo had to walk fifty yards from ms
cell to the scaffold which was IN the
square facing the prison.
When the preparations of Diebler had
been completed. he tested the gulliotlne
and pronounced it satisfactory.
1t was 4:25 o'clock. and the troops mac
closed in around the guillotine When
daylight arrived, the fEquare and the
streets near by were thronged. Escorted
by squad of gen d'armes. the execution
er and his men entered the prison at 4:5U'
Nj. Raux, the governor OF the prison.
awakened Santo. saying to him:
Courage, the hour has arrived
The condemned man with great EFFORT
raised himself, his face turned livid, ana
despite his efforts to appear careless as
to his fate. The trembling continued
until the last moment. He could hardly
stand and his limbs were so stiff from
cold and fright that his clothes were put
on him with the utmost difficulty.
In reply to the question ar Whe daeI, ne
either food or drink. He also refused re-
ligious consolation. At 1850 Santo was led
out of his cell by the guards His race
was deadly pale.
AS he was being fastened down ne
cried: 'Vive PAnarchle.'
Asked whether he desired to speak
to the judge, he replied in the negative.
He also declined to see his counsel.
Have you any last wishes to com
municate?" he was asked.
Mo- he answered. only send my
letters to my mother
/ When Governor Raux spoke to Santo
of his mother the condemned man S
eyes filled with tears and he nearly
choked with emotion. He soon regalned
his hahtual Indifference, although still
pallid and trembling.
I From this moment he said nothing
more.
: When he was assisted into the wag-
on, he was in most pitiable condition.
His knees shook together and his teeth
chartered. He no longer appeared like
a man, but being half dead with ter
ror.
/ The command to Elk bayonets" was
now sounded from squadron to squad
ron of troops, while murmurs arose
from the ever-growing crowd.
Diebler and his assistants and the Of
ficials issued from the prison at 4:50
o'clock. At the command to present
arms" and draw swords. the wagon
issued from the building and took up a
place on the left side of the guillotine.
The assistants fixed the gangway. The
priest approached Santo. who pretend
ed not to see him.
/ When SantO appeared. walking with
extreme difficulty, his open shirt dis
played his breast, frail and bony, his
eyes were first fixed on the guillotine
and then wandered to the troops and
the crowd
He uttered the cries. Courage, my
comrades ''Vive L anarchie," but the
sound issued feebly from his closed teeth
and was scarcely audible beyond the
troops
The words were hardly uttered when
Santo was seized and pushed towards
the bascule. He made feeble struggle
and fell. His weight was much toe
light and his eXeCutionerS were COM
PEELED TO raise him and thrust him for
ward
He made another frantic movement
obliging Diebler to come to the assist
ance of his men, and place Santos head
under the lunette. Much time was
taken up with these movements A
last Deibler pressed the handle and re
leased the knife. A sharp. short SOUND
announced the severance of vertebrae
squirt of blood sprinkled the wagon
the head fell into a basket of saw dus
and the body was rolled into another.
Braves sounded from the crowd
which seemed less moved than on ordi
nary executions.