Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-08-25
SANTOS HEAD IS cur OFF
President Carnot's Assassin GULL
otined This Morning at Lyons.
Lost His Nerve at Last-was So Cold and
stin With Fright That lie Had TO
Be Helped Dress Himself
Refused to Eat.

Geronimo Santo, the assassin Of Presi-
The news of the decision to execute
Santo early this morning spread rap.
Idly Notwithstanding the efforts Of the
officials TO keep 1t secret A heavy fall
OF rain prevented the gathering of u
great crowd around the prison. but all
the wine shops aud restaurants in the
vicinity were crowded all evening with
people who proposed to witness
the execution. At midnight, however,
the people were compelled to leave the
places of shelter, ns the tavern keepers
had strict orders TO close their doors at
that hour. The streets leading to ths
prison were occupied by troops. At 1
o'clock all the houses on the streets
were closed n no person allowed to
enter. This ~precaution was intended
TO prevent any attempts at violence on
the part of anarchists.
At 3 o'clock in the morning a wagon
arrived from the prison with the gull
lotine. At $3.50 Santo was led out of
his cell by the guards. lie trembled as
he emerged from the prison and had
To be assisted to the scaffold. His face
wa deathly pale. AS he vas being
fastened down he cried, give Fam
archie" His death was instantaneous.
There was no unusual demonstration.
The crowd outside the ines at 3 o'clock
was small. but from that time il quick
~ swelled until toward 4 o'clock, the
time at which the execution was ex-
pected TO take place. it had grown to
large proportions.
When the preparations Of Diebler
were completed he twice tested the
guillotine and pronounced it satisfac-
tory. Escorted by n squad Of gems
darmes the executioner aud his men en-
tered the prison NJ. Raux. governor
of the prison, awakened Sarto. saying
to him: Courage, Santo. the hour has
arrived" The condemned man, with
a great effort, raised himself. His face
turned livid and his hands and limbs
trem6led convuIsively, despite his
efforts To appear careless TO his fate.
His trembling continued until the
fast moment. He could hardly
stand and his limbs were so stiff with
cold and fright that his clothes were
put on him with the utmost difficulty.
In reply To a question OF the governor
whether he would have breakfast,
Santo declined either food or drink.
lie also refused religious consolation
from the priest.
Santo belonged to what Is known as
the Milan group Of anarchists. He left
his home at the age OF IL, and was ap-
prenticed TO IA baker at the Corso Wit
torio Emanuele, Milan. Two years
z he wns arrested for distributing
lnarchistic hand bills to the
soldiers in front Of the barracks.
lie appealed against the sentence i'm
posed, rs is customary with anarchists
when they are tripped up. and de-
handed a pass to the interior of Italy
IN the plea that he desired to shake"
his revolutionary friends. The pass
was denied him. and a year later he
ran away in order to escape military
iuty. The group of cutthroats to
which Santo belonged in Milan claims
10 have been tho first anarchistic body
recognizing the unsuitablenoss Of the
bomb as "a means OF propaganda.
They are blind, these things, and
wholly untrustworthy, said Santo to a
eomrade. "fhe revolver, too. Is not q
iead sure thing; with the stilletto. on
the other hand, one seldom makes q
mistake"
Another of tho theories OF the Milan
group was h a only monarchs, presi.
dents and prime ministers must be
killed, and that il was much easier to
approach such parties than is generally
believed. In proof of this latter nsser.
ton IL Is only necessary to recall
part of C~aesario's confession made to
The Judge at Lyons, July 2.
Pushed back and forth by police
officials" ne said, II succeeded In
smuggling myself into the second row
VI onlookers near the bourse. There |
waited for nearly an hour, when the
growing excitement about me an
bounced the presidents carriage, pre-
eeded and followed by cavalry; one
mounted guard rode on zach side Of
he vehicle. At the moment when the
INST line Of cavalry had passed, / un.
buttoned my coat, grasped the stiletto.
which, handle foremost, stuck In
my breast pocket, with my left,
md pushed two young men In
front OF me aside. Then | took the
ytiletto in my right hand. ~unsheathed
II, allowing the cover TO fall In the
street, apd quickly moved towards the
presidents vehicle. Resting my left
hand on the door Of the carriage,
plunged the ~stiletto into Carnot's
breast SO deeply that ! touched his
shirt with my hand. ] cried 'Vive la rev.
olution.' Jumping backward ! saw that
nobody had an idea OF what had hap
pened. ! ran past the horses crying.
ivive ranarchie" and tried to escape by
passing between the carriage q and
~tavalry TO the left side of the street,
but men and women refused TO let me
bass. | heard cries OF stop him An
kHioial took hold of my coat collar. two
other persons grabbed for me and l
was badly used all around"