The herald., 1894-01-11
VA|LLANT'S DOOM SEALED
The Paris Bomb Thr0wer to
Be Beheaded.
Convicted and Condemned. in
Short Order.
The Culprit Made a Full Confession
of His Crime.
He Thanked the Jary for Their Verdict
and Cried "vive ls Guiliotine ~
When His Sentence Was
Pronounced.
BY the Associated Press.

PARIS, Jan. 10.--The trial of August
Valiant, the anarchist who threw the
bomb in the chamber of deputies, began
today. The courthouse was surrounded
by guards. Nobody was allowed to pass
unidentified. The court was thronged.
The opening proceedings were purely
formal. A report was circulated that
outside the court.
The court made short work Of the
trial, which resulted in condemning the
prisoner to death.
After the prisoner admitted, in reply
to questions by the public prosecutor.
that he had been several times in prison
for theft. the prisoner exclaimed
fiercely: "The unjust conditions OF So
ciety are responsible for what you are
pleased to term robbery"
valiant said he conceived the idea OF
blowing up the chamber of deputies
while living at Choisy lie Roy. He ad-
mitted that he obtained the money with
which he purchased the materials for
making the bombs from the results OF
theft. Later on he reluctantly admitted
that he received 20 francs from Madame
Paul Reclus, wife of young engineer
and nephew OF the distinguished French
geographical writer. Jacques Elyze
Reclus. Valiant, however, insisted
that Madam Reclus gave him the money
as an act of charity, not as subscrip-
ton to the cause of anarchy, or in any
wav to further the ends which hs bad
in view.
Valiant said he regretted that the
bomb did not have the effect he desired,
and explained that this was owing to
the fact that one of his neighbors in the
gallery accidentally knocked his arm
while he was in the act OF throwing the
loaded missile at the deputies.
At this point the presiding Judge
turned to the prisoner and said: II
suppose you wanted to hit Cassimir-
Perier, the premier"
mo- replied valiant, 81 did not aim
at anyone in particular, but / aimed to
kill some minister's; all the ministers
are the same to me"
Valiant continued at ia true | hit
some of the spectators, but | only in
tended to hurt deputies or ministers,
and l would rather see three or four
ministers or deputies killed than have
one spectator injured"
The Judge tried to interrupt the pri-
soner, but valiant succeeded in adding
81 am not waging war against the
people, but against society, and / aimed
directly at those parasite deputies"
The jury retired at 5:35 pm. and
were absent 25 minutes. Upon their
return it was announced that they
found the prisoner guilty without ex-
tenuating circumstances.
Upon hearing the foreman's answer
to the judges question asking him if
the Jury had agreed on a verdict, Vail
liant sprang to his feet and shouted; ''It
is death. | thank you for it."
The presiding judge then announced
the sentence of death, and valiant,
upon hearing the words which con-
demned him to the guillotine, shouted !:
"Vive le axe"
valiant refused to sign the appeal to
the court of cessation against his SEN
tence."
At the close of the public prosecutors
interrogatory valiant rose and said
"You, sire, have the habit of presiding
in this court. | am not accustomed to
appearing here, and you will excuse me
if make one remark. On returning
from America thought could be sat-
isfied with the established libraries to
prepare my brains for revolution. l
thought to make good living this way,
but my master would not give me more
than 20 francs week. spoke to him
of my wife and child and he replied,
What is that to me? That sum
was not enough to keep me and
mine from dying of hunger. Then |
felt must not delay to make my revo-
luton myself, and | took my bomb into
the chamber OF deputies 10 order to ex-
pound my theoretical ideas. As | am
not an orator have written my declara-
ton. May read it?"
Vaillant's address occupies almost
column in a newspaper, and is written
with considerable ability. valiant will
probably be the fret person to be gull
lot;ned within prison walls, for NJ.
Reinoch has taken charge of the bill
passed by the senate, and which has
Just been returned TO the mber,
against the publicity OF executions.