The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-07

of VaiIIant-His Crime and History.
PARIS. Feb. 5.-Bulleun.-Vaill was
executed this morning at 7IO a. m.
PARIS, Feb. $50 a. m.-The execu-
ton OF valiant was determined upon
yesterday The news was only known
last evening. The people began gather
ing soon afterward and the crowd kept
Increasing rapidly in the streets until 2:9o
a m. when a fine rain began to fall
Workmen then started in to erect bar
ricades leading into the square, into
which the people were driven by the po-
lice at 5:2O.
The cafes and wineshops We're all
crowded with the lowest class of citizens,
who loudly commented upon the injustice
of sending valiant to the guiHotine. as
he had killed nobody.
-Four companies of the guardes and the
repubIicaine and a squadron of mounted
guardes formed around the square.
Meanwhile the crowd continued to in
crease and signs of approaching turb-
ulcnce on its part were noticeable. An
ugly rush of men and women up the
Rue de Ia Roquette took place at 4
o'clock, but was stopped by the police.
The wooden scarold upon which Vail
liant is To be executed arrived at AIS
a. m.
PARIS. Feb. August valiant. the
anarchist, who was convicted and SEN
fenced to death for throwing a dynamite
bomb in the chaniDer Of deputies, viii
be executed tomorrow morning. This
settles the question which has for some
days agitated Paris, whether Valiant
would die upon the guilotine or have
his sentence committed for life imprison-
ment on the Isle of Pines. The decision
that he must die is regarded here as a
defeat for the revolutionary party and
a triumph for the opportunists, who,
since the bomb explosion, have been de-
manding The enforcement of vigorous
measures and the strictest application
of the law as a lesson TO the anarchists.
There is no doubt that President Car
not. who has been anxious to act in
strict accordance with the constitution,
has been considerable perpleXed as 10
what course he should take in Vaillant's
case.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press today paid visit to the famous
prison de la Roquette, where the con-
demned anarchist valiant is awaiting
..c
The Roouette is prison for persons
sentenced 10 less than a years imprison-
ment. and is only a temporary place Of
detention for those undergoing longer
terms 1t owes, therefore, its hard repu-
tation to the fact that within its walls
criminals condemned to death, sometimes
as long as four weeks, await the reprieVe
or confirmation Of the sentence.
The prison is situated at the extreme
end of Paris and in one Of the poorer
districts The dismal character of the
neighborhood is intensified by the dilapi-
dated condition, by the surrounding
wretched novels, by the shops containing
exclusively funeral monuments, wreaths,
etc, and by the vicinity of the Pere la
Chalse cemetery. 1t is in front Of the
prison gate on an open space between
two small squares that the guillotine is
erected on execution mornings. Five
large granite slabs mark the exact spot
upon which II must stand.
The Gate Guarded.
Not more than twenty yards from
this spot a sentry guards the gate and
announces visitors. In response to the
correspondents call warder emerged
from the side gate, looked at the pass
and desired the visitor to cross at the
yard and knock at another heavy gate
This second gate is the entrance to the
prison proper. The warder showed the
visitor to an Office, where the latter was
requested TO wait. He had no time to
enter into conversation with the clerks,
for the chief warder came in, introduced
himself and said that he was at the
callers disposal.
The prison de Ia Roquette, which was
designed by "A German is a three-storied
building Of massive stone. 1t is sur
rounded by two square walls, each about
thirty feet high. \ walk. fifteen feet
wide, separates the prison from the first
wall and another walk, equally wide
separates this from the outer wall. Sen
tries are on duty day and night on both
Of these walks. only the most reliable
prisoners are allowed, under escort, To
sweep them Escapes are thus rendered
we'll nigh impossible. In fact, not even
an attempt at an escape has ever been
recorded.
The prison proper contains two inner
courts. lne Ufst anu the larger OF the
two is surrounded by the four walls, with
nothing to relieve their monotOny other
than the four rows of equi-distant, heav-
lily barred square windows running i'm
straight line. The uniform Of the pris-
oners is composed Of a gray jacket with
brass buttons, gray trousers, gray skull
hat and clogs. This was worn by
clean-shaven youth, who, as distinctive
mark had two red stripes on the top Of
his jacket. He was busily engaged i'm
cleaning the yard.
In reply to a question he said that all
prisoners undergoing Imprisonment of
over three weeks are shaved and that
men whose behavior was good were al
lowed more freedom and were given en-
ployment as assistants to the warders.
The ground floor of the prison is occu-
pied by the refectory, the library and the
workshops. The work of the latter is
contracted by the government at 10pence
per day. Half of this is kept to defray
the expense OF the maintenance Of the