The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-02-05

THE CLEANING KNIFE
Great Crowds Witness the Exc
cution Despite Secrecy.


anarchist who, on December 9 last, threw
q bomb into the chamber Of deputies,
was executed at 1880 o'clock this morn-
ing. His last words We're. "Death to
society. Long live anarchy"
The execution of Valiant was de-
cided surprise . the people of this city,
who have for week past been haunting
ihe neighborhood 0f the Place DE Ia
Roqueue IN anticipation Of Witnessing
Naulants execution. AS late Sunday
afternoon it was reported that Premier
Casimir- Perier and MI Dupuy, president
of the chamber of deputies, favored
communication of the anarchists otfense
and il was said that even if he was exc
cuted at all he would not be decapitated
until the middle Of this week.
But late last evening throughout Paris,
in some mysterious manner. it became
known that valiant was to be executed,
and people soon afterwards began gath
ering about the neigh borhood of the
famous prison Of La Roquette, and at 2
o'clock this morning, ia spite of the fact
that i was raining, quite large crowd
had gathered about the prison and
watched the workmen erecting barri-
cades across all the streets leading to the
square, from which the people were soon
afterwards driven by the police.
Erecting the GulIIotine-
The night was pitch dark when the
work of erecting the guIllOtine was com
menced- The lower classes sent repre-
sentatives who appeared to be ia sym
pathy with the man about to be executed
and were loud ia their blasphemies and
threats of Whit would happen ia the near
future if the present condition of affairs
continued Shortly before o'clock
detachment Of the garde republicans ar
rived upon the spot and the center of the
Hlaca le La R0quette was cleared.
Later a squadron OF mounted gardes re-
publicanes arrived on the spof.
The arrival of tine military caused the
crowds to Increase and there was u rush
of men ana women up the rue la Ro-
Quette. which caused the police to make
"a determined counter movement, sweep
ing the crowd backward until order was
completely restored
BY his time fully 1000 people Of var
ious descript pms and gardes republicanes
We're upon the spot and everything was
ready for the arrival of the guiIlodne.
This familiar death machine arrived in
two arge vans at about $3.50 a. m- ac-
companied by Monsieur de Paris fN.
Dieolerl the public executioners dressed
in . frock coat and a high nat.
NJ. Diebier superintendent every little
detail Of the work in his several assist
ants, who piece by piece. and in deep
silence, only broken py the sounds of the
heavy mailets which they used, slowly
erected the platforms So familiar to the
general public.
When the guill0tine was standing com
plete ANA ready for its deadly work. On
the well marked spot in the center Of the
Place, the eXecudOner, lantern ia hand,
carefully examined every part of the
machine, Including tile wicker basket
nearly full of sawdust, which was to re-
ceive the head of the anarchist
W hile the work Of the erection was ia
progress. 81. Diebler Informed the police
officers ia charge of the place that there
seemed to be less space than usual in the
Square, but rhe officers Informed the eX-
cutioner that the crowd was kept at the
usual distance, 10 which II. Diebler re-
piled: swell never mind, bomb might
be thrown from the barriers" The police
however, after consultation. determined
to take the eXecudoner's hint. and the
barriers at the different streets and about
the various portions Of the square We're
ordered 10 be moved backward.
President Carnot Threatened.
While this work was ln progress the
report reached the group of newspaper
men who assembled 10 witness the exc
cution chat President Carnot had recent
ly received several threatening letters,
and that the police were taking extraor-
dlnary precautions to prevent the posi-
blllty of a bomb outrage. h. DiebIer's
sQn-ln-iaw and assistant during the early
morning was kind enough to impart q
piece of news to the newspaper repre-
aeutatlves WlO had mustered IN force at
neigh5oring cafe, where they clinked
glasses with the eXecuti0ners while wait
ing for dawn
A Diebler's assistant said that the ex-
eculoner no longer holds both ears of
the condemned man, as has been the
custom until recently, when the head of
the criminal has been passed through the
neckhole below the knife preparatory
TO the falling Of that trenchent blade
81 hen asked the reason for this chance
in the method Of execution H. DeibIeT,s
assistant said that 1T was because the fn-
gers of the public executi0ner had been
badly bitten by Iropmann at the time of
the execution of the assassin. who object
ed to having his ears held in the manner
described.
ssM Diebler.s the newspaper mans in
formant added. snow leaves the lob Of
holding the ears to one of his assistants.
we don't believe Naillant VIII bite. how
even"
The police Arrangements were adni-
Eable, and long before the hour set for
he execution, complete order prevailed
everywhere and the chief of the munici-
pal police came towards the prison with
his lieutenants to prepare the real busi-
ness Of the day. BY this time the rain