Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-21
Franoh, the Barcelona Bomb Thrower,
Garroted.
His LAST WORDS An ANARCHIST SONG
Scoffed at Religion and Sconed
the Priests.
THE LYCEO THEATER AFFAIR

BARCELONA, Spain, November, 81 -
Jose Salvador Franch, one of the most des-
perate of all anarchists, the man who
threw the dynamite bomb at the Liceo
Theater, this city, on November 1, 1893,
killing twenty persons and wounding fifty
others, was executed this morning by the
garrote. RE
Franch displayed the utmost bravado,
shouted Down with religion" and died al
most with the words of an anarchist song
upon his lips.
Franch, who spent the last twenty-four
hours of his life in the black-draped chap
ell of the prison, according to the Spanish
custom, only slept about an hour during
the night. The wife and little daughter
of the condemned man, contrary to gen.
eral expectation, were admitted to see
him in the chapel.
But their tenderness and sympathy were
utterly thrown away upon the anarchist.
who also remained obdurate to the admin
istrations of the priests who kept him
company in the chapel. He scoffed at their
suppllcations to prepare himself for death
and laughed dersively at their refer
ences to a future life.
The anarchists wife made a last effort
to soften his heart, but he roughly told
her TO go away and she tearfully with
drew, after kissing him.
AitcI HIS Wllc Hdu tell tEe Cnapef,r TanCn
continued to treat the priests with con-
tempt saying among other things: II
fooled you nicely. Hypocrisy is new
weapon which I have shown anarchists
how to USE"
The Executioners Appear.
At am. the judge, with the court
clerks and other officials, entered the
chapel and told Franch to prepare for
death. The advent of these officials was
EolI A.
executioners, who. as they began to dress
the prisoner for the scaffold, were con-
tinually insulted by the desperate man.
Franch shreked: do your miserable
work. You are only the tools Of the bour-
geoisie."
ton was then formed. Franch was sur
rounded by soldiers and was accompa-
MED by numbers of members Of the
ciety known as the Brothers of the Good
Death. Franch walked trembling to the
scafold which was erected in the large
court yard of the prison. A number of
spectators were admitted to this Enclosure
and large numbers of troops were present
in order to keep the spectators at a prop
er distance from the scaffod. A double
line of soldiers and mounted gendarmes
performed this duty.
AS the anarchist mounted the steps lead
ing to the platform upon which was the
garrote he shouted: Down with all re-
hgions. Nive ianarchie.'
The executioners then seized him, and as
he struggled and cried, they forced him in
to the chair, at the back of which was the
garrote. Franch was then strapped down
to the seat, and as this work was being
performed he renewed his anarchist cries
anu tried to sing an anarchist hymn.
Quick Work.
But his false courage was evidently fast
giving way, for he stopped in the midst of
his death song to iInplore his execuuoners
to hurry their final preparations for death.
The trembling prisoners neck was then en-
circled by the fatal collar, the screw was
swiftly applied and death was almost in
Simultaneous.
The whole affair reflected great credit
upon the executioners. for only about a
minute aud a half elapsed from the time
Franch mounted the platform until he was
pronounced dead.
The military band which was In attend
ance then played and the eXecutioners
moved away from the platform.
The body of Franch, however, with the
collar of the garrote around his neck, viii
remain exposed until shutdown, and will be
viewed by large crowds of people, for the
inhabitants Of Barcelona and its nefghbOr-
hood are focking to the prison from all
parts In order to obtain glimpse of the
body of the man who a little more than
year ago caused such a sensation in this
city, and who threw SO many families into
mourning.
At shutdown the society of the Brothers of
the Good Death will take possession of the
body and convey 1t to the cemetery, beg
ging money all along the route In order to
raise funds with which to have masses said
for the repose of the soul of the anarchist.