Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
THAT AWFUL ENDING
"Jollying" Murderers Who Await
the Guillotine.
ARE NERVED UP ON STIMULATES
After All Most MercifuI of Death
instruments.
DRAMATIC SCENES ENACTED
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
PARIS, August Is, 1906

lotine. It was ten minutes after the news
came to him that the death penalty had
been COMMITTED to transportation, and the
ineffable JOY, peace and satisfaction that,
yelling up from the criminals black heart
to transfgure his ugly countenance into
something almost beautiful. left no doubt
in our minds as to the superior terrors of
capital punishment. This French murderer
wds simply delighted to go to the penal
settlement of Cayenne for life. He knew
hard work and brutal treatment waited for
him there. Still he was joyful. He had es-
capped the guillotine!
1t was by accident that we saw him at
the moment when the prison barber was
clipping his hair and mustaohe into con-
formity with the regulation baroness Of the
other prisoners. We were being shown
through the Sante prison and had come to
the hospital-like section Of "the old men,"
where the discipline is not strict. Hoary
old villains there pass uneventful days en-
gagged in swapping tales Of fraud, thievery
and violence. AZ we stood there new
man was brought ina young man, at
tended by two guards. who paid singular at
tention to him. Then there FASTENED In the
prison governor attended by the barber,
and Immediately the whisper went around
In whose favor President Loubet had exer-
cised his clemency. The barber started to
work expeditiously. We sent UP our re-
quest to the governor for permission to
natured, slouchy-looking assassin, seemed
unable to get over the excitement Of his
reprieve. He talked necessarily, IN half
whisper. boasting Of his plans for a new
life in new land.
when Monsieur lie Directeur entered his
cell this morning" one Of the guards whis-
bered to U.S. Sale was playing CARDS with
us. nervous. petulant. without interest
ing Sale said the latter your sentence
is committed At these words the prisoner
seemed to be taken III. His face became
congested with blood and his words choked
he fainted He ia laxative enough now,
but you ought to have seen him at the first
moment. He must have been terribly afraid
Of the big knife
This prison guardian. recently transferred
from the Grande RoQuette, had been on the
death watch of many condemned criminal
"They are all alike" he told us afterward.
1.-The moment they enter the condemned
found prostration. which lasts several days,
sometimes a week. Little by little how
ever, their energy awakens, and the hope
Of a Communication. which we try to raise
in their breasts-begins to dull the effects
Of the death sentence"
1t seems that 1t Is particularly the duty
Of the priest to jolly the unfortunate How
does he persuade them they are going to be
"Oh. he talks about the possibility Of the
sentence being 9uashed by the court of
cessation" was the answer. leases Of the
same kind he has known where the culprtt
got off on teohnicality. Then he goes on
to the second chance Of presidential Glenn
ency, the great proportion Of pardons Of
late years. and the well-knOwn humanity
of NJ. Loubet. But chiefly he takes it for
M al q fn q
transportation for life, and paints a glowing
picture of new career in Cayenne. where
one may become an Independent farmer In
time with good behavior. The miserable
fellows are only too willing to believe him.
They hold on to life like drowning man to
a hencoop."
Their days often pass agrseably enough
while waiting for the communication" con-
tinued the prison guardian. because they
have wine tobacco. playing cards and two
Of US constantly with them to amuse them,
but their nights are wretched. When sleep
comes at last 1t is agitated and feverish.
Sometimes they stay UP late ip order to
wake up late in the morning. It Ia impos-
sible. They always wake. with frightened
shock. about daylight, at the hour they i'm
agne the execution ought to take place
The French plan is to give no notice Of tn the
prisoner Is lulled into false sense Of Sc
guardian told me, had an aecompIice who
developed mental eccentracities during the
trial. BY reason of this my man made a
completely false calculation with regard to
could be decided for three wsalxs. the time
necessary to examine into the mental state
Of the other. Yet few days after making
this comforting discovery he was taken out
one morning to have his head cut off,"
Another did his best to persuade the guar
dian to tell him the moment his appeal for
clenency had been rejected.
my friend" said the guardian, you will
at 1Qat NM ant
they announce to You your Communication or
your Immediate execution"
But ! want to know q few days in adj
vance SAID the prisoner, I'm order to write
Humanity refuse, -, that aggravat,on Of
the eormal-nl1nded Frenchman.
Morning of the Execution.
When the fateful morning arrives. scarce
ly fifteen minutes elapse between the recep
ton OF the news and the falling of the
wretch's head. The guillotine already has
been erected In the gray dawn. The prts-
oner may be doing fitfully. The heavy
key turns in the lock, the bolt shoots and
the door opens. The prisoner jumps from
his couch to see the directeur standing
there in company Of the priest, two execu-
TONERS assistants and other functiona ries
''Be brave" he says, calling the prisoner
by the court Of cassAtion, and your prayer
for communication has not been granted
The moment for expiation has come. Have
courage! Dress yOurselfr'
The majority are SO dazed that they dress
and move about mechanically. This guard
remembered one frghtful case OF resist
ance. however. It was the case Of Gaspard
and Mayer. two villains who deliberately
assassinated q rich old Paris shopkeeper
Mayors sentence had been commuted; and
1t was Gaspard alone whom the directeur
had to awaken that morning. The first
question Of Gaspard was: lis Mayer to die
with me9"
''My friend" satd the priest, "the min
uteS are too precious to think Of others
than yourself"
But It's an infamyp cried Gaspard.
Mayer Is more guilty than ami
A horrible scene then took place. Cas-
pard. knocking one of the guards senseless
with blow straight from the shoulder
threw himself on the directeur of the prison
and succeeded in biting his ear. It took
four men to drag him from the cell. They
dressed him as best they could in the cor
ridor. The prison doctor having been sent
for hastily, was begged to do something
to prevent a scandal-for the execution.
like all others at that time was to take
place In public. 'It did not take him long
to give Gaspard a hypodermic," said the
guard, telling the story. Whatever 1t
was. morphine or hyocene or some other
stupefyer. 1t had an almost instant effect
on the ruff1an. He became dopey, and
seemed to be stupidity happy, walking In q
kind of trance. They clipped his hair and