The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-23
The MURDERER OF MONACO

| There is little kingdom on the shore
OF the Mediterranean sea, between
/ r rance and Italy. The name OF the
kingdom is Monaco. Its population is
smaller than that OF the big village.
amounting 10 about 700 people, and there
IS not even as much as an acre OF land to
soul But there is q real kingiet in this
I little kingdom by the sea; and the king
/ let mas everything palace. a court
ministers, archbishops. generals. and also
| an army. Not big army, just sixty men,
put an army, nevertheless. The kingIet' s
income IS very Insignificant. To be sure
/ there IS tax or tobacco, on wine, and
on brandy, as everything else. and the
/ people there drink and smoke, yet their
number is so small that the kinglet
would not have enough TO support him
sell, his court, and his officials. II he did
not have a special source OF income. The
special income is from the gambling es-
adjustment IN his kingdoIn-from rou-
lette- People gamble, lose or win, and
the proprietor gains all the time. And
out OF these gains the proprietor pays
tie kinglet big sums Of money. He pays
Dig sums Of money, because this is the
only gambling establishment that re-
mains in Europe. Before, there used to
be such gambling establishments in the
domain Of each Of the German princes,
but they were prohibited some time ago.
they used 10 bring about many disagreea-
bic consequences. Some one would come
there to gamble. would lose everything
his own and sometimes other peoples
money as well-and then he would either
drown or shoot himself for grief. The
Germans prohibited this in the domain of
their princes, but there was nobody TO
prohibit it in Monaco. So it remains
there.
One day, about five years ago. a murder
took place in the land Of this kinglet.
The people Of that kingdom are a peace
full lot, and such a thing never happened
there before. The Judges assembled, in
vestigated, and tried the case There
were judges, and prosecutors, and jury
men, and lawyers. They tried the case.
and condemned the man to capital pun
ishment-to death by the guillotine- Very
we'll The decree was presented to the
kingiet. The kinglet read the sentence
and confirmed it. The murderer should be
put TO death. But there was one trouble
the kingdom had neither the guillotine
nor the executioner to behead the Grim
NAL.
The ministers began to think what to
do, and they soon decided TO inquire OF
the French government whether IL could
furnish for a certain time the necessary
machine and executiOner to behead a
criminal, and how much the thing would
cost. A letter was forwarded to the
French government. In a week they re-
ceived an answer, saying that the ma
chine and the executioner could be had
for the sum OF 1900 francs. This was re-
ported to the kinglet. The kinglet thought
the matter over, considered it carefully.
is0uBII puBsnoql usslxIS
AT the meeting 1t was decided to write
to the king Of Italy. The French gov
eminent was a republic; it had no respect
TO- 1t
ter all, one Of hteir own. He might,
therefore, quote lower rate. The letter
was forwarded, and an answer came i'm
mediateyl. The Italian government wrote
that IL would send both the machine
and the executioner with pleasure, and
that it would cost in all 1900 francs.
Cheaper, but dear, nevertheless. The
1000 francs. This would again mean to
assess the people a little less than two
francs each
Again q session was held. The minis
ters thought, considered the matter care
fully. Perhaps It could be done IN a less
expensive way. Perhaps some Of the sol
diers would undertake TO behead the
murderer. A general was summoned.
Isn't there a soldier in your army who
would cut a rascal's head 'off?" he was
asked. Anyway, they are supposed to
kill people in time of wari That's what
a soldier is trained forl'
The general spoke to the soldiers, but
none of them would undertake to do IT,
No. they said, we can't do this, nor
were we taught to do it."
What was to be done2 Again they
thought and thought, called special ses- /
sions, committees, commissions. Then
they changed their minds, and decided to
substitute life Imprisonment for capital
punishment. The king would thus show
his mercy, and at the same time the ex-
pense would not be so large. The king I
was satisfied, and the matter was set
tied But here was another trouble {
there was no permanent prison In the /
land, where the prisoner might be kept (
for a lifetime. There were some small I
rooms where prisoners were held for a I
short time, but there was no solid prison I
to keep one forever. A place was found /
In the end. The fellow was imprisoned. 4
A guard was stationed to watch him.
The guard watched him, and used to go /
TO the kitchen of the kinglet to get food 4
for the prisoner. The fellow was there I.
six months-a year.
At the end Of the year the kinglet be- (
gan to go over his accounts, and noticed /
a new expense; and not small expense
It was that went to maintain the prison
sr. special guard, and foodl It cost I
him 600 francs during the year. And the /
another fifty years. Just think Of how
much that would amount tot Too expen-
5ive. 1t could not remain so. The king
let summoned the ministers and told /
them: Think of some plan by which we
can punish that rascal more cheaply.
He costs US entirely too much" The min
sters assembled and cudgeIled their
heads over the matter. One OF them
said. I believe ii were a good idea TO
discharge the guard" Said another:
But the prisoner win run away" Let
him goi" said the first
This was reported 10 the king He, too.
vas satisfied. The guard was discharged.
Now they wondered what the prisoner
would do. They saw that wher the din
her hour arrived the criminal came out.
ooked around for the guard. and. not l
iuding him, went TO the kitchen OF the
King to get something TO eat. He took
averything they gave him there. went
back 10 the prison. closed the door be-
hind him, and stayed there. They next
lay be did the same He went for his
.Ood. came back-but did not 20 away.
What now? Again they thought
let us rather tell him plainly" they
said, that We don't want him there any
ouger Let him go"
Very well The minister OF justice sum
noned the prisoner and said n him.
Why don't you so away There IS no
me % watch you there You may freely
cave the prison, and the king won't feel
nsuited''
The king wouldn't feel insuIted. but
nave no place TO 60. Where shall 7 go7
you have disgraced me by the sentence;
lobody viii have anything % do with nc
low. I am retired from everything now.
You did not treat me properly X was
Troug 10 act So You condemned me 70
-auital punishment. Very wei. Tou
.hould have killed me-bur you didn't
That IS first Then you sentenced ne TO
Imprisonment for lie. and put guard
o bring ne food. Then you removed the