Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-29
pears to have been forgotten with the

ouginators.
But it is the lawful costume, pre-.
! scribed in the regulations, which apply
also to the twelve civilian witnesses who
must attend an execution, with the re-
! suit that a stranger witness is unable tC
say until the ak has fallen which of the
other fifteen silk-hatted, frock-coated
| individuals grouped about him is the
man who lives by death.
DIR. Wesley, an American physician
was admitted to one of these executions
1t was lacking just ten minutes of the
! Eoup of when DIR. Wesley presented
! himself at the prison gate. His card
vas taken by an attendant and he was
I led thru the prison to another gate open
/ ing upon small courtyard. Here he
found the first states attorney and the
| second states attorney, accompanied by
| their secretaries, standing beside a small
table, upon which were spread the legal
Lapers in the case and which contained
| also crucifX and two candles. The at
| torneys wore their robes of black, with
black velvet skullcaps. Behind them
were grouped the other witnesses. who
had arrived earlier, and the prison
guards, who wore swords. Near one end
CT the table was the head block, sepa-
rated from the body block by a space of
a foot and half. the space being filled
III with a zinc kettle, the purpose of
which may be guessed. On the other
side of the block was smaller table
covered with a white cloth. and under
this cloth was the ax-the handle ready
to the hand of the headsman. AT the end
OF the courtyard, near the great gates
which were to open for the condemned 8
passage into eternity, lay an open coffin,
partly filled with shavings and sawdust.
The doctor relates what he saw and
heard as follows:
The prison bell tolled the hour, and
upon the first stroke the great doors at
the end of the courtyard swung wide to
admit the condemned. On one side of
him walked the prison inspector on the
other side a priest. Deppe halted for a
moment and looked defiantly down the
courtyard. He was clad only in trousers
and undershrt, with his coat thrown
loosely across his shoulders. Urged by
the Inspector, he marched up to the table
presided over by the states attorneys.
The priest fell back few PAGES and the
eNecutioner stepped over between the
block and the table covered with white
CLOTH from which point he eyed Deppe
rather nervously. l thought The pro-
ceeding was extremely solemn and de-
corous.
After moment of impressive Nsilence
the states attorney said: Now. Deppe,
do you. In the face of immediate death.
desire to ease your conscience by free
confession or do you Still stick to your
lie? The prisoner spoke then for the
first time L have nothing to confess
he said
"'Then came the dramatic moment.
The states attorney raised his hand and
said to Herr Reindell: Do your duty.
The executioner waved his hand at his
assistants. On the instant one OF them
seized the coat and tore it from the
shoulders of the condemned. the others,
one on each side, lifting Deppe at the
same moment and throwing him pros
trate on the block table. AS his body fel!
into position the assistant who had
taken the coat fastened his hands In the
mans hair and stretched his
neck out upon the block. holding to ii
with all the force of which his strong
arms were capable. AS the neck came
white covering from the table beside him
with his left hand, and as he swung
around with the same motion the ak
nashed into play and descened upon the
harer neck Just above the shoulders. 1t
was done so quickly and SO clear was
tie cut that the condemned mans head
was off. and by the hands of the assist
ant. who had not released his hold upon
(, was laid beside the block while we
still were straining to meet the climax
Herr Reindell. with back swing
from the block. laid his ak upon the ia
sle and drew the cover across 1t to hide {
he gore. saying at the same time: Mr.. 4
First States Attorney, the sentence has
been carried out
"It was true. The head was off. the
ran dead almost before we knew it.
There had been no struggle. no distress
rig battle against a fate that could not
,e beaten off Deppe was taken as much
" surprise as We're the witnesses, and
he intended to resist he had waited
ust that one instant too long. BY the
,rison inspectors watch exactly twenty
even seconds and no more elapsed be-
ween the time when the states attorney
aid. DO your duty, and the time wheE
oeppe's head was laid upon the floor
reside the block.
Instead of bloody spectacle it was
clean execution. The trunk of the
cad man fell forward into the space be-
ween the block table and the block.
What blood there was ran out of view
nto that zinc receptacle. When the ar
cries had ceased to flow Herr Reindell
lgned to his assistants to lift the body.
nd 1t was placed at once in the coffin.
lie himself lifted the head by the hair
nd laid it beside the trunk. Then the
offin lid was fastened down, a card
earring the address of the Anatomical
institute of the University of Kiel was
acked upon it, and the corpse was
aiken away.
Judging from my own observation, I
hould say that in all the years that
ave elapsed since beheading went out
fashion in other parts of Europe we
ave not been able to produce g substi
ate which Is at one and the same time
o terrifying and so merciful to the con-
emned as the old chopping block. 1t is
etter than hanging, more certain even
han electricity. 1t has also that quality
{ horror which serves better than any
Their method ever devised, except per-