The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-25
GU|LLO7INE
NOWADAYS
Graphic Description of Bung,
ling Beheading in South
Pacific Isle.

A horrible story of the execution
of a murderer in New Caledonia, a
French possession in the South Pa
cific. was related yesterday afternoon
by Henry Sargent, Jr, passenger
aboard the big five-masted steel
schooner KineO- Young Sargent Is
the son of a millionaire of Worcester,
Mass. and at the age of 13 decided
that the pangs of wanderlust could
not be assuaged by trips to the sub
urbs and picnics to the hills and
dales. He secured the permission of
his parents TO romp over the globe
on those ships that call at the re
hottest corners of the earth-wind-
TANNERS.
After sailing for several years in
vessels of various types, he joined
the East India clipper LuZOn, about
two years ago, and went with 1t to
Manila in the remarkably short time
of 162 days from New York. From
the Philippines the ship made sail
to the southwark and anchored in
side the coral reef at NOumea, the
only town on the island of New Gale
donna This island is 1871 miles long,
and upon it is located French con-
Wet camp and prison. The nearest
port is Sydney. Australia, and that
CITY Is 11UO away.
I'VE had been loading chrome,
said Sargent, about a week. | went
ashore one night and registered at
was informed by some people who
spoke butchered English that for the
first time in many years prisoner
would be guillotined at daylight next
morning. arose in time to be
witness. The hotel is built on the
Old4fashioned colonial plan, every
room opening into a court or bal
cony. The man who was to be de-
capitated was a great, powerful Arab
who had slain his keeper a few
weeks before, and, despite the petit
ton of many people on the island,
the president of France had refused
to grant a respite.
The GuiIIotine.
The guillotine was rugged on the
public square directly in front of the
room l occupied Just as dawn was
breaking l heard a great connection
in the street below, and, hurriedly
slipping into my clothes. | stepped
out on the balcony and stood among
the clinging vines. The swarthy
Arab, named Kenatra, was marched
up to the scaffc1d escorted, by a cor
don of 100 gendarmes, and bound
hand and foct. His head was then
placed on the block, and from my
elevated position it wa clear that
the headsman had lost his nerve and
fUmbled badly.
Finally the great knife was hoist
ed. In his condition of nervousness
the e&ecutioner failed to guage the
exact distance, and as he snapped
the triggr, the heavy blade descended
and sliced off the top of the mans
head as though it had been a cheese
shrek rang out upon the gray of
the tropical morning and the bungler
he was performing the duties Of
the regular headsman. VINO had died
years before-hoisted the blade again,
adjusted the Writhing BODY and snap
ped the trigger. This time the gear
fOuled. Again the blade was suspend
ed, and after clearing the tackle, was
released quick as a flash. / dropped
flush upon the neck, and his head
was precipitated at least twenty-five
feet in the air And then, women
and men mOaned. and many of them
tainted dead away
Il have seen some grewsome
| things during my years at sea, but
never before nor since have | seen
anything that produced such feel
ing of nerve-racing horror as that
scene there in the peaceful dawn of
a January morning. 1t had such an
| effect on the people that they re-
| solved then and there that the e1Iillo-
tine should be relegated to the scrap
| plIe, ana that never again would thew
tolerate such medieval barbarity."