Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-19
RIOT AT EXECUTION
GuiIIotining in Paris Stirs
RevoIutionaries.
POLICE OFFICIAL WOUNDED
Shots Fired by Crowd and Troops
Have Difficulty in Clearing
the Streets. -
Foreign Correspondence Of The Star.

PARIS, July G. 1910.
If any arguments still were lacking to
those Frenchmen-and they form the vast
majority OF the nationwide demanded
that executions be private, they certainly
would be provided by the guilotining of
the Apache Liabeuf. 1t will be remem-
bered that Liabeuf, a iourneyman cob
bier, having provided himself with arm
lets studded with long spikes and armed
himself with knife and revolver an
nounced in tavern one day at the be-
ginning of this year that he Intended to
kill policeman in revenge for his arrest
and condemnation for what is known as
vagabondage special. of which he de-
clared that he was innocent-a declara-
ton that he repeated when his death was
only matter of hours.
Two policemen who had no connection
with his former condemnation were sent
to arrest Liabeuf. His armlets were con-
cealed by cloak, and when they tried
to seize him by the arms their hands
were lacerated by the spikes. Liabeuf at
once used his knife, stabbing both police
men. Though badly wounded. they stuck
to their man and followed him into a
narrow passage in a small hotel where
he returned at bay and drew his revolver
He killed the policeman Deray, whom he
had previously stabbed. and when others
came to the rescue carried on a desper-
ate battle, wounding several Of them, and
only surrendered when confronted by a
policeman who had at last drawn his
saber.
Revolutionaries Start Trouble.
The revolutienaries seized the oppor-
tunity of turning this affair into an at
tack on the police and the forces of law
M nNNA
declaring that Liabeuf had given a noble
example to the revolutionaries, and for
this article was condemned to imprison-
ment- The jury of the court of assizes
condemned Liabeuf to death. but the
agitation in his favor, on the ground
that he originally had been unjustly con-
demned. was carried on by the socialists
men as MN. Anatole France Paineve
and de Pressense identified themselves
with this agitation.
Finally. however, 1t was announced
that the president Of the republic had
decided not to exercise his prerogative
of mercy. On the same evening hundreds
of copies of the revolutionary journal
La Guerre Sociale, of which M. Herve
Is the editor. were distributed in the
streets, calling on the revolutionaries to
assemble in force near the Sante prison,
where the execution was to take place.
and to shout at the police as their war
cry the word 'Assassins' The authori-
ties. however, had taken their precau-
tons and had strengthened the powerful
police force, which kept back the crowd
at a distance of kilometer from the
guillotine with 300 mounted municipal
guards and 800 men on foot, while the
cart conveying the guillotine was strong
ly guarded.
Police Inspector Shot.
dawn. the legal time for the execution,
the revolutionaries raised a shout of
'.Assassins" and ''vive Liabeuf.' Two
revolver shots were fred from the crowd
and a police inspector fell wounded in
the neck. The troops charged and cleared
the street, putting a satisfactory end to
the demonstration. At s O'Clock Liza euf
was guillotined, protesting to the end
that he was innocent, not of the murder,
but for the offense previously charged
against him.
AS the executioner's assistants ssized
Liabeuf he shouted wildly: Il protest
No! No! This execution is not just"
He fought desperately as they adjusted
the lunette, and his cry of 'Laches."
the knife. After the crowd had left
the scene OF the execution, NUMBER of
revolutionaries drove up and collected
some Of the blood-stained sand.
The Guerre SOciale described the exc
cution under the headline La Mort dun
Brave" and besides much infiammatory
language. published a photograph OF the
criminal with mourning border around
it. The staff Of this newspaper subse-
quently laid a wreath on Liabeuf's grave
in the cemeterw of ivory.
The next execution of public interest in
France will be that of the two soldiers
who murdered and robbed Nine Gouin
They. however, will be shot, instead Of
being guillOtined.