The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28
FRENCH WOMAN SAVE
GERMAN GUILLOTINED
Imprisonment for POisoner Of
Two: Death for Murder
css of One.
KAISER Is INSTRUMENTAL
Condemned Female Beheaded
with Lover for Killing
Her Husband.
Special Correspondence to Tue sus.

Special Correspondence TO Tue SuS.
PARIS. June lS.--By curious coinci-
dence the same day that saw female
prisoner guillotined In Germany saw fe-
male prisoners sentence to- death com
muted by President Poincare To lifelong
penal servitude.
The French woman was peasant who
had abandoned two illegitimate children
and poisoned her father with arsenic be-
cause he refused to give her money 10
continue her dissoluts life. Her brother
tried to reclaim her and died OF the same
poison a week later.
At her trial her lawyer pleaded that
she was mentally unbalanced, but the
jury knowing well that she would not
be put to death. found her guilty OF muir
der without any extenuating circum-
stances.
The German woman, Madeleine Wendell,
aged II, had been married to a mushroom
grower for many years, when she met a
laborer named Wlrth two years younger
than herself. She became his mistress
and brought him to live In her house
Soon the lovers chief idea was how to
get rid OF the husband Three times
they put poison In his food but prompt
medical Intervention saved him. The
fourth time an Enormous dose of arsenic
the same poison as the, French woman
used) placed in cheese proved fatal.
The woman and her accomplish were
condemned to death at Strassburg. AL
sace-Lorraine. Both firmly believed the
sentence would be committed. the woman
basng her hope on the fact that she was
"A cripple. having a wooden leg. But the
Kaiser refused to Interfere and. In ac-
cordance with German law, the public
prosecutor Informed them that their re-
quest had been refused and that the
death penalty would be inflicted In
twenty-four hours.
Wirth bore the news with calmness,
asked permission to kiss his mother,
begged her pardon for having become n
murderer through love and asked her to
forget him. He took bottle OF wine
with each OF his last meals. ate well and
slept quietly. When Madeleine Wendell
learned that she must die she burst into
tears threw herself at the public prose-
cutors feet and begged him to save her
life. She swore that she regretted her
crime and long after the official left her
cell she continued to cry Pardon Par
don!'
wirth was seated on his bed when the
chaplains reached his cell Keeping his
eyes fixed on the ground, he refused to
answer their salutation. but agreed to
take the sacrament at their insistence.
His accomplice slept heavily, and on
opening her eyes saw the two sisters, who
had watched her through the night.
hoarse cry burst from her, but she al
lowed herself passively TO be dressed in
the clothes she had worn the day of her
arrest.
The little court in which the guilotine
was erected was about ten yards square,
surrounded by high walls a representa-
tive of the public prosecutor and judges.
wearing robes, We're present. The guillo-
tine, very like a French one. but made Of
steel instead of wood, had been put up
the evening before on small table.
ui fNtn
burned. crucldx between them. The
executioner, Sller, a horse slaughterer,
was dressed In frock coat and wore a
high hat. He was "A stout. cheerful look
ing man. In no way disturbed by the role
he was about To play. His two assistants,
more simply dressed. with soft hats, were
men OF great strength.
As the clock struck Madeleine Wendell
appeared, as she was to he executed
nrst. She was borne by two chaplains, as
she was not allowed to use the wooden
leg. without which she could not walk
alone. Everybody barred his head. The
chaplain brought the prisoner before the
representative OF the public prosecutor.
who hastily read the sentence Of death.
The condemned woman had not as yet
seen the guillotine, but she began to moan.
As soon as the sentence was read the
chaplains turned her toward the table
where the candles burned and placed the
crucihx in her hands. They were be-
ginning 10 reclte prayers, "hen the Mag
istrate suddenly ordered
Gentlemen, do your duty!'
The two assistants, who were behind
the chaplains. seized the woman, placed
her against the swinging board OF the
guillotine and quickly fastened two straps.
one round the calf and one near the ell
bows. The leather cutting into her flesh
seemed TO awaken her to consciousness OF
what was being done. She seemed for
the first time to see the guillotine and
shrieked, "Oh. God! Protect me-"
The swinging plank turned. bringing
the head into position, the knife fell, and
all was over.
Ten minutes later Wirth was brough,
into the little court. Ife was pale. but
cool. 81 regret my crime" he declared
when he had heard his sentence read. He
refused the crucihx and stood calmly to
be fastened to the swinging plank.
An hour later the decapitated bodies OF
the lovers left the prison in the same
cart.