The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-01-11
MATA-HARI DIED
AS SHE HAD LIVED
Dancer Convicted Of Spying for
Germany, a Stole to Last
Moment.
EYES ARE NOT BANDAGED
oazes Calmly at Execution Squad
Awaiting Order to Fire Fatal Vol
ley-confesse She Was In
the Pay Of Germany.

paris.-In the gray dawn Of Tues
day morning a tall, graceful woman
stood erect before the targets on the
yincennes rifle range. Her unbandaged
eyes gazed calmly at squad Oh
zouaves from Moroccan regiment.
signal from their commanding ofiicer
and the sharp crack Of the zouaves
rifles cut the early morning air. Inc
woman fell backward to the ground,
her face upturned TO the sky. Mata-
Harl, the dancer whose charms had
captivated the capitals of Europe, mad
paid the price of being found out. She
fled convicted Of being . SPY In the
service of Germany, of having be-
trayed for money the country that had
sheltered her and had applauded her
art.
Mata-Haf died as she had lived
mistress. OF herself and her emotions.
When awakened on the fatal morning
in her cell at Saint Lazare she knew
that the end was at hand. She quick
ly attired herself in dark dress
trimmed with fur, which she had worn
Mt her trial. Putting on a long coat
and a large felt hat. she announced
that she was ready. The little process
sion passed through the dark corridors
TO the office of the warden. Here
Mata-Harl wrote two long letters. she
was the least affected by the suspense
Of any In the party.
Says Last Good-Bys.
Handing the letters to her lawyer
she bade the prison officials good-by
and, escorted by the prison guards,
she entered military automobile ac-
companied by the two nuns and Cap
tain Bourchardon. Arriving at the
fortress OF yincennes she calmly
stepped out of the motor, turning TO
help one Of the nuns to alight. Then
the condemned woman was taken to
the Office of the governor, where the
ilast formalltles We're quickly gone
: through, after which Mata-Hari again
/ entered the automobile. which started
. for the rifle range. this time escorted
: by squadron Of dragons.
E On the range all preparations for
z the execution were ready. A detach-
: ment of infantrymen in their blue-gray
q uniforms. were drawn up, forming a
a hollow sqnare-the targets being al
5 the further end. The firing platoon OF
}, zouaves was in the center, the mer
g standing Mt attention. The automobile
;. stopped at the entrance to the square
I and Mata-Hari stepped out. She gazeo
e unmoved, almost disdainfully, at the
: setting prepared for her final appear
e ance, in much the same manner as
3 she had regarded the audiences thai
d had applauded the exotic dances Will
which she had startled Paris. In thu
, background stood a group Of officers
i, from the vIncennes garrison, many o.
d whom had been witnesses Of the con
, demned wonan's stage triumphs. witt
q her lawyer on one side and one of tn,
nuns on the other she passed un
4 shaken in front of the silent, waitinI
Ic troops.
d Embraces Nun.
n Arriving in front of the targets
|" Mata-Hari babe these two good-by
embracing the nun as she stretches
IL ont her hands to a waiting gendarm
l. who held the cord with which the
O. were to be bound. The commando
}: of the platoon raised his sword an
70 the volley rang out, the corpse wa
a. taken to military cemetery an
t. buried in a section set apart for tn
ID interring of executed criminals.
Mata-Hari, whose name was MAJ
guerite Gertrude Zelle, gave Paris
new sensation to talk about whe
y some fifteen years ago she made he
= first appearance at the house Of
- !, well-known opera singer, where In
y mystic dance she Invested herself of
= number of wells which We're the onl
= garments she wore. She was RI
= markably handsome woman, tall an
y dark, with skin that was almos
y bronze in color. This gave rise to tn
= statement that she was Javanest
: but she was of Dutch parentage an
- had married in her youth a Dutc
Y army officer, from whom she was d
- vorced.
At her trial her guilt was so concll
sively proved that she finally col
- tossed she had been in the pay Of til
= German secret police for a number {
!. :, years. She had utilized her wide a.
= workmanship in France to collect II
= formation Of military value which sh
y y transmitted through secret channels
- Berlin, receiving in return large sun
Of money.