The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-02-25
NOTEDS DSLAYER
SUBMITTED To
GULLOT|NE
Dramatic Story of End of
Henri Landru Whose Crimes
Stirred Whole World
BIZ WILLIAM COOK
TsrArF CORRESPONDENT l. N. SERVICE.


VERSAILLES. France. Feb. 25.-In
the misty dawn, Henri Landru.
Frances arch-murderer vas beheaded
on the guillotine before the gate OF St
Pierre prison today. He had been
found guilty on Nov. 80 of the murder
or ten women TO whom he had made
love and offered marriage. and q boy
tho son OF one of his feminine victims
Landru protested his innocence TO
the very end.
Z will be brave" we're the last words
ne uttered juxt before the knife fell.
MAKES No CONFESSION.
II was about eight minutes after six
when Landru rolled from the execution n
block. He carried with him into the
great beyond. his secret OF the missing
women he was convicted OF Staying
for their savings.
crowd OF morbidly curious per-
sons. including numerous women had
gathered before the guillotine before
daybreak
Promptly a pix O'Clock the ougler in
tho neighborlng barracks began to
blow the reveilie-a tune known to
the American doughboy by the words
Il can't get 'em up." The sharp notes
Of the bugle officially proclaimed 4;
daybreak
The crowd stirred e1pectantly know
ing that Landru soon would be led
18th - hta damn
RELATIVES NOT PRESENT.
I.andru had been awake IN the prison
xiuce four o'clock when he was led
before the gate he stared into the
crowd. but if ne was looking for his
real wife and his children. ne was dis
appointed They were not present.
At Is minutes after five a little
group % prison officials entered Ian
dru's ceI and told him to prepare for
the end The condemned mans hand;
we're ,ehind his back and his feet
we're l. s~iy hobbled permitting hin
to shuttle down the stairs from tn
third cell row.
once I4andru remarked TO the exc
cutioner and his assistants who were
leading him TO tho guilloune:
SIGNS PRISON REGISTER.
Please don't hold my arms so tight
The doomed man spoke cheefuIly anC
pleasantly
As is customary in France. Landrs
signed the prison register on his wal
out.
To speed the work OF the execution
era high power arc light was burning
in the prison court flooding the guillo
tine with it's rays.
IAndru stopped short for momen
ana his body threw a heavy shadow
across the foot OF the death scafold
Yandr7l was pale but stood erect anc
srneared cool HIS beard had beer
shaved or under the chin so that tn
hair would not interfere with tn
knife. For perhaps ten seconds Landr'
stood still and silent facing the gull
iotins.
DEATH rysTANTANEoUs.
while he hesitated the chief execu
ftoner ana his assistants forced Landr'
forward bending his head upon IN
sliding board. The instant the doom
ed mans head slid into the fatefu
aperture the knife dropped an
Tardr,,,r head rolled into baske
nartIy filed with sawdust The Who'll
thtns took less than three minute
time
The alert assistants stood beside III
~uillotIne with outstreched hands
Hardly had the n1urderer's head falle
into the decapitation basket than the
mad grabbed it. Hardly had the echoe
~ the knife's thud died away befor
the body had been placed in a coffi
with the head Joined 20 the neck.
The coffin mad stood in a close
wagon beside the guillotine.
EyECUTIoNER MAKES SPEECH.
The men in the crowd hared thei
heads during the cspitation and
f34t1e group OF cavalrymen who wer
present to prevent disorder salute
With their sahers
The execution was described as "un
Usually clean" Only a few drops Q
blood stained the sawdust
The chief executiones made A littl
soaech TO the spectators apologizing t
them and to the public prosecutor be
cause there had been about half sec
ond's delay This was caused, he sai'
nv moor adjustment OF the board.
Death should have been almost in
staneous. the executioner said Th
lsnife should have fallen so quickly b
sddad that the spectators could hardl
see the head drop into the basket
later the body was taken TO III
Versailles cemetery for burial
T.sndru's last words We're uttered &
~. bodv was being forced upon II
.xac,tion board He apparently sPoi
~ himself for the words were mutteI
I'd The scaffold was erected in Rue S
f,ierre in front of the Jail
INST before the ceremony the so
a5era took charge and niassed the spec
,,,ors into 4 roughly formed hoiio
square. Some of the women were dress
% in evening clothes and appeared
nave left the ball room for the eNec'
tior. Men IN evening clothes who Ia
.neut tho night carousins in the MOI
Marte district OF Paris escorted worne
to the scene