Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-25
.lANORU LOSES HEAD
UNDER GU!LL0T|NE
French 6luebeard Resents
Priests Inquiry II He Wanted
to Confess.

py Associated Press to Every Evening.
Versailles, Feb. 25.--FIenri Desire
Landru. "bh,cbcard of Gsmbais, con-
yicted Of the murder of ten women and
one youth, gave his life this morning IN
exchange for the eleven he had taken.
The triangular knife of the guillotine
fell nt COS o'clock, % minutes alter
the time originally set for che execution,
tho DELAY causing many to express the
crrone,5us opinion that Landru was max
ing n confession.
MYSTERIOUS until death, Landru re-
rn,cd Father Loiselles' query as to
whether he had any confession TO make.
cit is an insult to man like me, was
his reply. Had / any confession to
mak3 i would have made it long ago.
But never did he utter the word limo
cent" as he had failed to utter it during
his 80 months imprisonment and the
twenty-one days OF his trial
The SLAYER refused the sacrament,
but conversed few moments witn the
priest. 81 shall be brave, never Tear,
he told him.
Although the plans for the execution
had been kept IN the utmost secrecy,
crowds began TO gather about the old
Versailles Jail a little after midnight.
The clattcr of cavalry horses along
Georges Clemenceau street, In which
the execution took place, was plainly
audible in Landru's cell, and when nc
awoke he heard the sound of hammers
ms the workmen erected the "tlmbers OF
Justice" by the hickering light OF two
square, old fashioned candle lanterns
At 6 o'clock the doors Of the prison
OPENED slowly, revealing In the court
ward the procurator general, the warder
of the prison and Landru's two lawyers
NJ. Moro-Sia fferi and Nj. Dutreuil.
Then Landru himself appeared clao
in dark traousers and white shirt Hl'
beard, which was one of the most strlk
ing characteristics, had been trimmed
his head was shaved and his neck anC
face were deathly pale.
He walked exactly five steps before
the executioner's assistants caught hun
around the waist and levelled him OF
the table. which was Immediately up
ended; the heavily weighted knife slC
down, and the whole affair was over IL
less than 20 seconds. Landru .neve
faltered from the time he appeafed IL
the door: he gave the guillotlne ont
look, squared his shoulders and walked
erect, uttering not word.
Henri Desire Landru, "the Bluebeare
Of Gambais" was arrested on April 4
1919 on III counts of murder .growinl
out of the disappearance OF boy an'
10 women TO whom he had promised
marriage. The charmer OF 2S3 womei
of all ages from 20 to 60, many OF then
foolish and wealthy widows, was borl
in Paris in 1869. He was a mechanlca
engineer and had been well educated.
Landru had previously engaged tn
attention of the police through HI
swindling operations for which he wa
sentenced to PRISON for term OF fou
years. He was married and had tw'
grown children. He was dark-visage'
man with q shining bald head and long
black whiskers, and during the progres
of his trial for murder, which begal
November 4, 1921, before the Yer
sailed Assizee and ended the follow
November 80, he participated dramatic
ally in his own defense.
The backbone of his defense was t n
there was an absolute lack OF proof tina
the missing" women were dead. In
legal accusations against HIM were com
prised in $4,000 pages Of evidenc
which required three hours TO read Il
court. About l25 witnesses appeare'
for the prosecution and defense. A larg
quantity of charred bones and ashes
alleged to be the remains of Landru
victims, WAS brought to Versailles i
FIVE, sealed cases as well as many OF tn
personal belongings found in the httl
villa at >Gambais where the moder
Bluebeard lured his fancees to death.
LandrG's motive in committing tn
murders was the sordid one of robbin
the women Of their meager savings. In
police proved that he rented the cotta9
at Gambais, few miles from Parr
advertised in various matrimonial paper
and enticed his victims to the viii
where all trace of them was lost. -
After his arrest, the house wa@lser
sacked and practically demolished b
the police in an effort to find the remain
of the missing women. A few bone
were unearthcd as well as some ha
but not enough to form corpus dehct
The Bluebeard, according to the polio
killed his victims and incinerated tt
bodies in a cook stove.