The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-02-25
LandruPays Penalty By
 Cuillotine

Versailles, Feb. So-(By l. N S.)-In the raw, misty dawn Henri Landru, Frances arch murderer, was beheaded on the guillotine before the gate of St Pierre prison today. He hat been found guilty on Nov. 3C of the murder of ten women to whom he made love and of fered marriage and a boy-the son of one of his feminine vic tims Landru protested his in. nOcence to the very end.
 'I will be brave,' were the last words he uttered just before the knife fell.
 Executed At 6:0S.
 It was eight minutes after six when Landru's head rolled from the eNecu- ton block. He carried with him into the great beyond his secret of the missing women he was convicted Of killing for their savings.
 A crowd of morb1dly curious per sons, including numerous women had gathered before the guillotine before daybreak.
 Promptly at six o'clock the bugler
  blow the reveille-a tune known to the American doughboy by the words -1 can't get 'em up- The sharp notes Of the bugle officially proclaim cd it at daybreak. The crowd stirred expectantly knowing that Landru would soon be led forth to his doom
 Landru had been awake in the prison since four o'clock. When he was led before the gate, he stared tn- to the crowd, but, if he was looking for his real wife and his children, he was disappointed. They were not
 Two small glasses of rum formed his last breakfast. He refused to take any solid food, saying he was beyond all need for suStenance.
 At 15 minutes after five a little group of prison officials entered Landru's cell and told him to prepare for the end. The condemned mans his feet were loosely hobbled permit ting him to shuffle down the stairs from the third cell row.
 Spoke Cheerfully.
 Once Landru remarked to the exc cutiofer and his assistants who were leading hn to the guillotine.
 Please do not hold my arms so tight
 The doomed man spoke cheerfully and pleasantly.
 As is customary in France, Landru signed the prison register on his way out.
  tioner a high power arc light was burning in the prison court, flooding the gullotine with its rays Landru stopped short for a moment and his body threw a heavy shadow across the foot of the death scaffold.
 Landru was pale, but stood erect and appeared cool. His beard had been shaved off under the chin so that the hair would not interfere with the knife. For perhaps ten seconds Landru stood still and silent facing the guillotine.
 Knife Fell Quickly.
 While he hesitated. the chief execu- tioner and his assistants forced Landru forward, bending his head upon the sliding board." The in stant the doomed mans head slid into l the fateful aperture the knife dropped | and Landru's head rolled into a | basket partly filled with sawdust. The | whole thing took less than three min utes time.
 The alert assistants stood beside the | with outstretched hands. Hardly had the murderer's head fallen into the decapitation basket than they had grabbed it: Hardly had the before the body had been placed in a coffin with the head joined to the | neck.
 The coffin had stood in a closed 1 wagon beside the guillotine.
 The men in the crowd barred their i heads durng the decapitation and g | little group of cavalrymen who were present to preserve order saluted with their sabres-
 The execution was described as unusually clean" Only a few" drops of blood stained the sawdust.
 ApoIogized for Delay. The chief eXecutioner made little speech to the spectators apologizing 10 them and to the public prosecutor because there had been about half a seconds delay. This was caused he said nOOr- Id in Sf m erf OT he |
 Death should have been almost in- the eNecutioner said. The knife should have fallen so quickly. | he added, that the spectators could | hardly see the head drop into the | basket.
 Later the body was taken to the Versailles cemetery for burial
 (By The A. P.)
 Henri Desire Landru, "the Blue beard of Gambais." was arrested on | A pril 1, 1919 on Il counts of murder | out Of the disappearance of a boy and 10 women to whom he had promised marriage The charmer of | s3 women of all ages from 20 to 60. | many of them foolish and wealthy widows was born in Paris in 1869. He was a mechanical engineer and had l been well educated.
 Tandru had previously engaged the | attention of the police through his | swindling operations for which he was sentenced to prison for a term pr your years ao was iidtIAeO anu had two grown children. He was a | iark-visa ged man with shining bald | head and long, black whiskers and | turing the progress of his trial for n nurder, which began Nov. z, 1921, be- lore the Versailles Assizes and ended he following Nov. 30, he participated 1 in his own defense.
 The backbone of his defense was hat there was an absolute lack of proof that the missing women were lead The legal accusationS against
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