Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-29
AMERICAN SHOT
BY ITALIAN SQUAD
Schirbu Execution Seventh
on Charges of Plotting
Mussolini's Overthrow.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ROME, May 29.-Convicted of plot
ting the assassination of Premier Benitc
Mussolini, Michele Schirru, an Ameri-
can by naturalization, was executed al
dawn today by firing squad.
He was led into the interior court
of Fort Braschi and seated astride a
chair with his back to the marksmen
A battalion CT blackshirt militiamer
formed three sides of hollow square
around him and directed a volley OF
shot into his spine.
Witnessed by Tribunal.
The special tribunal for defense OF
the state, composed of seven militia
officers, witnessed the execution. The
official bulletin read as follows:
This morning at the hour of 4:27
in the interior court of Fort Braschi
was carried out the execution by means
of a volley in the back the sentence
pronounced by the special tribunal for
the defense of the state against the
terrorist Michele Schirru."
Schirru, 80 years old and cnce q
resident Of New York, was the first
American to taste Fascist justice fol
such an offense and the seventh person
to be executed under the defense Of
the state law. designed to punish at
tempts to overthrow the regime or tc
plot against the premier.
Schirru died without receiving q
priest who had come to offer religious
comfort, but he was permitted to write
letter to his wife in the United states
and another to his mother In Sardinia
He did not finch when they strap
ped him in the chair. but had lost
much of the apparently careless good
humor which he exhibited during his
trial.
Given Two Hours to Prepare.
Two hours before he was taken out
of his cell the jailer told Schirru to pre-
pare himself. He wrote the two letters
drank a glass of wine, held out his
wrists for the handouts and followed a
squad of soldiers out to the prison van
which took him to Fort Casal BraScm
miles outside Rome.
In the courtyard of the fort COM
pany of the black shirted 18th militia
was formed in hollow square. Twenty
four Sardinians from Schirru'S own
Ava OAAS @AA AAAc
squad and drew up is PAGES from the
chair in which two non-commSsioneo
officers held the prisoner.
Four militiamen bound the con-
demned man to the seat and the COM
mander called his squad to attention.
The soldiers fixed their bayonetS and
waited while the priest tried once more
to approach the man in the chair
Schirru nodded him away and the sol.
diers raised their rifles. At the word OF
command they fired. An army doctor
said death was instantaneous.
Death Custom Restored.
italy had not had capital punish
roant for 68 years until the first OF
there executions, in 1928. It is GUS
tomary for the prisoner or his attorney
to appeal to the King for clemency
but these appeals always have been
rejected by the intermediary Official
who're approval is necessary.
The tribunal from whose decision
thare IS no appeal. convicted Schrru
after so minutes of elaboration. or
seven counts, including attempted as
sessination, possession of bombs. wound
ing Of three detectives and Membership
in an anarchist organization. The tria
consumed most of yesterday and q
witnesses were called
After witnessing the execution the
tribunal called to trial nine Italian IN
tellectualists" accused of provoking
armed insurrection and civil war ant
organizing intimidating demonstrations
of an insurrectional character" as lead
er5 of the Justice and Liberty" organ
ization with headquarters in Milan
Police charged they found in the pos
session of the group last october q mas
of discriminating matter, including &
letter of anti-Fascist character, written
In invisible ink; printed propaganda o.
foreign origin and subscription list fol
anti-Fascist activity. Two of the de-
PENDANTS have disappeared. The Others
face 15-year prison terms If convicted
II WITHOUT OFFICIAL NEWS.