The Bee-Hive. — 1870-07-09 (London, England)

THE EXECUTION OP THE GREEK BRIGANDS.-The last number of the official correspondence on the Athenian massacres contains the following report addressed to Mr. Erskine by Mr. Watson, Secretary of her Majesty's Legation, upon the execution :—" Sir,—l attended the execution of five of the condemned brigands of Takos' band, 'which was carried out between half-past six.and seven o'clock this morning, in the space called the Polygon. at the upper end of the Champ de Mars. Vrona daybreak people were walking thither; when I arrived there with Count della Minerva, at five ii'clock, the hill above was crowded to the top. " A. hollow squate wai formed around the gull. lotine, and Was lined by three companies of infantry, one ofartillerymen, and a troop of cavalry, the whole under the Commandant de Place. The Procareur dii Uoi, the Italian Minister, and mysome offimrs of tbe Royal Oak and Jaseur, the King's Chaplain, and some of the jury who lod fount the prisoners guilty, Wer„dmitted Ivithin the square. The crowd was quiet and Vcfeetly orderly till half-past six„, when a general  shout from those on the hill announced the coming of the prisoners. They came each separately in a carriage, each with two soldiers, preceded by the two executioners in another carriage, and escorted by a troop of cavalry. As soon as the executioners had seen that the guillotine was in order, the first carriage came into the square, and the briganl Costa was made to alight, when his sentence was read over tci him; and he was handed over to be put to death. As his legs were being bound, be requested that he might not be put to pain; and as he was being tied to the guillotine, he turned to the crowd aril begged them to forgive him as he hoped to be forgiven of God. As be was tilted forward he Tuts answered by a yell of execration, and in two seconds more the knife had fallen, and his head had rolled into the basket. Next came Alexis, the brigand accused of having murdered Mr. Herbert. I watched his demeanour narrowly, and though Le did not now exhibit the scornfulness which made him so remarkable at the Hal, he showed to the last that he possessed the utmost courage. Like Costa, he turned to the bystanders and asked thEm to forgive him, as they hoped for salvation. They were awed by the sight they had seen, and not a voice replied to Alexis ; yet his bright eye never once quailed, not even at the sight of his companion's headless trunk. The next two brigands executed,—with one of whom came their confessor—had been taken before the excursion to Marathon. The first of these uttered a piteous cry of horror at the sight below as his head was being fitted to the block ; be said nothing to the'crowd. The second had to be lifted out of the carriage by the executioners, and as his miserable emaciated form was stretched at full length, he uttered a cry for forgiveness. The last of those who suffered was Photi ; he, too, had to be lifted out of the carriage, and held by the two men while his sentence was read over. He seemed to be suffering great pain, and repeatedly begged of the executioners to be careful to avoid hurting his leg. He was at length adjusted, and turned with his face to the ground, and had scarcely uttered a moan when the string was pulled, and the fatal knife fell for the fifth and last time. I have, &c., R. G.