SAVED FROM GUILLOTINE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 224, 16 June 1919, Page 6

SAVED FROM GUILLOTINE

DRAMA .OF-ELEVENTH-HOUR- CONFESSION. , Two Spaniards, who gavo the names of Sacco and Sannazaro, were. to. have been guillotined not long ago for the murdor, after robbery, of an hotel proprietress in the Rue Petit Champs. At the last moment Sannazaro, who consistently refused.,,to" reyeal his identity, declared that Sacco was concerned in the robbery only, and innocent of the murder. As a consequence Sacco was respited „ and only Sannazaro was guillotined.. At 4.50 warders entered' the cells, and the ,two men were awakened, and informed that their petitions for'a respite had been refused. - They appeared calm, and both said they were prepared to die. Sannazaro—or whatever his real ■name may be—refused to hear Mass, but said he had an avowal to make, and in the presence of the Public Prosecutor made the following statement: — "1 declared that Sacco helped me in the murder. That is untrue. He only knew of the crime after it had been committed." • "Why did you swear falsely?" asked the Public Prosecutor. "Because I thought that in France two people could not be executed for one crime," replied the condemned man. The order for the execution of Sacco was at once cancelled. The Public Prosecutor afterwards endeavoured to induce Sannazaro to reveal his identity, but only drew the reply ( "No, I cannot do that. I belong to an honourable family. I will not give you my name. It/will be .thought that I died at the front." , [He .was thereafter taken to the guillotine. .and'died with courage.