LANDRU DIES CALMLY

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1922, Page 4

LANDRU DIES CALMLY

WOMEN TURNED AWAY FROM SCENE. “J AM INNOCENT ” VERSAILLES, Feb. 2d Landru, “the Bluebeard ot Gambais,” who murdered and burnt the remains of 10 of bis lovers, was guillotined at Versailles at 6.10 this morning in front of the town prison. ■ “I am innocent; lam innocent! was his last protest as he left his cell; just as it was his last statement in court on November JO, when he was sentenced to death. Calm, self-possessed, and mysterious in bis life, Landru remained true to himself and to bis secret in his last hours. No word of impatience or complaint, not a sign of conscious guilt, which could point to the justice of the sentence. At 3 o’clock in the morning the street which faces both the Versailles Assize Court and the adjacent lowlying wide walls of the prison was cut off from traffic by n double line of infantry, while cavalry stood by their horses ready to mount at the order. Within view of the scene of the execution are two cafes. Tn the early hours of the morning women with painted faces and darkened eyelids, glittering with diamonds, swathed in sables, and heavy with perfume, drove up m motor cars'from Paris night restaurants and took seats in the sanded bar of one ol the cafes. They sat there sipping coffee Horn thiek-ri,mined cups. Before the scaffold arrived the police magistrate came up, and as tickets and passes were examined the women and their male escorts were told none too politely to be gone. WOMAN’S TEARFUL PLEA. One woman clad in a body-tight iobc of black satin cut almost to the waist at the back and with a sable mantle hanging loosely on one shoulder tried to persuade the magistrate with tears in her eyes. “I have waited here so long,” she pleaded. “Surely you will not turn me away?” ‘‘Certainly 1 will, madiime,” was the stern reply. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Go back to Montmartre.” lie beckoned two of his men, who led the woman away. When these proportions were over the soldiers made way for a long black van drawn by two horses which elatrered along at a goodly pace and then, swerving in nwidc circle, drew up close to the prison gates. Dark ami sinister was ore dull red lamp gleaming over Llie driver’s seat. A fiail black figure ckiij in an ill-iitting frock-coat and with a hard frit hat with, a deep crepe baud, appeared as if from nowhere. It was Dodder, the executioner. He conferred for a brief second with the two men who descended from ' the cavernous interior of ti e van. With constant creaking and an occasional clatter the van was relieved of its burden of limber. The guillotine took an hour to erect.

Meanwhile, in Laiulru’s cell there burned a solitary gas lamp. On his pallet lay the condemned man. lie woke up at -I o’clock and complained that it was cold. A warder—two of them slaved day and night in the condemned cell—fetched him an extra blanket; sleep, however, had gone for ever. At 0.-i-j the preeesson of black-coated magistrates went to the cell. The Government prosecutor began his customary speech, hut was intoiiuplod by Landru silling up in his cot. “I know, gentlemen, why you have come. There is no need to tell me. I am an innocent man,'hut I will die bravely. I know Unit this is nut youi fault, and I forgive you.” Landru placed himself in position so that one of Dodder's assistants could cut away hi.s shirt collar and trim his hair behind. “Don’t cut my heard,” was the only request he made. The man at a sign from the executioner, merely trimmed it. The customary glass of rum and the last cigarette were waved politely aside. “I do not need them to die bravely,” said Landru.

After being closeted a few minutes with the chaplain, Landru announced that, in order not to keep Hie magistrates waiting, lie preferred not to wait for Mass. The signing of the prison register for the last time and Lin l final adjustment of the prisoner’s hands behind his hack took barely a minute more.

Cavalry facing the prison gate were seated stiffly on their horses with sabres drawn. A hundred yards distant on the other side were other mounted troops, and tfye infantry with fixed bayonets weic standing to attent ion.

Then, haggardly framed against the opened dour, Landru appeared. lie was dressed in trousers and white shirt cut close to the neck, and his pale face and Ids bald head gleamed deathwhile in the light of dawn. Me bore himself bravely, with head erect and bearded chin thrust forward in the attitude so familiar during his trial. Me paused for a minute and leant on his counsel, who kissed him and whispered, "Re brave.” Then, erect once more, he embraced the cross held to him by the priest, and, facing the guillotine just four paces from him, stepped forward; held on either side by two of the executioner's men. Mis feet had barely touched the plank when he muttered almost to himself his last words: “I will he brave.” With a crash the knife fell. Thirty seconds had not elapsed from the opening of the prison gates.