The Fate of Luccheni.

Manawatu Herald, 16 February 1899, Page 2

The Fate of Luccheni.

A correspondent of tbe London Daily News writes :— There can be no greater wretch, onf earth, or more deserving of punishment, than the assassin Luccheni, but surely no human being, however, vile ought to be exposed to the torture of ft . solitary imprisonment, such aa fa described by a correspondent of fc'wßi 1 Nieu Winner Tageblatfc, who obtained a sight of the cell in which Luccheni is to ba ehnt up for life. That correspondent deserters the cell in the prison of Geneva a 9 being subter* ranean, reached by a staircase of 20 steps, and a corridor so dark that the gaoler who led them had to e&tff a lantern. At the end of tbe eorridlfV w a strong door, signed by tbe lettef. 0, with hole for air and light (!) afc 'be bottom. Then another yard a corridor and a second door, strong like the first, with holes at the top for light, which leads directly into »be cftH. The cell is without window ana quite dark. On tha ground a sack, filled with Btraw to serve for a «pat by day and bed by night. No other thing in the colt. Here Luo« chen? ia to pass the first cix months of his imprisonment, only being taken out for a breath of fresh ak once in every fortnight. This punishment seema to excel in horror all the descriptions given by Charles Reftde in his " Never Too Late to Mend " of the terrors of solitary confinement, •nd the Nien Wiener Tageblatt correspondent justly says that if Luc. cheni'B life and reason survive the hard trial he must be very strong* Compared to this capital punishment would be a boon, and rid the earth of a rascal whom to keep alive in torture seems a blot on humanity.