AN EXECUTION IN HAYTI.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2445, 5 November 1886, Page 2

AN EXECUTION IN HAYTI.

In San Domingo or Hayti criminals ■ sentenced to death are shot and not : hanged. Tho following graphic account of the closo of a noted desperado's career is from the New Vork Times of Septera- jA ber 2nd **

At tho appointed time Blanco—a magnificent specimen of a man, tall, powerful, and with all the.courage of desperation, was taken from his place of : confinement in the little gaol, and marched ■ to the place of execution, He then stepped firmly forward, and stopping turned round and faced his executioners. There was a pause, broken by the. clear ; voice of the murderer asking for p(f®jssion to give the word to fire. Tho reflpit : was so unusual that the captain was foTa ■ momena non-plussed, but at a sign from the Governor bowedhis assent, and Blanco apparently satisfied, began calmly to take off his coat. This being accomplished he . slowly opened his front, and, baring his ' protruding breast braced himself to meet ;• his death-blow. There was a rattle of muskets as the file, at tho sharp command of their officer, brought their pieceß to "aim," and there was another deadly - pauso as the men waited for the doomod to givo the word to fire. It was again broken by Blanco's clear voice. " Snoot at tho breast of a man, fire 1" The blasL_/ which rang out from these twenty-five™ 1 deadly weapons was deafening. Through the cloud of smoke I saw Blanco. For a' second after the discharge he stood perfectly still, not a (juiver distorting his placid features- His arms hung loosely down his Bides, and his handß were tighty clinched. Then without, any bending of tho knee's Kb foil forward on his face, As he did so, his arms, the hands unclinching as he fell, rose slowly above his head, and reaching the ground his fingers buried themselves in tho soft grassy earth. For more than ten seconds did he remain in that posk tion, and with tho last convulsive energy of life, and by a movement which no athlete could ropoafc, he sprang straight upon his feet, his hands little bunches of earth adhering MKlie grass as he rose. Glaring at his executioners with a look of hatred that shall never be effected fronrmy memory of this scene, ho with a quick movement, raised his two hands and flung tho dirt right at the heads of tho soldiers in front of him with a wonderiul power. Before the eartly missils had reached their dos-£$ tination, Blanco sank down upon and across his coffin and was dead.