EXECUTION OF LENOIR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 71, 17 December 1919, Page 7

EXECUTION OF LENOIR

TRAITOR'S CRAVE?? END. Pierre Lenoir, who was convicted in April last of treason against his country in tho time of war, was shot at Vinfennes at fi.lo a.m. on' October U. Lenoir, it will be remembered,' was found guilty by court-martial of intelligence with tho enemy in conncction with the proposed purchase of "Le Journal," with money furnished !iy Germany, for the purpose of using it as a weapon against tho moral of tho French people. He was to have b;'en shot about a mouth before, but. at tho last moment, when the vehicle was waiting to- carry-hun to the placo of execution, tho carrying-out of the sentence was postponed in order that statement* which bo made purporting to show that M. fjiilhux was directly implicated in the "Journal" i'lfair might be investigated. The convicts-advocate, Mailiv Mnlencs. on October made, a final appeal to the President of the Republic for Mercy. This appeal, after Inilher oar"tnl investig.iti-.m of the facts. M. Pnineare dee'rned to grant, as he declined the nppi'iil made iinmedi;il-.-ly before the previnu- date fixed for the ex:'iulinn. Tin- rejection of the plea w:is ooiiiitiT-du'ied. as usual, by the Minister of War. M. Cli'incnceau.

The liHii 1 scene was pitiful in Ihe cxIreme. r.i'iinir. whr> has scarcely left his lied since Hie postponement of the execution owine to nervous collapse due to the terrible si rain he has undergone, spent the whol" night with 'nis eyes lixml oil the d:'(,r of I lie cell through which the allied' bearug the fatal summons lo the tiling pint must outer. When (he supreme moment arrived lie fell prostrate and beo.nno incapable of the slightest movement. After the convict had been examined by live medical specialists Ihe execution was ordered lo proceed, lour warders carried him ljudily from the cell and placed him in a motor-car, which was driven at the highest .speed to V'licennes. On arrival there the eolivid was lifted from the car by four neiidar.'iics and liruily tied to a chair which st.iod ill readiness in fiont of the execution post. His eyes were baieJacd .mi 1 a moiii eh I biter lie was dead, still lifilfly sealed in the eli-iir. with his head sli'dilly held I own ids the ground.

Lenoir's widowed mother had a farewell interview with her sou the previous al'lei'iiooii.

S.le'inoo'MK. v lei " as C",.,| ph. a!' the Mai: !"'. ||,■ ■.-. '--ii. ;ov unitting hi- motor lorry v.ii'io'il iinviiin taken due precautions a::ainst ils being restarted. said thai; if the police knew wh&t persuasion were required lo idnrt thn lorry at all, they would not Jiavo been nervous.