LONDON GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4906, 22 March 1894, Page 2

LONDON GOSSIP.

FFBOM OUB LONDON COBRZSFOHDENT.J L London, Feb. 9. MB iABOXrCHERE AND THK MATABEIE WAB. The topic of the week in all classes of society is Mr Seloue's stirring narrative of the series of unfortunate events which led uo to the massacre of Major Wilson and hiß little band of heroes. The Westminster Gaeettee acored over all its evening contemporaries with this piece of news, being the only paper which gave the story complete in i ta specif edition on Monday | evening. The Pall Mall had a portion of , jj cuter' e uter' interview, and about half a column ! f rom " Our Own Correspondent," but ifc was very inferior stuff to Mr Selous's Kiplingy tale. The explorer says Borne very severe things about Mr Labouchere, whose usual strong common sense seemß to have deserted him in discussing this Matabeleland campaign. In Truth, yesterday, after along and turious diatribe, in which he o*lls the troops of which Wilson's men formed a part, " a horde or' border ruffians," the member for Northampton sajß:— ' „, . I have no doubt foat Mr Selous, Major Wilson and others bihaved with courage ; but my sympathies are, I confess, more with the Matabele who were mowed down by Maxim guns for defending their country from one of the moßt detestable attacks ever made ajainst a country by civilised man. The invading force consisted c£ men, some actuated alono by love of adventure, but most of them solely interested in the company's finance, and who had derived profit from dealings with Mr Rhodes and his financing gang, while othera . HAD ENLISTED ON THB PBOHISB OF LOOT. It is not surprising, therefore, that they ate not regarded as heroes, or that Mr Selous discovers to his apparent surprise hiß illusion in supposing that " the heart of any British-born man swells with pride when he remembers how nobly they (Wilson and his men) stood by one another, how well they fought against desperate odds, and how nobly they died." I am happy to think that publio opinion nowaday a iB ftot on the Bide of filibustering. Wars are always horrible; but for warriors to be honoured they must fight, either in defence of their country, or at their country's bidding, without any inducement of private gain to themselves, or of a rice in the sharea of the company under whose banners they have enlisted. This Chartered Company war, with its hideoua massacres of black men, its burning of villages, its cattle-looting, its sbooting of envoys, and its other detestable horrors, has dealt the laßt blow to this sort of "heroism." Captain Lendy, Bays Mr Selous, has gone to his grave without bringing me to account for the calumnies I have published against him. Be mortuis; but doea Mr Selouß remember that the original "calumniator" was the Undersecretary of the colonies, who called Captain Lendy a murderer in the House of Commons, deducing this opinion of him from the official records of his conduct towards the Matabele ? VAILLANT GUILLOTINED. Yaillant paid the extreme penalty of the law on Monday morning last for his murderous bomb-throwing exploit in the Chamber of Deputies. M. Carnot is to be congratulated on having decided, if somewhat tardily, on the execution .of the bloody-minded fanatic. For a long time it was feared that political (and personal) considerations would prevail in the French President's mind, and his long delay seemed to justify the misgiving. But now justice has been done, M. Carnot has gained in reputation. He issued the order for Vaillant's decapitation late on Sundaj morning, and a few minutes past seven on Monday morning the Anarchist had ceased to be. At midnight on Sunday large detachments of the Eepublican Guard were marched through the silent deserted boulevards to the Place de la Eoquette. The public had harboured a belief that the execution, if it took place at all, would be delayed until after the carnival, and consequently but few people understood the meaning of thai midnight march of soldiery. The mea' a urea taken by the authorities to meet anj attempt at rescue or revengeful violence on the part of the Anarchists were on a very extensive scale. Every commissar; in the city was on duty, the guards doubled at every public building, and the police patrols strengthened in every street. All the members of the detective force, and all the political Bpies were called upon to mingle with the crowds, Shortly after four o'clock the van containing the guillotine was drawn out. Daiblei and his men sat, half concealed, on the seat. Following the van was the blaci box-like hearse in which the remains o1 Vaillant were afterwards to be conveyed tc the cemetery. Guarded on every aide bj police the ghastly conveyances arrived al the spot chosen for the execution! and in a few moments the deadly machine wae reared into position ready for its prey Deibler then passed into prison. By six o'clock acrjwd of considerable proportions had massed in the vicinity oi the prison. Amongst those present wet< dozens of gay masqueradeta, who had re ceived news of tho execution as they lefi the halls and casinos at which maskec balls had been held during the niglt, and had come to the place in all their finery tc see the last of Vaillant. A motley crowc they made, and Btrangely out of place they seemed, laughing and joking be though the scaffold around which thej clustered were a Punch and Judy show, At 6.30 two rows of soldiers were drawn ur at the back of the crowd and pressed their forward against the barriers. Had there been any attempt at bomb-throwing th« perpetrators were thus caged, for ec tightly did the soldiery force tue people together that no man could bave moved from his place. The roadway behind the penned-in crowd was cleared of all spectators. At ten minutes past Beven the prison doors were thrown wide open, and as the prisoner appeared the scaffold was surrounded by dragoons with swords drawn. Yaillant's face was deadly pale in the grey morning light, but he walked forward with steady Btep and head erect. In a few seconds all waß over. He was se'zed by the executioners, thrown on to the bascule, and well-nigh before he had finished his shout of " Death to tin j bourgeoisie ; long live Anarchy," the knits fell and Vaillant's head dropped into the basket. The crowd and the soldiery quickly melted away, and by half-past seven not a sign remained in the Place de la Eoquette to show that a great act of retributive justice had been done. Yaillant it is said displayed during his last few days on earth a certain amount of impatience that the decision regarding his fate should have been so long delayed. When Saturday passed without the fatal word arriving he began to gather up hopes and to eat with more relißh and Bleep more soundly. On Sunday night he slept daeply, for he seemed to think that he would live to see the carnival days come and go—and perhaps many more. At six o'clock in the morning, however, he wa3 wakened to hear the news that he must die. Deibler took him in hand at once, cut the condemned man's hair and removed all clothing from his neck. Whilst these last preparations were going on, Yaillant talked bravely, uttering much the same Anarchist opinions as he did at the trial. The convict repulsed the chaplain when offered the rites of the Church, but when asked if he would like some wine, called for brandy. Two glasses were given him, and with the fire of the spirit in his blood, the prisoner went out to his doom. The remains of the Anarchist were, on request, handed over to his relatives, instead of being given up to the medical school for dissecting purposes, as is the case with the majority of guillotine victims.