People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 June 1894 — CARNOT IS SLAIN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CARNOT IS SLAIN

President of the French Republic Assassinated at Lyons, His Murderer Refuses to Tell the Motive of His Awful Deed. Plunged a Dagger Into His Victim's Body as He Rode in a Carriage. The Jr,mons Frenchman Does Not Long Survive His Wounds—His Career. CARNOT CUT DOWS. Lyons, June 25. —M. Sadi-Carnot, president of the French republic, is dead. He was struck down Sunday night by the hand of an assassin and died soon after midnight. The most intense excitement reigns throughout France. The president was visiting Lyons in connection with the international exhibition. Upon his arrival here he was tendered a reception at the prefecture, after which he visited the exhibition. After spending some time there he proceeded to the Palais de Commerce, where a banquet was given in his honor. At 9:25 President Carnot started for the theater, where a gala performance was to be given because of his presence in the city. Several carriages were in the procession, the first one being occupied by the president. M. Carnot’s carriage was driven slowly along in front of the Palais de Commerce, and

then turned into Rue de la Republique, •till following the facade of the palace. When half way down the street, which was lined with enthusiastic crowds of people, who were loudly cheering, a man rushed out of the crowd and sprang upon the steps of the president’s landau. Just at this moment M. Carnot was waving his right hand and saluting with his hat in his left hand in response to the ovation that was being given him. Saw the President Stabbed. The people close to the carriage saw that the man standing on the step had a knife in his hand. By the glare of the electric lights they saw the bright blade gleam in the air as the assassin’s arm descended, and President Carnot was seen to fall back in his seat., his face deathly pale. One of his hands was pressed over his heart where the steel had entered the body. M. Rivaud, prefect of Lyons, who was seated beside M. Carnot, immediately struck the assassin a blow full in the face and knocked him from the step, thus preventing the man from again stabbing the president, which it was his evident intention to do.

The Assassin Captured. Instantly cries of: “The president is assassinated!’’ “Death to the assassin!” •were heard on every side, and the crowd in the vicinity of the carriage swelled to enormous proportions, every member seemingly intent upon killing the assassin. He was grasped by a dozen hands and his life would have then and there paid the forfeit of his crime had it not been for several sergeants de ville, who seized and attempted to draw him away from his captors. This was found to be impossible, as the infuriated populace was determined to lynch the man and the efforts of the sergeants availed nothing beyond saving the man from instant death. Blows were aimed at his face and head, over the shoulders of the police, who had by this time received reinforcements, and many of the blows landed fairly. At last the police succeeded in driving the howling mob back a foot or so from the prisoner, but to get the captive through the crowd was a physical impossibility. Troops Charge on the Crowd. In the meantime the news of the attempted murder had spread with light-ning-like rapidity and mounted guards were sent to the aid of the police, who were still struggling to preserve the life of the assassin. With drawn sabers In their hands the guards rode down into the crowd, heedless of whom their horses trampled upon. The crowd gave way before the horses and at last the center of the mob was reached. Then a cordon was formed around the ten almost exhausted policemen and their captive and the march to the police station began. Even thus surrounded the prisoner was not safe, for men in the crowd made frantic endeavors to reach him. The guards repelled these attacks with the flat sides of their swords, while at the same time keeping watchful eyes upon the crowd to prevent the prisoner from being shot. Maledictions were hurled upon the captive, and never before has such wild indignation against a human being been seen in this city. In the meantime physicians were hastily summoned to »Hend the president, who had almost immediately been conveyed to the prefecture. A careful examination was made of the wound and the doctors declared that the condition of M. Carnot was hopeless. herniation at the Theater. The receipt of the oews of the assae-

sinatiou caused a great sensation at the theater, which was filled to the walls by the elite of Lyons. The theater«presented a brilliant see: e, the handsome toilets of the ladies being offset by the gay uniforms of the manj' military officers present. All were awaiting with impatience the arrival of the president and were unable to understand the delay. Suddenly a man entered the theater, crying at the top of his voice: “The president has been assasinated!” The most intense excitement followed this abrupt announcement. Women screamed and several fainted. Many men, without waiting to secure their hats, ran out of the building in order to confirm the news. They found all the streets leading to the palace filled with excited throngs, and in a few minutes they were convinced that the report of the cowardly attempt upon the life of the president was true.

Suddenly through the throng sped a landau conveying Adrien Dupuy, a brother of the prime minister, Deputy Chaudy and Prefect Rivaud, the crowd falling away before it as it dashed into the Rue de la Republique, preceded by four mounted gendarmes. The crowd thinking now that the report of the assassination was untrue and that the president was in the carriage shouted: “Vive Carnot,” “Vive la Republique.” Cheer* Turned to Curses. The carriage was stopped and M. Chaudy and M. Rivaud, in tremulous voices, said: “Don’t shout; the president has been the victim of an outrage.” The cheers were instantly turned to curses, and many and loud were the cries for vengeance. The landau proceeded to the theater, where Rivaud and M. Chaudy went to the president's box. As soon as they were seen the whole audience arose and amid profound silence M. Rivaud said, in a voice broken with sobs: “The president has just been assassinated.” “Death to the Assassin.” This announcement was received with a terrible explosion of fury as the audience on the first report of the assassination had, though greatly excited, generally discredited it. The theater resounded with shouts of “A mort la assassin” and cries for vengence upon him. When silence was in a measure restored M. Rivaud continued:

“In the Rue de la Republique a miscreant, under the pretext of presenting a petition, stabbed M. Carnot with a dagger.” M. Rivaud was again interrupted with shouts of “Death to the murderer!” “Revenge!” “Revenge!” Waving his hand for silence M. Rivaud again spoke, saying: “Do not make my mission more painful. We left M. Carnot in the hands of doctors. You understand that under these conditions our hearts are filled with sorrow, and that the proposed performance in the president’s honor cannot take place.” The audience then left the building, many of them proceeding at once to the perfecture, where they stood in the streets waiting for any report that might be given out and discussing the crime that they considered had cast disgrace upon the fair fame of their citv. The assassin is an Italian nanled Cesare Giovanni Santo. The Assassin a Beardless Youth. Santo, the assassin, is a beardless young man of 20 or 25 years old. When arrested he was attired in a brown suit and wore a peaked cap that matched the suit in color. As he marched, under his police guard, from the Rue de la Republique to the station, he held his head down, but his eyes glanced furtively around as though he was seeking an opportunity to escape from his captors. To have made such au attempt, however, would have been the height of foolhardiness unless he desired to commit suicide, for there is not the slightest doubt that had he got away from the protection of the police he would have been torn limb from limb by the crowd, whose every action showed that they were thirsting for his blood.

When the police party reached the Place des Cordeliers they were obliged to stop, while the landau in which were Gen. Borius, the prefect, the mayor and the wounded president, escorted by a detachment of mounted guards on a gallop, was driven rapidly past them en route to the prefecture. A second carriage conveying the oflicers of the president’s military household followed close behind. An Associated Press reporter entered a third carriage, in which were M. Buedeau, ex-minister of finance, and Senator Millaud. On arrival at the prefecture Gen. Borius, the prelect, and the mayor alighted. The Wounded Man's Removal# President Carnot lay motionless and unconscious upon the cushions of the carriage. His eyes were closed. His waistcoat was unbuttoned and his shirt, on which the bright red cordon of the Legion of Honor was conspicuous, was covered on the left side, just over the heart, by a large blood stain, which extended to the hip. It was impossible to tell from his appearance whether he was dead or alive. The crowd surged about in the vicinity of the carriage, but mounted guards and foot police held them in check some distance from the landau in which the president was lying. Many were the expressions of pity for the president and anger at his assassin. Gen. Borius, the ptefect, and the mayor, assisted by a number of attendants, lifted M. Carnot from the carriage and with difficulty carried him as tenderly as possible to a room on the first floor of the prefecture and laid him on a bed. I/r. Gailleton, who is mayor of Lyons, then examined the wound. Died Soon After Midnight. President Carnot died at 12:45 o’clock this morning. Shortly after midnight the archbishop of Lyons was summoned to the bedside of the dying president to administer to him the last rites of the church, lie was in the

room but a short time when ao «merged and retired to an adjoining room. Here he remained until 12:30, when he was again summoned to the president’s room, where he administered to him the sacrament. M. Carnot remained conscious to the last. He realized that his life was rapidly ebbing away and twice he said; “Je in'en vais.” Dr. Ponce leaned over the bed on which the president was lying and said to him: “Your friendsara here,monsieurlepresident.” M. Carnot replied: “I am grateful for their presence,’.’ and in less than a minute he gasped for breath, there was a convulsive shuddering of his body and the president of France was dead. Immediately after the death of M. Carnot Prime Minister Dupuy started on his return to Paris to officially announce the news to the senate and the chamber of deputies. The bed on which M. Carnot died was of iron. It was placed between two windows of the palace. At its foot was the bed of honor which had been reserved for the president. The incision made by the dootors in order to stop the internal hemorrhage measured about 3 inches long by 2 inches wide. Murderer Will Not Tell His Motive.

Santo, who speaks French badly, when questioned by Prefect Lepin at the police station in Rue Moliere, said he had lived at Cette, department of Ilerault, for the past six months, and had only come to Lyons Sunday. He gave his age as 22 years. His replies were given coolly, but without any sign of bravado. He refused, however, to answer any of the many questions put to him regarding his motive for stabbing the president, declaring that on this subject he would speak only before a tribunal. When he was searched by the police a book was found in one of his pockets in which it was written that he had been born in a village in the province of Milan, Italy. Mobbed the Italians. After M. Carnot had been taken to the prefecture it became generally known that his assassin was an Italian and the feeling of deep indignation among the crowd found vent in the form of attacks upon cases kept by inoffensive natives of Italy. Three such places in the vicinity of the palace of commerce were totally wrecked by the infuriated mob. All over the city threats are made to take summary vengeance upon the countrymen of Santo, and the authorities, fearing that attempts will be made to put these threats into effect, ordered bodies of cuirassiers to patrol the city to prevent any outbreak. Everywhere the troops are greeted with cries of “Long live the army.” After the attacks upon the Italian cases the disorderly element among the crowds devoted their attention to the Italians whom they found upon the streets. Several of these men were pursued by the mob and barely escaped with their lives. The police, who were extraordinarily vigilant, had great difficulty in rescuing the hunted men. The Rue de la Barre is now barricaded at both ends and guarded by troops. Grief of Mine. Carnot. Paris, June 25. —Mme. Carnot accompanied by her two daughters, left this city at 1 o'clock this morning for Lyons. The news of the assassination of her husband was broken to her as tenderly as possible. She was almost prostrated with grief, but gave orders for preparations to be at once made to convey her to Lyons. - To Choose a New President. Paris, June 25.—An official note has been issued calling upon the senate and chamber of deputies to assemble in congress at Versailles at 1 o’clock Wednesday afternoon for the purpose of electing a new president.

PRESIDENT CARNOT.