Death of Spada

White-bearded, excitable M. Anatole Deibler, as well-known to French newspaper readers as Edouard Herriot, arrived in Bastia last week on professional business. With him he had his son-in-law, Andre Perrier, and a small traveling guillotine. Since 1879 the Deibler family have been guillotineurs to the French Republic.

Fortunately for him, M. Deibler's accommodations had been reserved in advance, for there was not a room to be had in Bastia. The execution at which he was to officiate was that of the most notorious, best publicized bandit in Corsica, crazed, grey-haired Andre Spada (TIME, March 18).

That Bandit Spada, who once was chased through the maquis by two full regiments of gendarmes, armored tanks and reporters armed with rifles, should not know that his death was approaching, Corsican officials took elaborate precautions. Carpet was laid before his cell door to deaden the sound of hurrying feet. M. Deibler's assistants put up their guillotine with tools swathed in thick felt. The effect of all this was spoiled by a group of leather-lunged, smutty-nosed moppets who scrambled up a rock outside Bandit Spada's cell and shrieked "Spada dies at dawn! Spada dies at dawn! Yah!"

Just before dawn Executioner Deibler put on his silk hat and black cotton gloves, and a police official arrived with a priest, a prison barber, a glass of rum and a cigaret. These last Bandit Spada waved indignantly aside.

"I never smoked or drank in my life," cried he. "Why should I begin now?"

With his shock of grey hair shaved at the back of the neck. Bandit Spada heard mass kneeling between two guards. Handcuffed, he was then led to the scaffold. It was all over quickly, much to the relief of Executioner Deibler whose machine has been sticking lately (TIME, April 23, 1934). Son-in-law Perrier supervised putting things away, patient in the knowledge that if M. Deibler ever keeps his long-time promise to retire and raise chickens, he will inherit the guillotine business of all France.

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