Word: deibler
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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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...
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...
...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...
...pushed beneath the knife. The executioner tripped the lever, the triangular blade crashed down-and jammed, half way down. "Imbeciles!" bellowed Murderer Sarret. "Be quick can't you!" For ten minutes he lay with his head on the block while perspiring, embarrassed workmen argued and tinkered. Executioner Deibler clutched at his weak heart. Then up went the knife to crash down again, successfully this time. Guillotine and crowds were gone and the square hosed and washed before breakfast...
...Seventy-six-year-old M. Deibler has officiated at exactly 300 executions. He has long talked of retiring to the country, wants to raise chickens...