THE EXECUTION OF CARL CADWALLER. 235 



about two inches broad. In this attitude he stood, 

 about a couple of yards behind and rather on the 

 left-hand side of the victim. When all was ready 

 he took a kind of half step forward, made a sort 

 of feint at his neck just to get the proper distance, 

 the blade gleamed in the sun like a flash of light- 

 ning, and the head of the murderer rolled upon the 

 ground. 



There was no motion of the body in any kind of 

 way, the only movement was as the sword passed 

 through the neck the hands jerked upwards once 

 and then remained as they had been tied together. 

 There is a notion prevalent that when a head 

 is cut off the eyes twinkle, the lips move, the 

 tongue comes out and moves about, and, in short, 

 that the head makes faces. Such is not the case, 

 at least such was not the case, and I was so near 

 and took such particular notice, from having heard 

 such things stated, that had anything of the kind 

 occurred I feel sure I must have seen it. The head 

 fell off the neck as quickly and as inanimately as if 

 it had been a pumpkin, and lay on the ground look- 

 ing more like a large white turnip than anything 

 else for no turnip I ever saw could have looked 

 more lividly white. The body remained for some 



