Execution of Sante Geronimo Caserio, 1894

Background. Sante Geronimo Caserio, an Italian anarchist, assassinated French President Sadi Carnot on 24 June 1894. This act was the final attack of the Ère des attentats. The Rhône Assize Court convicted Caserio of murder on 3 August 1894 after an expeditious trial. He refused to appeal the sentence, leading to his execution thirteen days later.

Legal Proceedings. The trial opened on 2 August 1894, presided over by Judge Breuillac. Caserio stated during the proceedings that he targeted Carnot as a representative of the state and bourgeois justice, as well as for his repressive policies. The conviction was delivered on 3 August 1894. Caserio's refusal to appeal the verdict accelerated the timeline for his execution, which was carried out thirteen days after the conviction.

Execution. The execution was carried out by guillotine, an apparatus designed for beheading. The condemned person is secured with a pillory at the bottom of the frame, holding the neck directly below the blade. Caserio was guillotined on 16 August 1894, thirteen days after his conviction. The guillotine was the primary civil legal execution method in France until 1981.