Soldiers place a coffin down, a man comes out with a priest in attendance. The soldiers shoot and he falls to the ground.
That pretty much sounds like a spy being executed, and let it go at that. It's shot by Arthur Marvin, who would serve as D.W. Griffith's second cameraman when he took over production in 1908. As this one stands, it's pretty poor for 1902, with all the action concentrated in about four feet; the rifles of the shooting soldiers practically touch the doomed spy It's also quite clearly shot on a set, although that might not have been clear to contemporary audiences.
I expect this was intended as a bit of bloodlust for the audience. It seems unlikely to be a cautionary tale, warning the audience not to become spies lest they be shot.
That pretty much sounds like a spy being executed, and let it go at that. It's shot by Arthur Marvin, who would serve as D.W. Griffith's second cameraman when he took over production in 1908. As this one stands, it's pretty poor for 1902, with all the action concentrated in about four feet; the rifles of the shooting soldiers practically touch the doomed spy It's also quite clearly shot on a set, although that might not have been clear to contemporary audiences.
I expect this was intended as a bit of bloodlust for the audience. It seems unlikely to be a cautionary tale, warning the audience not to become spies lest they be shot.