Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-07-17
has been executed at the Place Dc

iSireye.
In coming. some days since. out O
THE Hotel de Vile, ] stopt tor some naG
Imet,ts on file steps when found my /;
| selt assai!ed, all at once, by multitude
LOT IDEAS, and of painful reeollections. J
Imagined that had under my eyes IL,
lscaffold where brave general persisted
so miserablv, surrounded by Ms
ibeaumonde. who came to have the plea
sure OF seeing his head fall; tbat enor-
lmous gibbet where the unfortunate Fay
,os wa, one of the firstto pay his life Tor
his ulalterable fidelity. contemplate
with shuddering, this Hotel de Vile
1.-THE witness of so many crimes and Sc
Imany executions ran over. in idea
the sanguinary records OF la Greve, where
II read with horrour the names OF IA
uaillac, of Hrinvillers, of Damien, OF
lCartouche, and all the frightlul success
ision of human atrocities. Every kind OF
Icrime-robberv, assassination, poisoning;
Iparrcide, saclilege, find there its igno-
NITROUS illustration; ard according to
the remark of the judicious author OF
g ESSAYS OH PARIS, all the monsters who
have figured at this place, would form an
assembIage mere numerous than any one
OF those which have been collected at
tier execution.
/ these melancholy ideas, or which my
'!luiid engaged Itself invoIuntalily during
the rest Of The day, continued to occupy
me In the evening, wien l met Dr. NJ
one OF those men, Who as Sterne says
:. seek the north east passage OF the IN
tteIlectual world, To expedite their arrival
at the land OF science" TINS learned ply.
Isician, the great enemy OF systems, and
of speculative theories, haa occupied llIA-
self during six years, on work : on the
afinitis OF Physiology and Morals" III
The execution OF which, he spends great
part of his tine in prisons, IN order 70
collect his lac $, to multiply his aulhorl.
It's, and to extend his experience. The
interest OF tae science, and the constant
preoccupation OF single idea, protects
him from any painful feeling, and even
from tie ridicuie sometimes excited by
the diligence he uses to be present at The
apprehension OF great criminals, TO follow
them before tie tribunals, into the prl-
sons. and ewes to the foot OF the scat
fold, at the risk OF being contounded
with those unieeiipg idIers, who seek,
~ 4; T.,ran+Iy o Snoct,c Ia ot l., fS-ayn M
'fiyoli. Persons who are accustomed to
contolnd the words and ideas Of sensa-
ton aud OF sentiment, who take no ac-
count of the strength Of will Il the force
of habit, would ind 1T difficult to believe
the selisibiiity of man, WHO makes it
his task to watch, in the heart OF a con
delnned criminal. the last signs OF hope,
and to observe buman nature at war with
the idea of destruction. The Doctor ex-
plains extremely well, and proves still
better by bis practice. that the operations
Of the mind and the movements O the
soul are not on the scme principle, and
ought not to bejudged of by the same re
suits Mr.. VI. CONCLUDED, while yet ar
guing. by making me- promiye to attend
him the next day to the Concierge ie to
see the assassin Laumond, previous to
the hour of his being brought forth for his
execution.
The Doctor was exact; but at tie mo-
ment OF setting out, felt a compunetion
at heart, which would have made me re-
inoance my project, If had not been a
,shamed of exposing all py eakne,s to &
imam who wound not have done honor t.
my sensibiity. We departed On the
road he recolnted to ne the frishiuI de
tails of the murder committed on tht
! fruiterer Of Verneuil street. g The un
HAPPY being whom we are going 10 see,
said he, in finishing his nafration, sis i
i new proof in support of truth which
/ shall exemplify by his Whole career; j
lis, that the door of gaming house is one
Iof the gates to the gib5et. During ffteeI
] years that | have studied, that have
been making observations on great crimi
nails, | have scarcely seen any who have
not been seized, either with the dice o
tue cards in their hands, Without civ
ing me time to objectt to what nigh
consider exaggerated in this assertion, b,
applied the principle to the whole lie .
this Hammond, whom he described ever
Iib his childhood, abandoned to that lo,,
of gaming which he retained during hi
whole career in public places among chiI
,Idfen OF his own age, whopIayed thepre
lude to the same vices, in yielding TO tn
same inclinations. I" In turn bad son
bad husband, bad father, sIlouls
ihaye concluded" continued the Doctor
6 from the details only of his private life
l that the bend of such q man mnsf he con