Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-21

PROM BrsrLrr's MISCELLANY.

II About one O'Clock on cold winter night in 1885
party Of four pesons were seated 10 the coffee room OF the
Hotel Meurce at Paris It chilly, sloppy, miserable
weather halt melted mixed with the Paris mud, and
driving see,y rain Missed against tho i'll fitting windows.
Talk of the cold in London when have our clubs, and
curaned windows and caPeted floors and sea coal hes
and our welciosed doors and sashes Why, have
real comfort in our three pabacks than their most splendid
saloons with all the mirrors and painted walls, and timber
i fed stoves can offer.
wives were drinking not the wines of sunny France but
something much appropriate and homeya eurously
fine sample of gin, artuly compounded into toddy by
| Achle, the waiter.
When the clock struck one three Of the party made show
of retiring but the fourth Punchy gentleman from VOL
verhampon eneaed that the rest would not all desert him
while be discussed glass morenay, perhaps would join
him. But here Achile nexorabe The master in
bed, and had taken the keys.
ssCal him up, then roust him out :"
"Mais nessieurs yo1 would not disturb madame ah,
non! madame ired-so deicateso harassed with the
noise all dsya, non and seeing the favorable impress
sion, added climax Of silent pantomme to his eoquence
Raising his shoulders to his spreading his hands to the
'front.' and wrnkng his face into smile which said "
knew you gallant for that" he bowed himself out
Our four friends have taken their candles and moving
from the room, when cab drives rapidly the doors there
ring the bell, and gentleman, in full evening
dress and envsloped in Spanish cloak hastily enters the
room. a.
Who inclined to see Fisschs head chopped off said
the stranger unfolding himself from the cloak "The
"
France and the guilotne has been sent of hour ago.
"Where !"
Our informant could not tell /; it was known only the
police there apprehension of some attempt at
1t will be either the Place St. Jaques the Barere du
Tr3ne the first most likely; let try that to begin with,
and there will be plenty of time to 60 to the other after
wards; but we must be early, to get good place.
We not of those who make practice of attending
ecutions with morbid appetite for such horrors Under any
circumstances the deliberate cutting off life 10 melancholy
spectacle The mortal agony, uneeved by excitement
painful IN the extreme TO witness but still 10 reckless
bavado rasst OF all 1t to the inevitable fate met with
calm dignity. Here, however, miacreant, who,
crafty political feeling-dignifed bis opinion with the
name Of fred the contents of
terry OF gunbaHels into Of innocent persons many Of
whom was quite certain would be killed, for the chance of
striking down man, and probably of his family.
That this family with their ustrous father should
altogether an instance Of good fortune remark
able as the attempt fagious But the magnitude Of the
crime invested the perpetrators with terrible interest," which
any lingering scruples and The whole party decided
upon setting out forthwith. We made for the coach
stand which was that the quay the Point Nsuf
What terrible ecoecons is this old city Of Paris invested
with! Scarcely street. place, public building that
has not dreadful story Neither is there any-at least
in EurOpe-whee the midnight rambler is apparently
exposed 10 maleament In London, the latest hour
is sense Of security in the broad glare Of gas and the
occasional Poceman but neither of these except very
few favored spots to be found in Paris in 1885, When
shops Close your only reliance upon the light other
days. dangling from ropes the No poceman
to be SEEM and the scowlng vagabondscal them
niers what you wi-are about the very last kind peo
pie which would desire by moonlight alone.
ever ghosts are permitted to return to Of violence
and crime you might surely expect them in Paris
the short between the hotel and the quay passed
the spot where lay, 10 revolving heap naked and
posed the copses the fifteen hundred gallant Swiss guards
gazed at show during whole forenoon by the and
| female thousands Of Paris. ...H
In something than half hour we ingled into the
nd ~.
ton to hear the sounds Of hammers busy piled upon dark
rising in the centre of the square it the platform
upon which to erect the guilotne On all sides of this
workmen were busiy engaged their labor quckened by the
Of who walked about lantern in hand upon
the top This the execuione who, by the light
carried bore remarkable resemblance our great come
DIAM the late Mr. Lston. There the square form
of the counenance, the small the long upper lip the
mrth provoking gravity and the rich husky chucke
This curious likeness at acknowledged by all pre-.
sent and Engshman took the liberty of inerrupinr the
grave unctonary with the information that be was the very
image OF e plus grand Jnrceur que AngLe-
eye piece of information which the French scion Of The
House Of Ketch received, after the manner Of Frenchmen
high compliment being moved to bow and chucke much
thereat.
By this time the hammering had reused the jewellers in The
place, and lights rapidly moving about the win
Edows keeper had opened his saloon, arranged his
little tables and busing about with his walters attend
ing to the wants Of the guests already assembled An exc
cuon is godsend TO the Place ST.. Jaques ut any time
the execution of three great State criminals such as these
would go FAR TO pay the years rent of the houses As cabs
and dcres began to arrive, thought necessary to make
arrangement for securing from whence see the exc
cuton and chance conducted the corner house. one
OF which looked upon the square directly the
guione, from which scarcely fifty yards distance and
the other side ond the road by which the prisoners were
4 to be conveyed from their prison to the scaffod.
i After the manner of Englishmsn--who DO abroad what
they would never think Of at honeour party walked up
stairs on the door being opened and commenced search
along the passage knocking the doors of such
were thought would afford afford good view Of the scene
In this We met with other parties Of English and other To-
reigne wandering about in the authoritative manner
urging the people to get dressed and give their rcom and
in the case OF unboed DOORS ntruding into several little
scenes OF domestic privacy One gentlemanhe people said
ne was either Russian Engish-wss already ensconced
ne had taken whole to himself paid for it shut him
self up in it. and fortified the door with such movable urn
ue as could be made available in addition to the door fase
ngs Though the proprietor Of the apartment had doubt
received an ample rent for the occupancy, yet be attempted
on the strength OF good Offer to introduce tenants,
papably trying BY his showing to fasfy the original
contract but such attempts were without success After
several failures through the bad faith and extorion of the
different roomhoders, who made little .cruple Of breaking
through agreements and raising their price a. fresh arrivals
came, one OF our party made bargain through the closed
door, with an old gentleman and his young wife, Fanchon
to be received at Napoleon EACH into their as
they dressedhe whole Of the money 70 be paid
down once upon the distinct understanding that no more
persons be admitted The old man was ready
give up the premises but madame er-
see had notion Of appearing 10 dshab before 90 many
strangers and kept waiting some time Notwithstanding
the interior Of Ann Fchon dyosehe ~; and
the Now, old girl hurry with the room never mind your