The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-27
Correspondence Of the Boston Atles.
Execution by the GuillOtine.

When we reached the Rond Point it was not
yet day, and the place very badly lighted. Yet
by the faint Pickering lights Of the lanterns which
swayed to and fro in the wind, as if they were
playing at swinging on their stout ropes, could
I see some bayonets CLEAN, and a vague Uniformed
mass standing in the middle of the square. / had
seen guillotne, but my heart told me that
was it, went near tit is horrible to look upon.
| need not describe its form, for every one knows
it. BY the dim light it looks like pile driving
machine. 1t is placed upright upon platform,
I ladder without rounds, with wooden collar at its
base and triangular knife above. By the side of
the roundless ladder is the coffin where the body
is thrown, below it is the paner where the head
falls, and from the upper end of the ladder to the
balustrade which surrounds the platform, the rope
bangles, which the executoner shas but to pull,
and-ah, it is horribly simple The guillotine in
all its parts, even to the rope, was painted red
leave you to conceive how this lacked vieysed hp
the erepuscular light in which saw it. But the
ponderous triangular axe was unpainted; it cleaned
with horribly sinister expression high over the
paner md the coffin.
As there were, as yet, few persons on the ground
except soldiers, every one was allowed to move
around the fatal instrument, and examine 1t IN all
it's parts. But the crowd began to arrive.
The instrument had been planted at about eleven
o'clock the preceding night, and it attracted crowds
from large radius. As daylight increased, the
soldiers formed lines, the people were ordered
Z back from the instrument; troop OF dragons
, galoped up, who first formed in front OF the
, gulotine and then guarded it, Between the
horses were the gems d'armes, and behind them the
public.
solitary spectators who came with their large piece
il of bread in their hand, and their pipe in their
mouth but groups of five or six at me, who
. came up in haste from all the neighborlng streets
has if they were dreadully afraid of being late.
| heard great rumbling, aad saw all the people
r look anxiously in the direction from which the
! & sound came. trembed-I thought it the hurdle
upon which the victim comes-it the hearse
I-saw boy Of about four years of age, climb up Q
stone post to see the fee, so he must have thought
it-but after glancng hurredly the scene, he
slid quickly down from his perch and ran away
pale and weeping, to his mother-he was as yet a
his debut. Another rumbling-the carriage stops
at the line of soldiers, and then goes away to th.
Barriere and awaits there. A person in blaci
dress gets out, the soldiers open for him-he pro
ceeds directly to the scatfod-a eyes are bent OF
hm-all recognize him--all shudder as they lool
4 on him, for he is-Monsieur de Paris
Monsieur de Paris is the title given in Franc
to the Jack Ketch who executes the last sentence
of the law. Monsieur de Paris ascends the scat
fold, and examines the gulotine carefully-he give
some instructions, and then descends with mea
sured step, and places himself at the foot Of tn
insrument-he stands alone-his arms folded.
The moment approached-the mob became ag
II tated with excitement. What's that murmur, an
3 that rumbling of wheels? they have come at last
= riages, preceded by horse gen darmes, come up
a round trot by the boulevard on the right of tn
scalold. In the first closed carriage was the prizes
in the second, a barred van, was soldier, an e,
ecutioners ad--he had been to prepare the fat;
toilette of the prisoner-and the condemned. Ih
van stopped turned its back towards the old re
staircase, and vomited forth the criminal. tt
vast mob was so still could hear the hinges OF Il
van creak as the door opened.
Lafourcade, more dead than alive, came dow
the steps of the van. Monsieur de Paris noun
the scafold his assistants bring Lafourcade up
he is already half dead, attended by the priest.
stands close to the wide plank-his head is u
covered, his shoulders are barred. His neck h
been freed from his hair-this neck, now good
nothing but to be severed by the axe, is horrible
look upon, especially when seen as saw it, fro
- behind No time is lost the executioner's ass
tant throws him upon the wide plank--the plal
moves upon the pivot-his head is now beneath I
axe-a piece descends, a second rises to me
it, his neck is now fast in the mortal ring. Mo
sieur de Paris raises his hand-my heart beats a
. breathe with dificulty-the mob is silent
the grave-all eyes are liked on the axe-it moS
1T ..s-s-s-BJoMB!
The executioners s assistant throws the stiff bo
\. as if it piece of wood in the open coff
with wonderful agiiity-the head falls in the b
ket, which is instantly covered, and the axe, red
tigers tongue, closes the mouth Of the satisf
monster. Every one trembles and swallows
heart, which rises to his mouth, and looks at
neighbor, astonished to have seen that, and e
to have an accomplce. Assistants with buck
! of water and sponges wash from the axe and sc
fold all traces OF blood.
"How quickly all is over and this is true,
n the emotion of the denonement is much less Il
that of the long time spent in awaiting it. I
troops disperse, the dead body is hurried of
Clamart-the dissecting room-the people pr
around the gulotine, the workmen begin to
mount it.