Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-08-17

had stripped him to the waist, and pushet
HIM gently forward. His feet rose will
the motion of the board, and there he lay
perfectly horizontal, with his feet down
wards and his neck IN the collar. Th
knife came with whizzing sound-th
head Jumped forward-the trunk quiveret
convulsively, but was instantly rolled int
a basket, and every trace Of that unfortu
nate man disappeared from sight, save th'
'gouts' of blood upon the knife
81 could scarcely believe my own eyes
Was it possible that life had been taken
But moment since, had seen that maj
step out of the carriage and now he wa
gone-vanished-dead 1t was the quick
ness of ought-hardly time for an emo
ton. His rapid transit from the carriage
to his wicker coffin forbade even sympathy
He passed away like shadow-almost too
quick for the exercise of vision. No evl
dence of violence-no struggle-no torture
no apparent agony-no lifeless body-nt
distorted features, to brand their hideou:
impression upon the spectator. With the
exception of cold shiver as the heavy jal
of the knife broke the painful silence, there
was no other feeling produced in me during
the execution, and that, too, was momen.
tary. l had nerved myself for horror, and
there was not enough to shock the mos
sensitive.
"The guillotine-that name of terror
which has sounded the shame of France ir
every quarter OF the globe-appeared te
me the most humane of instruments. We
all looked at each other as if there ought tc
be more There was an unsated something
which almost amounted to desire for an.
other victim, as 'if the appetite increased
by what it fed upon. We could partly ac-
count for the calm indifference with which
man after man was sent to the embrace Of
this internal machine during the period oi
the first Revolution. There is neatress
"a despatch-a cold -blooded apathy about
the whole affair-that deceives man into
the belief that all is mere machinery. II
only wants the aid of steam to make it per-
feet. There is no realizing sense of vio-
lence-and one almost doubts whether the
victim be a man of straw or real flesh and
blood. 1t would have sounded very natu-
raj to hear the crowd cry out-'Give us
another and let it be done slower so that
we may see.' am by no means blood
thirsty, and yet fear should have joined
in.
"The executioner was very benevolent
looking individual, with soft sleepy eye,
and certain quiet gentlemanly manner
that was quite lnsinuating. He handed the
criminal up the platform with the polished
grace of the ancient regime, and no doubt
begged his pardon as he removed the poor
fellows cap.
CATER the execution, water was thrown
upon the instrument. The head was
thrown into the same basket with the
trunk, and both handed over to the dissect
ing knife. I noticed two drummers station
ed near the scafold-intended, perhaps, tc
drown the voice of the party In case he
should address the crowd. 1t was thus Hen
riot stopped Louis XVI. when he attempt
ed to speak.
81 afterward went to the Ecole Pratiqut
to see the remains. The neck had beer
very smoothly severed about the third yer
zebra. The expression of the face was re-
marKaOle HOl Tue ltdSl lIdCe vi pdiuNHO
the slightest distortion of feature but there
was a settled sorrow-an intense sadness
about every line of that paid visage. 1
had more the appearance of deep sleel
than death-ths sleep that follows menta
exhaustion. We were satisfied that M
muscular action could have taken place af
ter the blow-and as to the blush which il
said to have suffused the face OF Charlotte
Corday when the executioner held up tht
severed head, and slapped her cheek, it il
all absurdlty-French nonsense. Yet, fo
mere superstition sake, if person coule
feel conscious for second or two after de
carl.ation, and be aware of ones mutilatet
condition, how excessively awkward mus
be the sensation one must feel sort o
dividend duty'-a two-fold existence-likt
broken series of equations. Yet it mus
be moment of refreshing intellectual en-
ergy-cut off from the earthly part-tht
vile body grand subject for speculation
Why don't somebody give us The Refec
tons of Decapitated ManP If it turned
out stupid, he might excuse himself fo
want of head
YEt1ow FEVER AT New ORLEANS
The Nau Orleans Rec uives the following