Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-07-28
The Cu,,,o,ine and an Execution.

attending ceremonies, IS noIH INA eP''S".J
volume just pubished-"W'ld Oats Down "A
broad"
In visiting the puillotine. some months since,
I had expressed desire to witness an execn-
ton. should any take place during my stay In
Paris. had almost forgotten The circumstance
when la.r night | recei we'd very polite lnvl-
rnfon from Monsieur Henri to be present this
morning whilst he performed his duty upon
some unfortunate victim. v hose organ OF do
sfructiveness had led him to knock out the
brains of one of his fellow creatures with
hammer.
s.Executions in Paris, considering the popu
lation, are quite rare. and always take place In
the morning, without any previous announce
nent. The criminal himselfi is only informed OF
the hour the night before. All this precantion
is intended 10 prevent a crowd, and also to a
void whetting the appetite of the people with
the sight of the Guiloline in play. is gen.
orally erected after midnight, so that few, ex
cept those in the immediate neig hborhood, C an
have lime to congregate between daylight and
the moment of the execution.
Eight o'clock was the hour appointed, and
we were advised to be there in season, as the
government is very punctual in its pertorman
ces. 1t was hardly daylight when We reached
ADt Oh the nut Dbl dCqucSs E." Z iOubN
but fe " persons there. A small body Of mount
ed municipal guards formed the inner circle
round the spot;immediately behind these were
stationed some grenadlers, three or four PAGES
apart. The majority OF lockers on appeared
to be soldiers off duty, and the ubiquitous
"gamins" of the Fanburg. We, as invited
guests of the executioner, were conducted into
The smaller circle,and placed only few yards
Il. II i Il. l. Il,
of The gnillotne had railing, and was rather
higher than expected, there being eight or
ten steps to mount; so that the execution may
be seen some distance off. The guiloine It.
sefis very simple contrvance-nolhing but
too perpendicular shafts about eighteen inches
apart, and some Is or 20 feet high. Between
them, near the top, the axe, or knife, IS held
suspended by spring, which being touched.
i; descends rapidly along the grooves in the
sides Of the shafts. The axe is triangulary
shaped, and loaded at the top, so as to run
swiftly and iorciby. AT the lower part Of
these shafts is wooden collar to fit the neck
The victim stands erect, short distance off Oh
a foot-b board which reaches up to his breast.
This board has straps for binding the party in
case he should prove unruly, and turns upon
pivot In the centre, so that the executioner
merely raises up the lower end of the board
1t Immediately brings the man into horizon
tai position, with his neck in the collar--the
spring Is at the same time touched and the
knife falls-a box receives the head and a
long basket, which runs parallel with the vic
tim, receives the trunk.
While we were aw aitng the arrival of the
principal parsonage in the drama,we overheard
one OF the guard giving an account OF the exc
culion OF Fiesche, of "inferna machine" memo
ry. | asked hun how many executions he had
witnessed. He did not recolleci but he said
that he had seen eleven persons executed in
fourteen minutes. At the time could not cred
1t this assertion bur | soon had evidence Of The
possibility OF the fact Early as it was the
crowd bcs au to increase rapidly. They laugh
ed and joked together as though il was farce,
instead of tragedy they were about to witness.
There was quite ludicrous dispute kept up
for some time betw cen tie occupants OF sundry
trees near the scene of action, and the gems
d arms" who insisted on their vacating this
leafy eminence. Plenty of wirtcisms were
handled about as these ragged climbers scram,
hed away from the points Of the bayonets.-
Nothing can dampen Frerchman's animal
spirits
The prisoner came in a close carriage with the
executloner He alightedand paused moment
at the foot of the steps to speak to his conessor.
He was young man, stout but small sized and
dressed in the blue "blouse" ola Iaborer His
face was pale as death and his step somewhat
unsteady. He had probably never seen the
gaoine, for his eye over the instrument
and at last settled with a stare upon The glitter.
ing knife which had just caught the rays Of the
morning sun. There must have been one dread
ful concentration of agony as that poor fellow
imag nation shaped the fatal process. The mere
silver Of the knife is nothing;hut who can paint
that one instant of Consciousness as the first
noise of It's descent strikes his ear-before It's
cold edge passes with the crushing weight Of
eternity to its fearful goal. He had scarcely
mounted the scaffold, and placed himself upon
the foot board before the executioner had strip
ped him TO the waist and pushed him gently
forward. His feet rose with the motion Of the
board, and there he lay perfectly horizontal
With his face downwards and his neck in the
collar. The knlfe came with awhizzng sound