The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-03-04
6YaSANDERS & BROTHER.
birth to a need Of pardon.

4 q
scene Of violence of which you have
just been the witnesses; it is natur.
which reyolts agsipst a premature
end From this moment will only
listen to my soul, | viii only occupy
/ myself with it. 1sa.r ,as
The scatiold is erected about eighty
feet from the front door of the prison
on four permanent blocks OF stone i'll
tire centre ofthe roadway leading from
the prison 10 the street The square
is planted with trees On both sides
OF the roadway stood a double file 81
soldiers with presented arms When
Verger issued from the gate, support.
ed by the executioner and the chap
lain, and saw standing before him the
fatal instrument, his force forsook him
and he sank down. 1t was this pass
age of eighty feet that was terrible
for the criminal, for hs knew that TIE
moment he ascended the steps before
him his head would fall. 1t is not
like an execution by hanging, far
there the condemned man has a dis
traction In the speech he is going to
make to the crowd, in the parade Of
the scaffold, in the elnotions OF the
audience, in the preparations for the
final act. II is q singular phenome-
non of the mind that mans egotism
goes with him to the last moment of
his life, and especially is this true Of
assassins. But there is no room for
distractions of this kind in presence
of French guillotine, and in the
hands Of French executioners.
&. yerger was hurried along to the Ia
tai steps. On the way he did not
cease to repeat Lamb Of God, who
takest away the sins OF the world,
have pity on mel! He cried also Vias
Jesus Christ. The scatfold was at
an elevation of about five feet from
the ground. Arrived on next to the
last step, he iell on his knees on the
floor of the scafola, pronounced few
words Of prayer, and then, addressed
the chaplain. As he attempted to do
so. the executioner, who stood behind
him, pushed him forward on to the
slab which carries bis head under the
knife. The stab, which ID so placed
as to receive the body as the criminal
rises from his knees on the last at p
or floor Of the scafiold, is a new inven.
tion, used now only for the third time.
1t receives the body from the knees to
the UPPER part Of the cltest, Of neces
sity leaving the neck and head. pro
jccting beyond. As the criminal falls
upon it, instead Of being obliged to
tie him there as was formerly the Gus
tom, an operation that was sometimes
difficult if the prisoner saw TT to strug-
gle, springs now suddenly seize the
body and hold it firm. The slab slides
easily in groves, and slight pressure
on the person Of the criminal pushes
it forward, and places his neck in the
notch into which the knife falls. A
man is on the other side ready to seize
his head As it passes, in order to
steady it, while another stands ready
TO pull the rope which lets the knife
fall. '~'
The knife is in form, like the knife
of straw cutting box, only much hea-
vier. 1t is placed diagonally in the
two uprights, along the side Of which
i.glides ike a saw mill gate; its dia-
gonal position gives it a saving mo
ton in cutting through the neck. 1t
falls about twelve feet, and SO nicely
is its weight adapted to the force re-
quired, that it not much more than
cuts of the head without superauous
noise. sSi issPz .as~
The moment the knife falls, the
springs relax by a quick movement,
the body is rolled off on to bascule
Mt the side, which, in turn, tumbles
the body on a board, at the end q
which stand two men ready to seize
it, and slide into a close carriage,
which stands ready, backed up for the
purpose. In like manner, the man
who is charged with the holding oi
the head. let's it drop into basket at
his feet, seizes The basket, and hands
it to man offthe scatfold, who imme-
diately places it in wagon with the
body the door Of the wagon is closed
precipitately, and at once moves of
the ground. All this is but the work
Of an instant.
When Verger was pushed forward
on the board, he raised up his shoul
ders as ifto try to release himself from
the clanpa. His head was bare, and
az he did so, he turned his face up
wards sufficiently to take last hur-
ried look to the side where | stood
| shall never forget this last glance Of
the criminal. hia face was then in
iected. no doubt from being pushed
forward so suddenly y'on the board
As he made this movement, the exc,
cutioner pushed his shoulders hardly
down on the board, and this move
ment served the donbls. purpose oi
bringing the body fiat and Of sliding
the head under the axe. The little
wheel at the top Of the upright turned
half rou.4d, aud the knife fellls
The whole affair WAS accomplished
with such rapidity that great major
ity. of the audience did not know thai
ithad occurred, Indeed, its rapidity
was its most trightful, feature, From
the moment the condemned man is
sued from the gate till his body hae
! left the ground, was. but one minute
bv the watch! The assassination was
not less efficiently performed thar
the expiation
Vcrrer is said to have declared IL
prison that if he had sufficient money
to 20 to Rome he worid have killei
the Pope, as the first and most essen
tial step in his great programme 10
the regeneration OF the church and tn
emancipation ofthe lower clergy iron
the yoke OF the higher.
The body Of verger was reclaimed
bv his brother, bu: was refused hin
on the ground that the law is impera
tive that all criminals must be burie'