The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-03-17

WESTERN DEMOCRAT.
SooCHARLOTTE.G6e
SCIENCE OF THE eUuLoT1NE,

A correspondent of the New York Times
who witnessed the execution Of Verger
gives q graphic description of the seienc'
Of the guillotne:
The scaffold is erected about eighty fee
from the front door of the prison, on fou
permanent blocks of stone, in.the centre o
the roadway leading from the prison to th'
street. The square is planted with trees
On both sides of the roadway stood double
file of soldiers with presented arms. Whel
Verger issued from the gate, supported by
the executioner and the chaplain, and saw
standing before him the fatal instrument
his force forsook him and he sank down.
1t was this passage of eighty feet that was
| terrible for the criminal, for he knew thai
| the moment he ascended the steps before
| him his head would fall.
Verger was hurried along to the fataI
steps. On the way he did not cease to re-
peat '.Lomb of God, who takest away the
sins of the world, have pity on me-" He
! cried also, "Tice Jesus Christ" The scat
IOlu was dG All cltfdlltl Ol uOOub Hfo lcet
from the ground. Arrived on the next to
the last step, he felled on his knees on the
floor of the scaffold, pronouuceda few words
of prayer, and then addressing the chap
lain, said-''My brother, charge you to
make amcnde honorable in my name to all
my superior ecclesiastics whom | have of
Tended or made sorry; tell them that l de-
mand pardon of them as pardon them my
self. I offer my life in expiation of my
faults" He then kissed the crucifc and
turned and gave hasty embrace to the
chaplain: but he never rose to his feet
As he attempted to do so the executioner,
who stood behind him, pushed him forward
on to the slab which carried his head under
the knife. THIS slab, which is Sc placed
as to receive the body as the criminal rises
from his knees on the last step or floor Of
the scafTold, is new invention, used now
only for the third time. 1t receives the
body from tho knees to the upper part of
the chest, of necessity leaving the neck and
head proIecung Uey"nd. Ks li,o oIi"rinul
fails upon it, instead of being obliged to tie
him there, as was formerly the custom. an
operation that was sometimes difficult if
the prisoner saw fit to struggle, springs
now suddenly seize the body and hold It
firm. This slab slides easily i'll grooves,
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
a straw cutting box, only much heavier
1t is placed diagonally in the two uprights,
along the side of which it glide like a saw
mill gate, its diagonal position gives it
saving motion in cutting through the neck.
1t falls about twelve feet, and so nicely is
its weight adapted to the force required,
that it not much more than cuts off the head
without superfluous noise. The moment
the knife falls, the springs relax by quick
movement, the body is rolled off on to
UUSCWE di iilC SIoCs WHICH, III bdAii,
the body on q board. at the end Of which
stands two men ready to seize it, and slide
it into a close carriage which stands ready
backed up for the purpose. In like man
ner, the man who is charged with the hold
ing of the head lets It drop into basket at
his feet, seizes the basket and hands it to
man off the scafold, who immmediately
places it in wagon with the body; the
door of the wagon is closed precipitately,
and at once moves off the ground All this
is but the work of an instant.
When Verger was pushed forward on the
board, he raised up his shoulders as if to
try to release himself from the cramps
His head was bare, and as he did so, lie
turned his face upwards sufficiently to take
q last hurried look to the side where stood.
/ shall never forget this last glance of the
criminal. His face was then injected, no
doubt from being pushed forward so sud
denly on the board. AS lie made this
movement, the executioners pushed his
shoulders hardly down on the board, and
this movement served the double purpose
of bringing the body fiat and of sliding the
head under the axe. The little wheel at
the top of the upright turned half round
and the knife fell.
The whole affair was accomplished with
such rapidity that a great majority of the
audience did not know that it had occurred.
Indeed, its rapidity was its most frightful
feature. From the moment the condemn
ed man issued from the gate till his body
had left the ground, was bat one minute
by the watch, The assassination was not
less magnifcently performed than the e1-
piation!
A UsURER's EPITAPH.-It is said the
following is common epitaph for money
lenders out West.
Here lies old thirty per cent,
The more he made the more he lent,