Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-03-25
Tho Science of the Guillotine.

A correspondent of the New York Times, who
witnessed the execution of Verger gives .graph
ic description of the science of the guillotine:
The scaffold is erected about eighty feet from
the front door of the prison, on four permanent
blocks of stone, in the centre of the roadway
leading from the prison to the street. The square
is planted with trees On both sides OF the road
way stood q double file of soldiers with present
ed arms. When 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 that the moment
he ascended the steps before him his head would
tal
Verger was hurried along to the fatal 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, " Vige Jesus Christ J"
The scaffold was at an elevation of about i've
feet from the ground. Arrived on next to the
last step, he fell on his knees on the floor OF the
scaffoG, pronounced few words of prayer, and
then, addressing the chaplain, said: MY broth
er, / charge you to make amerde honorable in
my name to all the superior ecclesiastics whom
have offended or made sorry tell them that |
beg pardon of them as pardon them myself. l
offer my life in expiation of my faults" He then
kissed the crucifx and turned and gave hasty
embrace to the CHAPLAIN but he never rose to
his feet. As he attempted to do so the execu-
toner, who stood behind him, pushed him for
ward on to the slab which carries his head un-
der the knife This slab, which is so placed as
to receive the body as the criminal rises from
his knees on the last step or floor of the scafold,
is new invention, used now only for the third
time. 1t receives the body from the knees to
the upper part of the chest, of necessity leaving
the neck and head projecting beyond. AS the
criminal falls 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 sudden
iy seize the body and hold it firm. This slab
slides ea.ly in 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 straw
cutting box, only much heavier. 1t is placed
dagonally in the two uprights, along the side Of
which it glides like saw-ml gate; its dago-
nal 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 superfuous noise. The mo-
ment the knife falls the springs relax by quick
movement, the body is rolled off to bascute at
the side, which, in turn, tumbles the body on
board, at the end OF which stand two men
ready to seize it and slide it into close car
riage, which stands ready backed up for the pur-
pose In like manner the man who is charged
with the holding of the head lets it drop into a
basket at his feet. sezes the basket and hands
it to man off the scaffod who Immediately
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 clamps. His head was
bare, and rs he did so he turned his face up
wards sufficiently to take 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 for
ward SO suddenly on the board. As he made
this movement the executioner pushed his
shoulders hardly down on the board, and this
movement served the double purpose OF bring
ing the body fiat and of sliding the head under
the axe. The little wheel at the top of the up
right turned half round and the knife fell
The whole affair was accomplished with such
rapidity that great majority of the audience
did not know that it had occrrred. Indeed, its
rapidity was its most frightiul feature. From
the moment the condemned man issued from
the gate till his body had left the ground was
but one minute by the watch The assassna-
ton was not less magnifcently performed than
the eypiation