Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-03-24
THE eUILLoTTyr

"A plain old farmer friend IN Rutherford writes
rs very affecting letter concerning the state Of feel
iny that psrvades that community He says that
report has obtained circulation throughout the eOun
~ that their old friend and fsIlow-citaen cHARLEs
READY, Is 70 be Fuillodnedi that Mr.. HATEoN is
raising Company Of Know N0things in Williamson
and Wilson totake him 20 Franklin for that purpose
that the offence charged against him is that be was
one Of band Of oonspirators at Washington who
opened Pandoras box and let out all the evils that
aalict the country-and that all Of this has been
proven to their entire satisfaction BY the Hon. JoHx
BELL, who was present when the box was opened,
and Who with several others did al he could pre-
vent it. Our old farmer friend assures US that there
is much feeling on the subject in the county Of Ruth
erford-especial!y among the women and children,
who viii not be comforted-thst seW believe the
charges Of Col Belle, but that the majority, who
have long known Col READY as astaid, dignihed and
peaeeable citizen, positively deny that he ever had
any thing do with Pandoras box or any body slses
box, and that the story is absurd, because the
said Pandora was a foreigner and be is known to be
death all soregnersand that they are determined
70 defend him st all hazards and to the last ez-
tremity" against that guill0tias at Franklin.
Inc ap6CaA OBJECT OF FARMER ALAtlu ACbAuA Ab
20 know what q guinotine is. He says there are
many impressions concerning it in his ReghbOrhoOd
Some say that it is very high galows, invented in
old times when Haman was hung. Others, contend
that it is remarkable leech found only in the Wsers
Of the Nile, called an asp by the Egyptians, that
takes life by extracting al the blood from the body
by means Of which that ancient people succeeded so
well in preserving their dead and is the same thing
with which the beautiful queen Cleopatra destroyed
her own life many years ago. One, claiming to be
more learned than al the rest, contends that the
guillotne is an instrument Of death invented BY
CoRTEz, the Spaniard, when he invaded Mexico, and
vas used first in catching Indians-that it is con-
sruced somewhat on the principle of the snare,
used by little boys in catching rabbts-thst the In
dians were taken up by it unaWares, and left sus-
pended until the birds picked all the flesh from their
bones.
We have been good deal interested over these
novel ideas Of a guinotine, and can wen appreciate
the intense feeling with which the friends Of Col.
READY must contemplate his sad taking of None
Of these however, are in accordance with ideas
Of the guillotine. Without pretending to give the
history of this singular instrument, We annex the
following description Of the one recently used in the
execution of VERGER, the assassin Of the Archbishop
of Paris with the additional remark that this
the favorite mode Of decaptaton resored to by the
Jacobn Clubs, secret oath-bOund political Organi-
zaton that produced all the evils Of the French revo
luton Hence the propriety Of its use in the Know
Nothing party:
The scafold was erected about eighty feet from the
front door Of the prison, on four permanent blocks
90 he r~fF Tho fvruvy
the prison TO the street On both sides Of the road
way stood a double file Of soldiers with presented
arms. When VergeF issued from the gate support
ed by the eKecUtioner and the chaplain, end saw
standing before him the fatal instrument, his force
fOrsOok him and he sank down. Il was this passage
Of eighty feet that was terrible for the criminal
he knew that the moment he assembled the steps be
fore him his head would fall Ii is not like an exc
cEtiOu by hanging, for there the condemned man has
distraction in the speech he is going TO make to the
crowd in the parade Of the sca0d, in the emotions
Of the sudience in the preparation for the final act
But there Is room for distractions Of this kind in
presence of French guillotine.
The scsfold was at an elevation Of about Eve feet
from the ground. Arrived on next TO the step, he
fell on his knees on the floor Of the scaffod pro-
nounced few words of prayer, then kissed the
cihE and turned and gave q hasty embrace TO the
chaplain: but he never rose to his feet As he at
tempted do So the executioner, who stood behind
him. pushed him forward on the slab which carries
his head under the knife. This slab, which is so
placed as 10 receive the body the criminal rises
from his knee the last step floor Of the scaod
is 3 new invention used now only for the third time
Il 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. in
stead of being obliged to tie him tie e. form
erly the custom, operation that was sometimes
difficult if the prisoner ht 10 struggle, springs
now suddenly seize the body and hold it firm. This
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.
man is on the other side ready seize his head
it passes in order 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. Il is placed dag
Onally in the uprighs, along the side Of which
il glides ike a saw mill gate its diagonal position
Eives il saving motion in cutting through the neck
Il falls about twelve feet aud nicely is its weight
adapted 70 the force required, that not much more
than cuts of the head without superhous noise.
The moment the knife falls, the springs relax by
quick movement, the body is rolled off to q bGs-
euls at the side which, in turn tumbles the body
8 board az the end Of which stand two men ready
20 seize IT, and slide it into close carriage, which
stands ready, backed up for the purpose. In like
manner, the man who is charged with the holding Of
the head lets il drop into basket at his feet SEXES
the basket and hands il to of the scafold, who
Immediately places 1t in the wagon with the body
the door Of the wagon is closed precipitatey, 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 shoulders if to try to release him
self from the clamps. As he made this movement
the e1ecuti0ner pushed his shoulders hard down on
the board ami this movement served the double pur
pose of bringing the body fat 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 accomplished with such ra-
pidty that a great majority Of the audience did not
know II had occurred.
-- So much by way Of information for our Ruther-
ford county friend We desire to say, however, that
notwithstanding the guillotine has been in course Of
construction at Franklin, it is understood that the
parties have become alarmed for fear Of after con
sequences; and the probabilities now IRE that Mr.
RzADY will not be guilloIined as supposed The
same uneasness has existed in this district and the
same countcracting influences are at work.
nI- Col L Gardouhire bnuOuuces himself |
csnd date for Congress in the 4th District The |
prescott incumbent, Mr. Savage, IS also candidate.
30 h are democrats. Here is hDe field fog the |
a.. TT-.c- am AyruT0aw's falonFe