Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1858-07-13

II
my lord Marquis de Giac,' said ID
Mayor, after clearing his throat, and un
rolling the paper, draw near, and hea
the sentence which the good city d
Bourges, according to right and con
sciences passes upon YOU.
I The prisoner, by nature not .timid
and endowed with certain strength d
soul which enabled him to meet with fort
Etitude Inevitable evils, arose courageousfy
and walking up to the mayor almost with
an air Of Pride :; +.S
Let me hear it |, said he. But
pray use not many words
'7iAs/you command, replied the NAV.
.or lbowing low as he spoke and then i'd
Proceeded to read, with all the pop,nosity
of bis office, as follows; The supreme
administrator of the laws for the good
and true city Of Bonrges DEGREES, accorl
ding 70 right and conscience, that Ar
thur Phebus Charles. Marquis de Giac
Sc held guilty ofhaving improperly and
traudulently squandpred the royal treas
ple, and that he be accordingly. attainted Of
high treason, and condemned 10 suffer
death by the sword / ~ III -
: : How? Death p ,cried the prisoner.
more in anger chan in. terror. $,
. !. Allow me to proceed, my Lord Mar.
qpis ]; | have not yet DONE said The
Mayor and he read On In consid-
Grafton, however, of=7ft having pleased
his Majesty, our Enost gracious king and
master, To- pardon, with his own royal
word, the said Marquis de Giac, and to
grant lin his life, 80 shall the sentence
pronounced upon him be computed and
changed 70 a penance which commute
ton, however, can only 5be obtained BY
the condemned declaring III his own
handwriting. that be is willing to.undergo
the sentence of death, and to renounSe
the favor Of the royal pardon ofeled
him II ~" j = T..
Ana what IS the penance which 1 am
to-prefe.r TO death in what does it CON
sist p asked tie prisoner, turning pale.
1t is as follows, said the Mayor, read
ing further: THAT Arthur Phaebus
Charles, Marquis do Giae, shall bind
himself to+Put to death with tie Sword, ).
tomorrow morning before sunrise in the
open market place Of Bourges, one Of the
eriminals.at Presant.conVpted Of murder
~ ttering a cry Of rage and horror, the
sank on the bench in hisrtell,
and the door Immediately closed upon
the retiring Mayor and his attendants. >
When we consider the degradation at
tached to tlne ofiee Of public executor, in:
Che middle ages, the contempt in which.
the man who filed it was held and his
low position in a civil community, we
shall be abb to form some, idea Of the re-
lined cruelty contained in the SO called
1enance inflicted On the Marquis de Giac.
10 come inleontact, evenin the Iemotest
tegree with that administrator of criminal
Justice, was held to be disgrace which,
not even the royal authority was sufficient
entirely to obliterate and the meanest
;itizen would have preferred death to that
'ct which the authorities of Bourges had
imposed, under the name of a penance,
lPon q man Of ancient and honorable
ace, aud one who had long stood high
n the favoro IA crowned 3monarch. L /
A At the dawn Of day. on the 18th of
Iane, 1856, an agitation began on the
market place of Bourges, which announces
d that something, as unusual as it was
was about to take place. Out
# alf the houses, streets, and alley strem-
d men and women of all ages, who as
embed round circle marked out, with
'osts in the middle of the market place,
he entrance to which was strongly
;uarded by zwelI-armed soldiers. Al
heugh the morning twilight did rot af- |
ord a clear sight of what was prepared
lpoa, the inclpsed spot, still, there was all
teneral idea Of what was to follow; and |
hose that stood nearest, could discern a |
lightly erected stage, the sight of which |
1T, no doubt as to its object. 1t was a |
caffold, which awaited its victim
The expectation and the interest de- |
ieted on the ycountehances Of the con
family increasing mass, was very deci-
eddy different from that which was nsu-
lly observed On like occasions. This
had lis rise in tie circumstance
bat the present occasion was notone Of |
common execution, but ais was already |
nown to the inhabitants of Bourees, an
xample Of the administration of Justice |
itl4erto altogether without precedent. II
BESIDES this, the unusual time of day, as
Tell as the place. contributed much to
End soleranity to the whole flor gal
}ws had never before been known to be
rected withia the precincts of the dwell |
1g houses of the citizens ofBourges
nd added to this, the sword of Justice |
'as now to be seen in the hand Of man
tho, although he had been beloved by (
he people, had at least, always been look
4 up to by them with respect.
As.at length, duringzthe continuation
{ that fustlihg and confused noise which
even from silent multitude. |;
le daylight increased BY degrees and 7
the rising ofthe<sun in the
ast, deep and awful Stiffness prevailed.
through 4 passage formed blythe crowd,
picket Of soldiers approached the fatal
ng; surrounded BY these soldiers was
miserable carl, i'll which sat the execu7l
oner and bf~hls side ! haggard looking
ian, whD Was evidently about to suffer
lie death Of malefactor.
AT a little distance from the cart, fol.
lived a Clergyman. accompanied by a |
ian, whose face was perfectly pale, butt
hose carriage was firm and prond and
is aspect imposing. His dress, richly
with gold, but to which the