New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-06-20
HOW THEY GUILLoTINE MENIvPARIs.

| HOW THEY GUILLOTIEE MEN ~ PARIS.
| Cou.syord.noe q The Bos,on Traveller.
PAEI., May, 1870.
| TIE journals Of Psris have. within few DAYS an
Ioubced the execution Of Nicolas Parong BY The gG
| lOiine.
He was accused Of having, in The month Of Angus.
| last. murdered Biz bsce child. having previ-
onsly vlosi-d her person. The evidence was wholly
cIcunttsnilAl, AID Vas amassed with much d!hcHty
| but its weight was overwhelming, and WITHIN Few
ek- he condemned "a suffer the extreme penalty
OF the law. The Court Of Casss,ion unhesi.s.ngly
rejected the appeal he sought 70 make from .his sen
| teLcs.
Executions in Paris formerly took place near the
Barrere ST. Jacques, but their occurrence in thckly
populated localty gave 20 the scene g publicity i.
was deemed De sirable 70 avoid. Since 1882 accord
uely, tie Place de La Roquette, the road 20 Pere
| La Chase has been the thes.er Of al such evenis.
Here was executed Verger, The assassin of the Arch
tsbop If Paris; and more recently Orsiu and Pierre,
author Of tie attempt On the life Of the Emperor
The isosted situation Of this spot, and the !uipcssi
hty Of asrsrairing the approach Of an execution I'LL
the woIkmen arrived with the scsfOd, threatened 20
| irugta'e plan, which few of yong Amercars-
temporary re-iderts hsre-hsd formed Of being eye
witLestes OF the event But On learning the conden
nation Of PsroBg, after some difficulty succeeded
il brbing the keeper Of small cabaret, within sight
Of The ta,al spot pos, down and awaken ne "a soon
the erection Of the ,cslod should comm ;nce. And
within week We were aroused By the summons a.
| abcui il the morning.
|, was dark and the rain descended in torrents. No
carriage was at that hour on the stand assembled
Or the Popt d.s Ars, and slowly ,rudged through The
deserted streets eDcoupteIng here and there solitary
patrol. We passed along the Rue dc RyOl;, and n.
the foot Of the column II July turned asde 10 the lef
ard passed INTO The Rue de- La ROq le:ie wbch being
the direct Tvute TO Peie La Cbase often taversed
| By the hesTse and s followers. Along this dreary
| and sil'u, road male way for over mile
when tie hoarse challenge Of sentry suddeely in-
formed Us that We were at the foot Of the scaifod II
pitch dark, and by the Ugh. % few lanterns
| rn.ti,o q IN line n surrDunt-
ing the spot and small lot Of policemen, who peremp-
toily ordered to fan hack. Learning that the exc
cution would Dot probably take place before Sa. m.
made the best az our way 10 pegbbOring cabaret
where we sat ard snuked Ill dawn appeare l.. Then
hastily swallowing hot bowl of coffee, we hurried on
| 10 the ground.
| On arriving We found Ourselves in the center OF
large square, haIked by two lofty buildings Of gray
On the left the square towers of the prison
for juvenile ofenders the right, the massive walls
| oil The New Biceir-. In front Of the later was the
scaffold ard around il n dou0e line of the Municipal
Guard and of sergen,s de Vile. In the center of the
road and facing the scaoli were drawn up detach-
ment of dragons. As We were among The first on the
ground only few PAGES from the gulo.ine, had
an opportunity 81 inspecting it rather closely, and By
Islander reaoily explained TO me Us construction. Il
was painted iroug hout and consisted Of staging
accessible by fight of stairs, and rising some six feet
| from the gruuDd the summit surrounded ny !ow rail-
In the cent. Of the floor hIs offered planted ,So
uprights, foot and half apart and eight or ten
| high. These were grooved for the passage Of the
| kIi fe--s broad dull blade, weighing, as was in
formed $50 ponuds- which drawn up and attached
to II piece above ready 70 desceud on the pres
ure Of sprTg. Or the floor and facing the interval
between there posts is placed long, low, framework
| or car which runs forward on grooves aud plsrk
hinged to o,e extremity OF this car tails r"ard upon
il, liz preparing for execution This pla.k ia raised
be at ria hi angles 10 the csr; aud the criminal
on ascending the steps, marched for sard against the
,lauk Being suddenly pushed from behind, he falls
with the pl-nk upon the c,r and the pressure OF his
body causes clamps 70 spring over him from below,
| ehectuay restraining al muVeneat. HE same M
pu re gives mu'inn TO the ear, whch glides rapidly
forward and the lune;te ia half circle of wood a, once
| mprisontg the neck, the OK descends. 80.
The dull gray light Of dawn had pierced WIKI Diff
Guilty hrnugh 'hc vail of mist and rain which sur
rounded us and in The distance could make out tue
white ton b. and monuments Of Pere La Chase Ine
| crowd soou began to augment, as workmen going To
their abors atacd by the preparations, and the
news soon Spreading, oGg dense throns hled the
place. Additional troops from lime 10 time hed ni
aud another mounted deacu,eb, arrived and ook ap
its station. Everything was done without CONFUSION,
| with perfect rev uisrty and in perfect silence.
Az the clock struck the gates of the prison opened
| and two forward, supporting between them
| The crinipa-a short, athletic man his thros. and
chest barred, and bis head uncovered lie mounted 'he
scnffnd with ain and fu'eTing step. tel FOR
moment biz knees, and then rising, was marched up
10 the upright plank. The eXecntOner and his aSs's-
tart took hold of him from behind and at gwen sg
nal, pushed bin forward on the car We heard the
rambling ufhe wheels the click Of the unetie aud saw
rnnn standing behind the posts grasp hold of The head
10 steady il. The dull fall Of the knife next reaehed
unr ear and saw n heades- body tilted intD lnng
box which stood ready Ia receive IT, Tnis was az once
| lifted into a cart and driven from the grouud.
| have Described the deed minutey, bat The length
Of the account gives no idea OF the actual Tap'iy.
No, minute and half elapsed from the time that The
criminal appeared at the gate of the prison, before bis
| b, dy was hurried from the spot.
H. few minutes the vast crowd rapidly and orderly
| dispersed