Dakota City herald. [volume] (Dakota City, Neb.) 1857-1860, 1859-11-19
Phe GuIIIotine

II has not unfrequsntly been stated that the
inventor Of che GuillOtiue became victim to
his OWE invention, and the imprs ssion is gensr
oil that such WAS the fact. This is incorrect -
Ne was indeed iusbrissned during the Jacobin
Reign Of TerroT-his crime being, It is said by
Guyot, that he testified an indisCretiOn indig-
nation at proposition made to him BY Danton
to superintend the construction sfa triple
instrument was thought Of, and it is said that
such machine was made and intended to be
erected in the great hall Of the Palais de Jus.
tIoe, but it was certainly never used and We
should very much, and for many reasons doubt
whether itoould hare been a design Of DaDton.
Jne genera JAN ucfivery OF the uth Thermid0T
released 6uillotpe and he afterwsyds lived il
decent medlocrity Of fortune at Paris, esteem,
ed, it is said, by small circle of friends but
overwhelmed by q deep seasibili,y to the
great, though we cannot say wholly upde-
served, misfortune which had rendered his
name ignOT.nious, and his very existence
subjec. of fearful curiosity He Just lived to
rec the restoration, and died in his bed In
Paris, on the 2sth Of May, 1914, at the age of
seventy-six.
The Guillotine, there is reason to believe,
was not originally designed with any view to
what turned out to be its most important
oharacterisiios-ths great number Of victims
that it could execute in short space Of time
but this bloody instrument was at first yro-
posed on combined principle of julItlos
and mercy, the inventor cOntendiDg that
hanging was lingering aud cruel punish
ment; while death by deception must be i'm
mediate.
The Guilloiinp FeRained In psrmanenoe IN |
the celebrated "Placs de Ia Revolution, un-
til Juue 9th 1894, when the Inhabitants Of the |
streets through which the sufferers had to pass
being wsary Of the heart rending sight, re-
selved that the cruel instrument should be re-
moved to the "Plaos st. Antoine" Ia front OF
the rains Of the Bastie. II stood in this new
position, however, but FIVE days, the shop
keepers not liking their rnsw neghbor, and
having in those brief FIVE days executed nine
ty-six persons, Il vas removed to the h" Bar
risre du Trogs," where II stood from the 9th
Of uhe 10 ihe fall Of RObssPierre, 27Ih July,
1894
In the forty nine days 10 which 1t is said 10
have stood at the 'sBarrIege la Trone," Il dis
.-l.4 1OTO nargnnp of hotk sawo. - n
ell ages and ranks, and il became necessary to
build a kind Of gdngRiduet TO carry OF lhs
streams Of bloed; and on the very day when Re
besplerTe fsll-evsn when the slightest inter
ruptiOn wSuld have suiiesd to have stopped the
fatal proeession--GOrty niHe persons passed to
the place Of execution! On the 9th Of July, al
about half past three 10 the afternoon, just as
the last batch Of victims were about to leave
the COnoisrgierie, considerable sommotion
in the place took place, caused by the revolt
against Robsspierrs'
Here On event occurred which rejected
great credit upon sapsal, thsOhief sIscp-
toner. He was conducting the prisoners, but
observing ths disturbance. and seeing Pau
quier, the AeegsaEoT Public, passing the court
where the prisoners we're ascending the fatal
carts, on his way TO dinner, he Vsntured to
stop Esuquier, and represented to him that
there we're rumors Of eommodou, suggest
log whether il would not be prudent TO post
pone the execution, st least until the next
morning Fauquier roughly replied that the
Law mast take its course lie went 10 dinner
aud the forty nine Hotims Seut 10 the s0af-
fOld-whiIhsr' N dqs time, be followed
them,