The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-03-26

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care Of physicians AID nurses Damiens grad
ually reganed his strength The time an.
preached Tor the spmplstian of the. sen.
tence,
I twas cold, bleak morning in February
snow had fallen during the night and stili
covered the Place de Grove but neverths.
less, every available spot was occupied
The Faubourg st. Antoine had disgorged its
sans 'culottic population. A ser of human
heads surged to and fro in unwieldy mass
-clinging to chimneys. clustered on the
trees, hanging on the roofs, thsy found a
brutal assembage-fit spectators of a brn-
tai drama. But IN the balconies and wind.
ows overlooking the "Place' were hundreds .
OF high. born ladies, many Of them youthful,
and heautiful. They smiled and coquetted
with their cavaliers diamonds sparkled.
and plumes waved in the winter wind
They were come to enjoy new sensation,
and to evince their loyal devotion to
an outraged king. Some Of the prices paid
for places were fabulous. For day. previous
to the execution nothing else was talk ID uf
in the good city of Paris
A scatford, erected at the north eastern
extremity of tie "Place," rose in stern
black fines above the shiftv multitude In
the centre was chair firmly fixed to the
boards, and at one end large stove. Iron
vessels containing resin, pitch. oil. wax sui.
phur and lead bubbled and boiled on the
furnace, whilst the flames cast lur,d glow
on the cruel, swarthy countenances of the
executioners as they completed the prepars-
tons, or watched over the seethiny cald-
rons,
The hoarse murmur Of the crowd wss
now suddenly hushed A general move
ment and flutter pervaded the fair occu.
pants Of the windows and balconies, Ds.
miens appeared, slowly mounting the steps
of the soaffo|d.
The execntioners spent some minutes in
firmly bin.ing him to the chair, from the
back Of which extended horizontal piece
of wood about two feet in length. To this
his right arm was securely strapped, his
hand protruding just beyond it. Execu.
TONER No. now advanced, and held under
it brazier filed with sulphur. A horrible
cry burst from the wretched man. cry that
seemed to issue from his very vi,als, and
that for months afterwards rang in the ears
of the spectators. The ladies' shuddered
some nearly tainted, and retired little way
from the windows. Soon sthey returned.
refreshing themselves with their smelling
bottles, and leveled their glasses once more
at the scafford. There was no fire visible.
The sun had just burst through the clouds.
and effaced the pale fame, in which his
hand was slowly and invisibly burning
But nameless stencil filled the air, and 4
thick fetid smoke rose over the scaffoId,
gradually spreading itself out, and hanging
like pale over criminal and spectators, a.
ifit would shut out the plying heavens
from this scene Of cruelty. Damiens cried
out no more. He sat quietly looking at the
blackened bones withering 10 the fame.
Meanwhile the horrible caldrons wers
bubbling and kissing, and the princers of
the Provost's Court of Paris were heating in
the furnace. The worst was yet to come.
A gigantic executioner now advanced and
tore the criminals flesh with the red-hot
irons in six different places. His assistants
followed carrying spoonsful of resin, oil.
lead, pitch, sulphur and wax, which they
poured into the gaping incisions. Soon the
breast, the arms, the thighs were one awful
wound. All this time Faubourg St. An
toine and Faubourg st Germain looked on
alike vnsated ; and the high born danes Of
Louis the Fifteenth's court smiled and chat.
ted with their cavaliers, and looked and
shrank back, and looked again.
All was not yet over. Damiens still
breathed, still suffered, and occasionally
cried out Four horses were now led for
ward. The noble animals were almost un-
governable. All the morning they had
struggled to escape from this dreadful spot
from the cries and groans, the thick smoke
and sickening smell that filled the air. II
was their turn now to take the place Of the
executioner, who could not find fresh
spot on the victims body to torment.
Damiens was carried down the steps Of
the scaffold the horses were backed to.
wards him as he lay on the ground, and the
nimble executioners made fast the traces
The grooms loosed their heads, and With a
trrified snort, they sprang forwards. But
human thews and sihews were too strong
for them. They were thrown on their
launches, and with dull, heavy thud. the
the body struck the ground. Again and
again they started. Urged on by blows
and shouts, they pulled in vain. A quar-
ter of an hour pa sed away. Damiens still
lived-stil breathed. At intervals he even
raised his head, and looked at the ami
mails. -
'Oh! those poor horses I" exclaimed Mad
smOiselle de Priandaa. the young and beau
tiful niece Of the Financier Bouret "d
Evening was approaching. The commits
sioners appointed to preside over the execu-
ton were embarrassed. 1t was necessary
to carry It out according to the strict letter
ofthe sentence, which directed the criminal
to be quartered. The crowd, too. was way
ing indignant, and ciamorously demanded
the eoup-ds grace. They consulted .oeeth.
er, and at length ordered the muscles and
tendons Of the legs and arms to be severed.
Once mort the horses plunged wildly for.
ward-and this time sill was over.
One Of Rentham's discoveries in morals
was that the pleasures of malirn,tv vera a.,