Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-04-04
rhe Mau who Guillotined HIMSELF.
Frou the Courier dc. Esats Usis.

From the Courier dcs Etats Usis.
The validity of the will of q person
who has committed suicide is at this mo-
ment under discussion in the courts of the
kingdom of Naples.
Mr.. Couvreux selected for himself a
singular manner of dying-he guillotined
himself. We borrow the following de-
tails from the correspondence of the
Temps. The writer obtained then, from
M. Iammi, consular agent of France at
Castellamare.. 4+
Mr.. Couvreux,. a man Of about fifty
four years Of age, had chosen for himself,
some years back, a residence in an hotel
of Castellamare upon the delightful hill;
Qui-si sana. Here one ,recoyers hi.
healthy To the public he appeared but
simple, inohsnsive lunatici; his madnes,
wasievsr.geiled by ataste for literaturf'
and art; he touched thespiano. and com
posed romanees. Within himself he wa
a prey to two fixed ideas-to lead lf'
of chastity and to; die without suffering
pain. The. influence of the former had
Induced him to initiate the famous sacri
flee of Origen-the second led him tt
guiHotine himself. He read everything
that had any bearing upon the sacrifice,oi
the guillotine.
Well-thumbed pages were found in his
rooms, in which it was discussed whetae,
the head of the person guilotined see:
and feels after execution. There is rea
son to suppose that he arrived at the con
viction that the mode Of death is easy.
In this belief he erected 3 handsome gull
lotine in the doorway which opened from
his parlor to his bedroom. The impor-
tant feature in his invention was sliding
axe, which he loaded with one hundred
and thirty-two pounds of lead. He tried
the instrument on several animals. J.
was afterwards remembered that he haG
often carried into his rooms cats anc
chickens which had been no more seen.
When he had satisfied himself as TO tn
excellence of his machine, he proceeded
to ornament it. He set it in frame Of
: two red curtains gracefully drawn apart
between the curt ins and under the tall
he planted firmly table with steps lead
ing to it, and covered all over with ablach
cloth. He placed white and soft pillow
near the corner of the table, upon whicl.
was to rest the severed head.
Everything being in readiness, toward,
halfpast nine o'clock in the evening, h
played upon the piano hymn to tn
Virgin, of his composition. He dresses
himself in white flannel, he ascended the
stepssof his%scafold, and extended himself
uponihis back, looking upwsrd. so that h-
might see the instrument Of death fall
upon his neck. Itsseems that to be abl'
to sse better, he even placed light upol
q pieceeof furniture near by. Hetouchec
the cord which, retained the suspended
axe--the axe fell, ard ut blow struck
Off his head, which separated itself but
little from the trunk and rested in an cas-,
position upon the white pillow prepared
to receive it, When the room WAS en-
tered the next morning, and all the horri
BILE details of the catastrophe we're inves
tigated, ,.upon the table was found will.
by which several thousands of francs were
leftto the servants of the hotel.
1t is this will which is now being con-
tested before the civil court OF Castclla-
mare. 4Therelafives of Mr.. Couyreaux
are attempting to upset the will as the
act of q lcnatic. The employees of the
hotel assert its validity.