The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1866-05-10
From the Courier des Etats Unis.
The Man who GuilIOlincd Hin.
self. -

has committed suicide is at this moment
under discussion in the courts of the king.
dom of Naples.
Mr. Couvreux selected for himself sin.
gular manner of dying-he guillotined
himself. Wo borrow the following details
from the correspondence Of the temps
The writer obtained them from M. Jammi,
consular agent of France at CastelIsmare.
MIR. Couvreux, man of about fifty-four
years OF age, had chosen for himself, some
years back, residence in hotel Of Cas-.
tellamore upon the delightful hill Qui- 81.
sana. (Here one RECEIVERS his health. }
To the public he appeared but simple,
inoffensive lunatic; his madness was ever
veiled by taste for literature and art he
touched the piano and composed romances.
within himself he was prey to two ideas
to lead a life of chastity and to die with.
out pain. The influence of the former had
induced him to initiate the famous sacrifice
OF orlgen--the second led him to guillo-
tine himself He read everything that had
any bearing upon the sacrifice of the gull.
lotine.
Well,thumbed pages were found in his
rooms, in which it was discussed whether
the head OF the person guillotined sees and
feels after execution. There is reason to
suppose that he arrived ut the conviction
that the mode Of death is easy. In this
belief he erected a handsome guillotine in
the doorway which opened from his par.
lor to his bedroom. The important fea-
tuse in his invention was sliding axe.
which lie loaded with one hundred and
nf
instrument on several animals. I was
Afterwards remembered that he had often
carried into his rooms cats and chickens
which had been no more seen. When he
had satisfied himself as to the excellence
OF his machine, he proceeded to ornament
1t. lie set it in frame of two red cur
tains gracefully drawn apart between the
curtains and under the fall, he planted
firmly table with steps leading to it, and
covered all over with black cloth. He
placed white and soft pillow near the
corner Of the table, upon which was to rest
the severed head.
Everything being in readiness, towards
hait-past nine o'clock in the evening, he
played upon the piano hymn to the Vir-
gin, of his composition. BE dressed him
self in white flannel, he ascended the steps
of his scaifold, and extended upon his back,
looking upward so that he might see the
instrument of death fall upon his neck.
1t seems that to be able to see better, he
even placed Lighted lamp upon piece
OF furniture near by He touched the cord
which retained the suspended axe-the
axe fell, and at blow struck off the head
which separated itself but little from the
trunk and rested in an easy position upon
the white pillow prepared to receive it.
When the room was entered the next
morning, all the details of a horrible ca
tastrophe were investigated, upon the ta-
bic was found will by which several
thousands of francs were left to the ser
wants OF the hotel
1t is this will which is now being CON
tested before the civil court of Castelamare.
The relatives of Mr. Couvreaux are at
tempting to upset the will as the act of a
iunatic. The employees of the hotel as
sert its validity.
FINDING THE RoAD-A Yankee trav-