Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1867-12-21
Death Ofa French Executioner.

The recent death of one Simon accelerated
public executiouer in the South of France,
but who, OUTLYING his fame, like many other
artists, has died in tie hospital at Carcassone,
has. brought up the subject Of death upon the
scaffold once more in Fran,e. This Simon had
been the hero OF many adventures in the course
of his career. Oae OF these is recorded as be-
ing the original cause of the abolition Of the
punishment Of branding An unfortunate cul-
prit being brought up to be marked on the
shoulder with red hot iron By Simon, the
latter let the Instrument fall just when he had
applied it to tbefesh, so that the mark was
not considered valid. Once more did he heat
bis iron, and once more did he miss the mark.
Again third time did be try amid the terrible
yells of the sufferer, and the shouts OF execra-
ton Of the p opu!ace, until the unhappy wretch
tainted away and was borne from the scaHold
The affair made great noise at the time, e,and
a young advocate of Montpelier, where It hap
pened, took the poor wretched conVlct's case
In hand and sued the executioaer tor damages.
Tbe facts were palpable. The man had been
burned to the very bone, So the Tribunal con-
demDed the awkward executioner to 800 francs
damages, which, the recipient being a convict,
made BY, Simon was in the case OF a priest con-
demned to death for the murder OF a woman a.
AK. Simon's hatred of the priesthood was
we'll known, so that the unfortunate manner IN
which helet fall the knife, cutting away por-
ton of the skull only, was attributed to ven-
geance rather than to accident; and the turbu-
lent shrieks OF the spectators so troubled the
executioner, that on trying second time, ne
let 90 the cord too soon, and cut OFT the hand
of his assistant
This time the Court condemned its singular
" unfortunate officer to three months imprls-
onment aud five hundred francs fine. The
next failure was at Baume, where young
preacher had been condemned for the murder
of garde chasse. Simon being unable to
compete either in strength or skill with the
criminal, fnghtful scene took place on the
scafo d, the account of which has prevented
the sentence of death from being passed since
that time in that same city. The struggle en-:
ded in the defeat of Simon and his two assist
ants. and the culprit was conveyed back 10
town. This time the parques of the South re-
solved that though fyrbilden to a,olish the
punishment of death they were not forbidden
to abolish the executioner, and dismissed Simon
from his office But the love OF his professor
was strong upon him to the last, and he would
oficiate as amateur whenever the pro. essionai
was prevented from attending. His previous
instincts were satisfied at last by his appoint
ment to place as attendant at the dlssecung
room of the hospital Of Lyons where he re-
NAMED until, worn out and in6rm, he went to
die at his native place. Victor Hugo had
made this man celebrated Tor a time by his
LAST Da;s of Condemned Convict, but
the temporary publicity given to his name had
faded long before his retirement into the o.
security for which it is evident he was best tit
ted