The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-08-06
MONSIEUR DE PARIS.
lIranslated LOT Every Saturday from Die Cart
no

SeVera! years ago, wealthy old
bachelor IN Paris invited me to a de;euner
a la Joarchette at his handsome residence
near the Place de la Concorde. The guests
whom met at this table were gentlemen
OF culture and distinction, authors, artists.
and lawyers; the conversation, therefore,
never tagged Tor moment, and the gen.
erous wines, OF which our Amphictryon
was justly proud, contributed not little
toward enllVenlng 1t, and called forth many
spirited and piquant sally
When we rose from the table. we re.
paired to the smoking-room, where we
slipped the most fragrant Mocha and
smoked the choicest Havanas. The win
dows of this room opened upon the
Champs Elysees, and as the sun was shin
ing brightly in the cloGdless sky, and a
fresh, bracing breeze was blowing through
the green tops of the elms, countless
equipages rolled toward the Bots de
Boulogne, and the broad side walks were
crowded with pedestrians; and many
celebrities Of art and literature, of science
and diplomacy, were showing their way
through the throng without being noticed
by anybody.
We gazed, chatting gayly, upon the
motley scene before us, when one of the
guests, M. Dufaure, lawyer of consid-
cradle distinction, called our attention to
very tall gentleman in black, who ap-
preached with a dignifed step from the
Place de la Concorde, and then stood still
under our window in order to allow some
young girls, who Were approaching with
their parents from the opposite direction,
to pass by. They bowed their thanks to
him, and went on their way.
"Do you know the gentleman in black,
1rI yto1xy
nst now?" asked NJ Dufaure.
We replied in the negative.
at is Monsieur de Paris" he said.
! "The executioner! the headsman % we
exclaimed with one accord.
"The executioner of Paris" said M
Dufaure, who, being celebrated priest OF
the goddess Themis, was well acquainted
with the terrible avenger Of justice
/" Does he not look like well-to-do re-
tired merchant ?" he added. Fortunately
his business requires his attention but
rarely, so that he can live very quietly
and comfortably on his salary, which, to-
gether with his fees, amounts to a hand
some sum. At this moment he no doubt
came from his large house on the Boule.
ward du Temple, and is now going tC
Courcelles, where he owns a villa, situated
in a beautiful garden, and which many
persons envy him when they visit that
beautiful suburb of the capital for, not
withstanding the terrible character of his
office, upward OF thirty persons applied
for it in 1S47, when Samson, his predeces
sor, was dismissed by the government
and among these applicants were even sew
eral physicians. Men are intent on earn
ing a living, and salary of six thousand
francs, with additional six thousand francs
fpr troy hon n
other fees, always will be quite an attrac
ton"
One of us inquired for what purpose
travelling expenses were paid to the execu
TONER
"There are twenty eight imperial tribu
mails in France" replied NJ Dufaure
Every tribunal has its guillotine and it
executioner. When an execution is tC
take place outside the capital of judicia
district, the executioner, accompanied by
the terrible machine, must of course re
pair to the place of execution. The ma
chine, which, previous to the journey, ha'
been taken asunder and packed in a box
is there unpacked, erected at midnight
packed up again as soon as the execution
is over, and taken back to the capital o
the district. The headquarters of The
g,lillotine at Paris are at No. AZ Rue Folie
Regnault, where it pays an annual rent o.
six hundred francs AS for the presen
quiet man. He is a native of Southern
France-his. name, Heidenrix, however
indicates that he is descended from {
Dutch family
There was a pause which was finally
broken by the remark of one of the guests
that it must be horrible for any man tt
kill a person who never wronged him
nay, whom he never saw before.
81 am very far from gainsaying that,
said NJ. Dufaure; nevertheless, people
generally entertain entirely erroneou.
ideas in regard to the functions of tn,
public executioner. tie sees his victim
only for few moments, andnever TOUCHES
him. The executions always take place
at break of day. Before dawn already
the eXecutoner repairs to the prison, anC
signs at the Office the certificate by which
he vouches for the delivery of the person
whom he is to behead. He then enters
the so-called toilet-room, a narrow, dark
chamber, whittier the poor sinner, accom-
panied by the priest, is soon after taken
The executioner is dressed in black, anG
wears black gloves. The twenty steps
separating the prison from the scaffold
whittier his assistants have FASTENED
already, are performed in few minutes
AS soon as the procession arrives there
the criminal is fastened to board, which
is then lowered; the eXecutioner touche:
a knob on the side of the guillotine, the az
descends, and the terrible drama is over
You must not suppose, however" hi
continued "that the performance of hi.
duty makes no impression whatever upoI
the mind of the executioner. Monsieur
de Paris always is as pale as sheet wher
he is to carry death warrant into execu
ton, and, as soon as all is over, he calls fol
a glass Of water, in order to calm his
nervous agitation The excitement may
arise from the fact that he was once bit
ten in the hand by criminal whose head
had not been placed in the right position
under the ak" Ha @
at is wonder that he could ever make
up his mind to take such an Office upCr
himself"
at is not always an entirely voluntary
act on the part of the executioner," re
piled NJ Dufaure 1.-THE office of Mon
sieur de Paris is hereditary; it is handed
down from father to son, as was the case
with the Samson family, who held the
Office for upward of two hundred years
The grandfather of Samson. who was dis
missed in 1S47, was almost heart-brOkeT
when he became his fathers successor
He was born in Rouen. His father wished
to give him good education, but the doors
of every school were closed against the
poor boy, inasmuch as the parents of the
pupils would not tolerate the son of al
executioner in the midst of their children
until finally a poor priest had mercy on
young Samson, and educated him. This
Samson, when he became his fathers sue
cessor, remained very gentle and pious
man. 1t was reserved for him to execute
Louis the Sixteenth. He recoiled at first
bo 1JtrOnSt horror FROM, flic !, IL