The Republican journal., 1869-12-02

had to exercise the authority of legal Judges.
when their very faces were amystery to him ?
After a few moments reflection he summoned
sufficient courage to say with an unhesitatine
yoice-''I cannot obey you.n
All around he heard swords drawn from
their scabbards, from which he supposed that
those magistrates were not altogether so
pacific as would be suitable to their office.
He looked at the lady; there she stood, ap-
parentlv as calm and undisturbed as if these
proceedings had no interest for her
You have promised obedience to our COM
mands, . said the man who had brought him,
land you viii feel the weight of our venge-
ance if YOU do not keep your wordn
"When promised it, it was under the nn-
preston that your proceedings would be le-
gal, though secret. | am no assassin; and
gentlemen, whoever you may be- refuse to
execute your orders and | will not touch a
hair of that wOman's head. Besides, what
crime has She committedP'
The President looked at his colleagues as
if to get their opinion and then rising quick
ly, said in a voice of thunder, s.You ask
what crime this woman has committed? Lis
ten, and you shall hear, and the horrors of
the tale will nerve vopr arm to inhict on her
a punishment which is, however unequal to
her guilt This woman
''Enough," said the woman. stretching
forth her hand, enough. You may deprive
me Of life but you may not, ought not re-
veal to a man like that the secret that Your
ears have heard. If | am guilty, pnnish me
i submit; and that is more than You have
a right to expect
This alteration was succeeded bya solemn
death-like silence, only interrupted by the
monotonous ticking of u large clock covered
by the gloomy hangings. Eleven struck
''Iherc is not Il moment to he lost said
the President, ''obevn'
A large sharp sword was presented to him.
like those used by cXecutioncrs in Switzer-
land
''No,r said he, mo pnt her to death your
self. You are an illegal Judge. and YOU may
as well be an illegal executioncr'
During this the condemned did not stir.
''Listen," said the first speaker; ''do you
value your lite9'
Yes, for the sake Of my wife and little
daughter, whose sole support ! am"
VERY goo1-decde then; if you have not
beheaded this woman before the quarter
strikes, | will send q bullet through your
head'
"Why not kill her Yourself? 1t would be
rs little a crime as to kill me9n
The Judge trembled under his long robe !;
but, commanding himself, he said coldly,
decide"
The executoner had resisted with great
tirmness, but, courageous Us he was, he at
length began to feel afraid, but still resolved
to preserve an undaunted air Every stroke
OF the pendulum was agony to the poor man.
who in a few minutes would be called to de-
eide between guilt or death A mournfuI
silence reigned through the hall-not finger
stirred. The eXecutioncr began to pray he
was a Catholic, and besought the Virgin and
all the saints to intercede for him. At the
conclusion of his prayer, he cried out, kill
me, if You will will not obey.
''You have ten minutes still, coolly replied
the Judge.
All was aglin silent; the pendulum alone
was heard. with it inheXiblc vibrations
measuring life with equal mpartialty to the
happy and the wrctched And she, the un-
happy subject of this tragedy, for whom, in
q few minutes eternity to open, stood
there immovable rs a statue. Was it inno-
cencc or insensihility that thus steeled her
human feelings, and enabled her to meet 50
calmly all the horrors of u violent death >
The quarter struck. At Il signal from the
president, two assistants advanced toward
the eXecutiOner, and again presented the
sword to him he shook his head and pushed
it aside with his hand, but was unable to ut
ter u word. The President cooked his pistol :;
the wrctched man did not know what 10 do
.IIoly Virgin - thought he, '.must leave
my wife a widow, and my child an orphan ?'
Whether it was this thought that influenced
him, or that his power Of resistance sank be-
fore the arm stretched out against his life, |
know not, bnt he cried in Il stiled voice, Il
consent--I consent
He took the sword, and having tried its
edge, stepped forward the lady remaining
silent
"Will you not let her see the priest ?" said
he, stopping suddenly.
"1ou perform your Office and de- Hot
trouble yourself with ANYTHING else"
'''The lady must be bound,n said he.
81 bound p she cried, in a dis,laintul tone.
'>Bind that woman's hands," said the
monotonous voice of the Judge.
Two men advanced towards her; she drew
herself up to her full height.
"You dare not - said She
These words seemed to deter the two ser
wants OF the persons who had assumed their
functions.
"I must be obeyed !" s;eil the president.
She was Immediately bound to Il block, and
her veil raised as faras her throat She made
no further resistance. and resumed hor form
er imlnobility.
''Strike! Or" cried the Judge, presenting
pistol charged to the muzzle.
The executioncr, excited either by fear or
that intoXication which it is said sometimes
influences people in times of danger, raised
the sword, and at one blow severed the head
from the trunk and then he, the man Of iron
nerves, who during twenty years had been
shedding human blood us the minister of hui
man justice, sank fanting on the sacrificed:
When he recovered his senses, he found
himself again in the carriage, his eyes band
aged, and cloak wound round him to con-
ceal his blood stained garments.
When his companions perceived that he
was recovered, one of them handed him u
purse, saying, "IIere is your reward; it is
double what you were promised in consider
alton of your conscientious conduct"
Their Journey back was performed with
the same precautions as the former one and
on the fourth day he was set free on the banks
of the HE, in meadow near his house. He
found his wife very anxious, and the magis-
trates furious.
All that have written is copied almost eX-
actly from his dispositions, which we read in
Strasburr, at the residence of the lieutenant
general, who gave me permission totranscribe
them.
The magistrates Of Colnar made every eX-
ertion to discover the persons concerned in
this melancholy history; but in vain. Moth
inc more was ever heard.