The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1870-02-16
The GuiIotine---fsow il Is Made and 0pe'
5p sRtE rated. i4 2t

Inc rfeIcn BuliOtlnes Oi tht presthb uu,
| is smaller. less clumsy and more managea-
bic than its prototype Of old, stilhit i. Tx
same instrument, and the modification
which it has successfully undergone hay!
changed neither the nature Of its mechan.
ism nor its general form. 1t consists Of d
square shaped scafold thirteen feet long BY
about twelve feet six inches wide, Support
cd on four posts, six feet in height, and
reached BY fight Of tcnsteps ghis scaf-
fold is rallied in on an sides, with an open
balustrade, and at two thirds of lis length
lare fixed two upright parallel pests, sur
mounted BY q eross-bcam, which goes by
the name Of the .scliapeau. Z They are
thirteen feet high and haze space Of about
4 fifteen inches between them. The knife
which is attached to the chapeau, Is com
posed Of triangular blade of steel fixed by
means Of three iron pins into leaden halt,
called the .mouton," which gives it great
weight. This mouton is nearly fourteen
inches broad, and the blade at its greatest
width hardly foot. AT rather more than
three feet above the platform are two planks
lplaced vertically one over the other, and
with scmi-circular portion cut out Of each,
50 that when they are brought together the
Opening has the appearance Of a full moon.
These are known as the lunetto. = The
lower plank is fastened to the upright posts
while the upper one, sliding in lateral
grooves, can be raised or lowered 1t will.
Between the posts and the staircase il the
,'baGule. Z a narrow piece Of board, which.
when at rest is vertical, but which a mere
touch win bring into horiyontal position.
In falling it comes on 10 solidly supported
table, longer than itself, and extending
right up 70 the lunettc. The bassule, fur
nished with casters. rolls along this table,
and, BY rapid action, brings the neck Of
the criminal. who is fastened t. il, on tothe
lower half circle, 50 as to secure il there
To the right Of the bascale, and attached
to it by hinges. is an inclined plane, plac-
ed so as to rest against the side Of an cnor-
nous wicker-baskct, lined with zinc and
illed with saw-dnst. Underneath the bas-
cnle and the lulette is trough of oblong
shape, and in front Of the upright posts Is
an apparatus which secures the head Of the
criminal and prevents it from relling on III
the platform should it fall from the hyfds
OF tie assistant charged 70 hold d: n
The entire machine, toe-Abef with itsiya-
r;a,,a aecasgnr;.y " Y.latcd a disagrecasle
Jaon bioo5 ral ,,.,.f. The bascule y pro
vidal w;tb ! 1onble leather strap and bne-
llles = eeder to prevent any resistance On
tLe ri Of the criminal but this i rarely
= ever used. The upper semieircle falls
Elpidly By means Of very simple piece Of
mechanism, put in action By button,
which il il only necessary to press. The
knife i attached 10 tie chapcau By . kind
Of claw, SNAPPED like the figure 3, tie lower
part Of which opens when the upper closes.
A cord hanging near tho button already no
ticel acts upon lever, which. bringing the
upper closes. 4 cord hanging near the
button already noticed acts upon lever.
which. bringing the upper portions of the
claw Together compels the lower toscParate
and set the knife free. Thislattcr, sliding
through The open space, Is accelerated IN rs
descent By the mass Of lead that surTnounts
il, and falls with dreadful rapidity, which
is, moreover, increased By the action Of po-
lished steel rollers running in copper
grooves fxel inside the upright posts. n
is faIl Il just sliayec tie surface of tie Luz
nctte, and il finally stopped By two springs
covered with disks Of india rubber, which
dcadcn the shock aud prevent noise.
THE SEVERED HEAD--DOEs CONSCIOUS
iEss WITH THOUsRr REMAINs
A London journal remarks On the above
horrible theory thus: Exc
''The execution in Paris has revived the
old question whether death instantaneously
follows upon the severance Of the head from
tllo body. In letter 20 the Gdulois DR.,
Pinel asserts that decapitation does not inn
mcdiately affect The b.ui. Tie blood
which flows after decapitation comes from
TIE large vessels of the neck, and there Il
hardly any call upon Tie circulation Cf the
craniam. The brain remains intact, nou-
rishing itself with The bloodretaiued BY the
pressure of the air. When the blood re-
manning IN the head at the mOIient Of se-
marathon IS exhausted there commences q
statc, not of death, but of inertia, which
Il
lasts up 70 the moment when the organ, w
longer fed. ceases TO exist. Dr.. Pinel essi-
mates that the brain finds .nourishmeut 10
the rcsiduary blood for about an hour after
decapitation. The period Of inertia would
last fof about two hours, and absolute death
would not cnue until after The space o.
threo hours altogether. i, be adds, 4 b9.
ldiios head indicates BY no movement tllc
horror of It's situation, it Il because i =
physically impossiblo that il should do 80,
al tho nerves which serve for the transmits
sion Of orders from the brain 70 the trunk
being severed. But there remains thc
nerves Of hearing, Of smell, and Of sight.
! A Snowman 1t Omaha exhibits one Of lli
evea. nro.erved IN n battle. which he tell