Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-22
History Of the Guillotine.
BY N. S. DODGE.

cuts of the Martyrdom of the Apos-
ties" printed in Wittenberg in 1889,
there is an exhibition of the death of
st. Matthew by the axe. In a still
older German print, given by Croker
in his Account of Capital Punish
ments," Titus Manlius is represented
as suffering death in the same manner.
Executions on the block at Tower
Hill are familiar to every reader of
English history. The Maiden," an
instrument for decapitation, perform
ed its sanguinary service in the stormy
days of Scotch annals-the young
Earl of Argyle quantity enough de-
claring at his execution in 1865. as
he pressed his lips on the block: " 1t
is the sweetest maiden | ever have
kissed"
In England and Scotland it seems
to have been persons of rank who on
ly died by the axe. The gibbet was
for the vulgar. In Italy, from time
immemorial, it was, on the contrary,
the universal method to take off the
heads of criminals. In France both
methods obtained. In 1882, on the
very day that Marshal de Montmoren-
ci was beheaded, seven burglars and
pickpockets were gibbeted in Paris.
The same distinction obtained in
Spain, Portugal, and parts of South
ern Germany. To die by the gallows
was ignoble,-by the axe, honorable.
The grim decapitator, whose name
the French Revolution made famous,
received its appeIlation from simple
minded, good natured physician. He
did Lot fabricate the implement. An
other person was its inventor. For
its adoption he was in no way respon-
sible. The various modes prepared
he never examined. His name does
not appear upon Committee Of the
Convention. In fact, before a single
head fell, he had dropped into obscu-
rity; and yet, because in a speech be,
fore the Tiers Etat the pertinaceous
little doctor exclaimed in a tone of
triumph, Now, with nv machine. |
strike off your head in the twinkling
OF an eye, and you never feel ii" the
wits Of Paris gave the name of gail
LOtiRe to an instrument which, not un-
til three years afterwards, had an &C
tual existence.
We lift up our hands with horror at
the mention Of the guillotine. The
Days of Terror come back. That
terrible nature of mankind which, un-
restrained by Divine Grace. goes down
to madness and the pit, confronts US.
The panic frenzy of 25,000,000 people
rending asunder the habitudes of life,
it is not pleasant to recall. But it is
not wise to forget that the bloodthirSty
implement Of the French Revolution
was at first proposed on the combined
principle of justice and mercy. The
infamy of the guillotine consisted in
its ability to dispose of the greatest
number of victims in the shortest
time: its purpose was to make capital
punishment instantaneous, without the
inhiction of unnecessary suffering.
After protracted discussions, the
new penal code was adopted by the
Constituent Assembly in 1871. 1t is
a phenomenon which neither psychol-
ogists nor theologians have explained,
that at that time Robespierre opposed
the shedding of blood in any case or
under any pretext. One of the arti-
cles in the code provided that every
person condemned to death should be
beheaded;" another, that "the punish
ment by death should consist in the
mere deprivation of life without pre-
vious torture" No provision, howey-
er. was made for the mode of decapi-
tation. 1t was natural, therefore,
when the first criminal was condemned
and sentenced to death, that the mag
istrates should inquire il what man.
ner the execution was to be done.-
by beheading," replied the Minister.
There are three ways OF decapita-
tion," responded the magistrates
" the axe, the sword, and the machine.
To. which does the penal code oblige
us to resort ?" ASK Samson, the he
reditary executioner u returned the
minister. Samson was appealed to,
and in a document, not the least curl
Gus Ms. still preserved III the archives
of the Bibtiotheque Royale, replied
that, "while ready to obey, he could
not make the law. In case the sword
were used there was danger of acci-
dents, unless the executioner was ex-
pert and the criminal firm that swords
were often broken in the process that
the same sword, being Invariably
notched by the hardness of the cervic-
al bones, would not answer twice
without sharpening; that in case OF
two or more criminals, the second and
third became unmanageable from
fright and struggle ensued; and that
in order to fulfil the humane intention
of the law, it was necessary the victim
should be fred." The Minister then
referred the subject to the Assembly.
A committee was appointed. Experts
were examined. Surgeons gave their
testimony. Men of science were invi-
ted to make suggestions. Inventors
; presented models of machines. Ere
quent and extended discussions took
place, during which every humane sug-
gestion produced its impression. The
design of the committee was clearly
to save the criminal unnecessary suf.
fering.
Up to this time the idea of employ
ing machine In criminal executions
. had evidently found no favor. Gull
,, lotin proposition had been smothered
by ridicule. He himself had retired
into obscurity. 1t was the urgent ap-
plication of the Minister of Justice
that brought the matter to a crisis
,, II. Louis drew up report, which was
,, adopted by the committee and present
ed to the Assembly. The legislature
decreed that deeapitation "by invari-
able mechanism should be adopted
, throughout the kingdom. Among the
numerous models of machines before
them the members of the committee
] selected that of Schmidt, pianaforte
> manufacturer. He alone was its in
: ventor; to him the contract for build