The Hawaiian gazette., 1872-08-07

The GUuLoTJSE.-It is generally taken for
granted that the beheading instrument used in
/ France and some other countries OF Europe was
invented, or at least perfected, by the amiabe
and phllanthropic physician whose name it bears,
but in reality this doubtful honor belongs to some
earlier inventor, whose name has not been pre-
served. An instrument Of this kind was used IN
1 Germany early in the thirteenth century, and was
known as the Panken or dele" In 1888 II
was mentioned in the criminal statutes of the
/ Netherlands. and its name appears in many ac-
counts of executions in Germany and other coun-
! tries about the same period. In Italy similar
instrument, called the aqaHaia, was used for the
execution Of persons Of quality Beatrice Cenci
suffered death by this instrument in 1899. In
England a similar machine was used and full
description of 1t may be found in the British
State Calendar for l7Os. The " maiden" Of
! Scotland, which was used for the beheading OF
Morton in 1851, was an instrument similar to
those already mentioned. DR.. Guillotns ma
4 chine was first tried on Tie 18th of April 1872,
upon q number of cOrpses at the Bicetre HosPi-
tai, and was found to work with rapidity and pre-
cision week later it was employed for the
decapitation Of q convicted highway robber.
named Pelletier. The dreadful use to which It
was afterward put in the wholesale massacre OF
I innocent men, women, and even children, made
/ its very name a horror, and probably contributed
/ not a little to its not being adopted in England
and the United States, instead Of the gallOws,
as a means of inficting capital punishment 1t
consists Of a block resting between two upright
grooved posts, between which slides q heavily
weighted knife, with an oblque edge. The suf-
ferer is strapped firmly to plank and thrust face
downward between the posts so that his neck is
directly under the knife A spring is touched,
i the heavy, keen-edged blade descends, and the
head is severed from the body as easily as a sharp
razor sewers a hair. DR.. Guillotin himself mar
rowly escaped being a victim OF the instrument
which bears his name. He was thrown into pr-
son during the reiga of terror, but was released
on the death of Robespierre, resumed the prac-
tice Of his profession in Paris, and died quietly
in his bed on the Goth Of March 1914 The story
that be died broken-hearted because of the infa-
my attached TO his invention is, of course, untrue.
-HaPer's Magazine.
A GAMBLERS AxIoMs.-HOudin, in his inter
esting book, Les TricEerieS dsS GrecS deCoileeS,
has given some amusing instances Of the fruits of
long gambling experience. They are presented
says Steinmetz from whose work, The Gaming
Table, We quote them, as the axioms OF a pro-
fessed gambler and cheat Thus We might ex-
pect that, however unsatisfactory to men of
honest mind they would at least SAVIOR of a Ger
tain sort Of wisdom. Yet these axioms, the fruit
of long study directed by selfinterest are all ut
terly untrustworthy. Every game of chance"
says this authority, presents two kinds Of
chances which are very distinct, namely, those
relating TO the person interested, that is the
player, and those inherent in the combinations
of the game That Is, we are to distinguish
between the chances proper to the game, and
those depending on the luck of the player. Pro-
ceeding to consider the chances proper to the
game ITSELF our friendly cheat sums them all up
in two rules. First: Though chance can bring
into the game all possible combinations, there
ueNGEAGtSS- Gtl lAaiiilS Ut WHICH IL SttulS
to stop such, for instance, as a certain number
turning up ten tunes in succession at roulette;
this is possible, but it has never happened"
Secondly: " In a game of chance, the oftener
the same combination has occurred in succession,
the nearer we are to the certainty that it will not
recur at the next cast or turn up This is the
most elementary of the theories on probabilities
it is termed the maturity of the chances" land he
might have added that the belief in this element
airy theory had ruined thousands " Hence" he
proceeds, a player must come to the table not
only IN luck, but be must not risk his money eX-
cept at the instant prescribed by the rules of the
maturity of the chances" Then follow the pre-
cepts for personal conduct For gaming prefer
roulette, because it presents several ways of stak
ing your money - which permits the study of
several. A player should always approach the |
gamlng-table perfectly calm and cool-just as a
merchant or tradesman in treaty about any affair
If he gets into passion it is all over with pru-
dence, all over with good luck, for the demon of
bad luck invariably pursues a passionate player
Every man who finds pleasure in playing runs /
the risk of losing. A prudent player, before I'M
dertakIng anything, should put himself to the .
test to discover if he is in vein, or in luck. In
all doubt be should abstain. There are many
persons who are constantly pursued by bad luck F;
to such l say-Dever play. Stubbornness at play /
is ruin. Remember that fortune does not like /
people to be oyegoyed at her favors and that she .
prepares bitter receptions for the imprudent who .
are intoxicated by success. Lastly, before rsking .
your money at play study your Vein, aud the
different probabilities of the game-termed, as
aforesaid, the maturity OF the chances. The /
COrHhM
HISTORIANS are attempting to show that Wash
ington was an Englishman.
Col. Ton Soorr gets $4,000 year as Presi-
dent Of twenty-six railroads.
BAYAED TAYLOR sails for Europe shortly, to be
gone two years.
GEORGE SAND made 100000 by her works
AN,-, nrCt-rN--oN Mill stpr,r for Graolay