Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-12-11

lHE post of public executioner in Alsace
dnrng the seventeenth century was, though
anything but sinccure, very remunerative,
for he received an annual salary of sixty-seven
Avres-s large sum at that period-trom the
government, -four sacks of barley and grain, -four
cords OF Woei and hundred and fifty fageotS.
He was lodged at the cost of the town in which
he resided, was allowed the use of meadow
and had the monopoly OF the sewerage He al
SO had the privilege Of skinniug the animals
killed lu the town, and OF appropriatiug any
horse offered for sale which was valued at less
than two torlns-a price which does not give
very high idea of the horses in Asace 10 that
time. But he made more by his "perquisites
than by his regular salary, as he received SO
much for each 'operation;" as, for instance,
for breaking on the wheel or burning, 60 livres;
for hanging, 50 vres; for exposing on the
wheel, branding aud placing n the piory, cut.
piercing the tongue with red-hot iron, exc
cutting 10 efigy, cutting off hand and burn
Ing book, Is Iivres; Tor branding convict, 9
lvres; for splitting lip, s livres; for scatter
ing the ashes to the wind, livres; and for
burying corpse, 3 livres. He WAS also paid
~ livres for giving parting kick to any per,
son sentenced to banishment. The reason for
paying so highly this apparently easy operation
Was that the exccutiouer had to accompany
the culprit to the frontier, and, on arriving
there, to administer the kick with the follow.
ing formula You are banished from the
territory, and if you come back you will be
sent to the gallcys;;" and, in order to insure
respect for bis person, the sovereign council of
Alsace prohibited, uoder pain of 6ue, the use
ef the word executioner."
CHAsTIsGNG A TRAMP. 90 Tuesday even
ing, 10th ult., a tramp called at Mr. Hamers-
ly's, at Taverners Woods, and asked for a
glass of water stating that he was so hungry,
and he had 20 place to sleep at night. MIR.
Hamersly took pity on him, took him in, gave
him supper, bed to sleep in, and breakfast
next morning. When he was leaving Mr..
Hamersly noticed great improvement in his
personal appearance. The night before he was
thln and spare; the uext morning he was fat
and pussy. SuSpecting that something might
be wrong, Mr.. HamersIy proceeded to examiu e
Mr.. Tramp critically, and found that he had
appropriated to his own use numerous articles
OF Mr. Hamersly's clothing, which he had put
under his own rags, and had stuffed his wallet
full OF such useful articles as he could hnd
about the premises. Having the dead wood on
Mr.. Tramp, Mr.. Hamersy soatched him into
his meat house and locked him in, and kept
him confined until he went to the woods and
cut big blackgum. He then returned to the
meat house. unlocked the door, turned out Mr.
Tramp, aod bid him cut and run. Tramp
obeyed orders with military alacrity, but he
had DOT cleared the door-sill before Mr.. Ham
ersly commenced his part of the performance,
giving bin the black-gum switch for every
jump for about half mile. He laid on the
stripes fast and heavy, and better time was
never made from raverner's Woods to Potts
Mill, aud Deverdid tramp get better paid for
the abuse Of hospitality than Mr. Hamersy
gave this thleyiDg rasGal.-Euston Star.