River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-06-22
MoNsIEUR DE PAl1s.


Episodes Of The French Revolution.
II was in lI6Sthat the last instance
Of 4 sentence Of breaking on the wheel
occurred. In IN attempt 10 rescue
the girl with whom he was in love
from tho violence OF her mother a
man named jean Lou3chaIt became in.
tolycd IN violent struggle with his
own father, who inopportunely ~.
peucd on the scene. The old man rc.
celved his death.blow, and tho pari.
eide was condemned to die upon the
wheel. But the public sympathy wa,
with the youth \ crowd had gath.
cred round tho scaffold, when, at the
last moment, a piercing cry was heard
and avoung giIl was seen waving her
handkerchief Tho victim tried to
emllo, and rising To his feet exclaimed
Farewell, Helen, farewell ~ "lt's an
.saurevoir" vuu should say, Jean, 70.
pied a voice from the crowd. I'm "a
moment the pailug8 about the scat.
fOl1 were broken down. \ horrible
uploar enSued Followed hv The pupil.
lace the hurry smith who had spoken
rushed forward and seized Louschalt
WI Aff.f fittNN' NfhN ~ W. WI Ills lMHfliNt
and prepared to carry him of in tri.
uph. SAMSON was terribly alarmed +.
separated from his assistants, his sit.
uation seemed pcrilousin the extreme.
But the rcscuer touched his arm.
4" Fear nothing, Chariot, Ia name
frequently given to Charles Henri san
SOM he cried, We don't want to
harm YOU, but your tools, IIcnceforth.
chariot. You must kill your customers
without making them suffer. Turn.
ing to tho crowd he said, Let him
rase. and see that he is not hurt. lie
passed in safety; but the gcaffOld and
al its accessories were broken in picc.
IS Fire was set to the heap, and il
was reduced TO ashes. Charles Henri
SAMSON was among the first 10 insist OF
tho necessity of machine which
should keep the sufferers body in
horizontal position, and insure
prOmpter and safer operation than
could be expected Of haudwork. This
was precisely what Or. Guillotine was
seeking, aud he visited the executioner
for the purpose Of consulting with him
n regard 20 the construction of such
machine. Upon its completion san.
son and two OF his brothers went 10
the prison Of Bicetrc TO make expert.
ment with the gullotiue upon three
oorpses This took pluco on the Nth
Of April, 1892, in the courtyard of the
prison, IN the presence Of Drs. Antoine
Louis, Philippe Pinel, AMI Cabanis.
The prisoners looked ON eagerly from
the windows. 4 question had arisen
N regard to the shape OF the knife.
Two experiments were made one with
an instrument Of oblilue form, the
other with knife shaped like a Cres-
cent. The latter failed, and the oblique
knife was therefore adopted. 4 week
after SAMSON had occasion TO test the
new system on a man named pelletin,
sentenced 10 death for theft and at.
tempted murder. Some uneasiness
was felt IN regard 10 the behavior Of
the mob at the sight Of the new instru
nent OF death. But no disorder DC.
CURED, the execution took place and
aud fully justified the anticipations of
those who had invented the machine.
Penetm was carried TO the sCaffold in
Z fainting ft, and it would have been
impossible TO deCapitate him with q
sword. The execution was looked up.
on as a complete success.
Prince and peasant, persons Of all
ages and Of both sexes, fell indiserim.
lnately under the fatal axe during the
period Of the revolution. The mum.
her slain, according TO the records, is
2.9lS. Charles Henri Samson, during
this whole period, remained execution.
er IN chief Before they met upon the
slatiold, the headsman had been twice
p the presence of the King. These
two meetings occurred in the begin.
ming ct the year lIIq. The state
owed the cXecutlouer a certain sum Of
money for services performed IN a
peutbn which Samson sent e. the
King, he explained his embarrassed
position, and was summoned - Ner
sales. Louis XVI. received Sansoi
standing near a window which opened
on the park. SAMSON, inundated h,
the prestige of the royalty, dared nj
vance no further than the threshold
80 that the few words that they spuk,
were exchanged ut some distance
N0u have sent in q claim for IN,
sums that are due 20 YOU" said IN,
King without even turning TO lool
az the hcadsman. ~ have ordered
that your accounts be examined and
'ettled without delay, hut the State j.
poor for the present, and yoW claim
la Tor $4,000 llyres, | believe" Il
fhank Your Majesty with as much
gratitude as respect. answered san
son, but ! beseCch your Majesty [,
remember that mN debts have SO con