Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-06-22
the Guiliotlne.
tr,d, Journai.l

The GuiliOtlne.
lafayette 1nd) Journal
On Saturday morning a gen''s.la'.
named James A. Moon, wh o res'os'
on a farm near the Farmers ns.
tute. in Union Township. nm :
miles south of the city, registered 9.
the Lair House, and was asslsn1s
to room Al, on the third ficol. -
asking for a room he said ne ~. IT,
one in the rear of the house, apus-
ting OF, the alley II possible. no
especial attention was paid 70 -.
new CUES. at the house, ezesp' .h.'
the porters complained that his beg,
gage was very heavy, and they nad
some difficulty in getting u 70 -.
room. The man went 10 ana ou'
the same as other guests, but on one
occasion he remarked 10 Mr.. weak
Icy, one OF the landlords, 'na' 10
was engaged In psrfscsing . pa.en,
Of consi dssabls importance. Severn
times yesterday the housekcepef
tried the door Of Ne. Al for the pur.
pose OF having it cleaned up Du.
| each time found 1t locked. Apous
| 3 O'Clock In the evening, finding the
| door still locked she went through
the adjoining room No. 49, when
opens into No. Al, and there saw
what she supposed was the oead
body OF a man lying on the moor.
She gave the alarm, and the nrst
mon the scene were Mr.. Lance, q
travelling man for a Cincinnati drug
house, and Henry c. Tinne' o. our
city, who was visiting him. THESE |.
gentlemen went to the room, and
sure enough they found q dead man
"A man with his head completely
severed from his body-cut as clean
as one would a chickens with an Ak.
The situation, az they found 1t, was
bad enough, but the Appliances
which had been used to- produce
death were most wonderful, ana VIII
stand In the history Of suicides with
cut a parallel. We shall attsmpa 20
describe them. In the first place
there was beam, or more properly
lever, abou. seven feet long, made
ND of three sections, each little
over two feet long, also fastened TO-
gether with strong iron bolts. Tne
base OF this lever was composed OF
two pieces Of lumber, one inch thick
and six wide, spread perhaps six
inches apart. The next section was
also composed OF two pieces Of The
same size, but considerably closer
together. The last section was a
single piece of the same size. Az the
small or upper end OF the lever lor
beam) there were bolted horizontal
ly two pieces OF iron, one Inch THICK
three inches wide, and sixteen inch
es long. AT the lower end OF these
pieces of iron, o broad.ax was bolted, ,
| whose bit or cutting edge was
| twelve Inches wide. The two pieces
| Of iron and the ak are estimated to
weigh at least forty pounds. The
| other or but-end OF the beam was
fastened to the floor by means OF cross
pieces, with heavy iron door hinges,
securely screwed down. On the
west side of the room a heavy brack-
ct was secured to the wall, with a
shelf upon which a candlestick was
fastened. From the upper end OF the
beam cord was run 10 hook In the
ket--the beam being raised about
six feet high and secured In that po-
sition by the cord 10 the hook in the
wall. Where tho cord was fastened
at the wall on the bracket il was d.
vided and q candle inserted between
the strands, 30 that when the
candle burned down sufficiently
the two strands would come to-
gether aud the cord be burned In
TO insure the falling of the engine OF
destruction. Right under where The
AK would fall soap-box was secured
to the wall and floor, with the OPEN
ing outward in the room, so arranged
that the AK would come down In
front Of the box, the upper edges be.
ing beveled TO secure a straight
stroke from the implement. The tx,
the irons In which 10 was clamped,
and the timbers In the beam will
probably altogether weigh a hundred
or more pounds, to say nothing of the
force of the fall, distance OF six feet
or more. After arranging the above
machine, tho suicide laid himself
down upon the floor at right angles
with the modern gnillotine, buckled
a strap around his thighs, which was
screwed down TO the floor, buckled
another around his body, which was
similarly fastened 10 the floor, put
both his hands inside his suspenders
Lying, OF course, upon his back
ind placed his head inside the box
'bove mentioned. The box was filled
With cotton.batting, saturated with
'hloroform. To keep the chin out OF
he way, holes were made In each
ide OF the box, and a wooden rod
an through. upon which the chin
ested. II Is supposed that having |
is machinery arranged " his salts |
'ctlon and the candle lighted, the |
aicide laid himself upon the floor, |
ranged the straps, applied the |
hloroform to the cotton, placed his
cad In the box, and calmly silent
ntil the ak descended. To accom-. |
iodate his neck three narrow sirius
'ere screwed to the floor, which op-
rated the same as pillow, and |
ave good foundation for the an 10
VI into. When the candle had
Il