Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-08-11
SAMSON AND VIDOCO.
Curious Dinner Party ut which the
French Headsmnn and the Celebrated
Detective were Present.

n AuEAtha N WHICH the
French Headsmnn and the Celebrated
Detective were Present.
In a work called "The Recollections
of Sir John Bowring we find the fol-
lowing; Appert once invited me TO a
dinner such as could only be given in
Paris, the guests being Samson, the
hereditary executioner, Vidocq, the thief
catcher, and some authors, artists, and
myself. Samson and Vidocq made on
that occasion their first personal ac-
quaintance, though they seem to have
their separate and singular spheres of
action. Samson talked very willingly of
the management of the guillotine and of
his son and successor, whom he after
ward introduced to me. He said that
the families of the different executioners
in France almost always intermarried,
and that there was a strong clanship
among the members of this life-destroy-
ing community. He asked me to his
house in order that he might exhibit the
, operation of the instrument of execu-
ton, and went thither, accompanied
by Lord Durham, Mr.. Edward Ellice
and Mr.. Dawson Damer, whom, by the
way, / had known in Egypt, where his
wife was introduced to old Mehemet Ali,
whom she much amused. Sanson's
house had quite an air of responsibility
and comfort. He showed us volumes
which contained detailed records of what
occurred at every public execution that
had taken place in Paris. The books
were very neatly kept, and bore the sig
natures of the parties who had assisted
at the dread exhibitions. Some one
asked Samson whether, after decapita-
ton, he had ever seen any movement in
the head after its separation from the
body, as a theory had been put forward
that sensation was not Immediately ex-
tinguished by the operation, but he said
that he had never observed the slightest
movement. He conducted us to large
clubhouse in which the fatal machine was
kept. 1t was painted scarlet, was pre-
pared, and the usual assistants were
summoned, in order that we might wit
ness the whole mode of proceeding. We
were struck by the heaviness and sharp
ness of the knife, which, falling from a
great height, could not but do its bloody
work most effectually. While seated at
dinner with M. Appert, Vidocq ques-
toned Samson as to the manner in which
many acquaintance had met their death.
He mentioned, among other things, that,
when connected with the police, he had
associated himself with band of rob-
bers and murderers, whom he promised
to deliver over to the authorities while
they were engaged in a large scheme of
plumber at the Batignolles. An arrange
ment was made by which, on his firing a
pistol from window, the house was to
be surrounded and the felons captured,
as they were. Vidocq said they never
discovered his treachery until they saw
him in the street on their way to execu-
ton. Probably no man knew more OF
the organization of the thieves and
burglars in Paris than did Vidocq, whose
own offenses were condoned when he
was admitted into the service of the
criminal police, of whom he became O
most efficient instrument. He had also
a little private profession of his own, and
was frequently employed by individuals
to assist in the detection and conviction
of robbers. In his person there was
nothing remarkable, but he was singu.
larry self-possessed and disposed to be
loquacious. Samson, on the contrary
was a tall, heavy man, of taclturn habit
from whom informatian was only obtain
able by its being specially sought. The
son had rather cadaverous appearance
but took little share, when his father wal
present, in the colloquies that passed.