Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-04-24
THE GUILLOTINE.

Poor DR.. Guillotin had to bear
the shafts Of ridicule, always terri
bic weapon to Frenchman. Many
OF the members OF the Assembly
smiled at his ardent words; and the
Royalists out Of doors made rare fun
OF him. One OF their journals gave
song, ION the inimitable machine OF
DR.. Guillotin for chopping off heads,
called after his name, the Guillotine."
This name, started in this bantering
way, has clung to the machine from
that day till now. The docter pro-
tested against the designation but in
vain. He did not even invent the
machine; he merely pointed out that
the chopping action could easily be
produced by u sharp. heavy blade
descending from an upright frame.
The National Assembly, on receiv-
ing DR.. Guillotin's two propositions.
at once adopted the first OF them, by
decreeing equality OF punishment for
all ranks Of society, but left the mode
OF execution for further considera-
| ton. 1t was not till nearly two years
afterward that on the motion OF NJ.
NJ. Lepelletier and Saint Fargeon. q
decree was issued declaring that the
mode OF capital punishment should
be by decapitation. Even then the
merits aud demerits OF the ak, the
sword, and the faling-knife was left
in allowance. In March 1892, the AS
sembly sought the advice OF DR.. An
tome Louis, celebrated surgeon,
and Secretary OF the Paris College OF
! Surgeons. He explained, scientifl-
cally, how far the various decapita-
ting instruments acted like knives.
and how far like scissors; and ex-
pressed himself decidedly in favor OF
a chooping. g.macnine. He showed that
| the idea OF such a machine was by no
means new one. An Italian book
by Achille Bocchi, dated 1855, gives
an engraving of an Italian nobleman
being beheaded; u Eeavy blade, sus-
pended by cords from cross-bar at
! the top OF u frame, is represented as
falling on the neck OF the victim; the
machine was called manloala, or
mannaia. In 1882 some such appa ratus
was employed in Languedoc for de-
capitating Due Henri de Montmoreio-
ci. II was also ascertained that Scot
land in the North, and Persia in the
East, had employed machines bear
! ing resemblance 10 this. Among
the strange scenes OF the French revolu-
tionary days, not the least strange was
that cf the National Assembly listen
ing gravely 10 the details given on
! these matters. DR.. Louis conferred
with DR.. Guillotin, and also with the
| famous executiOner Samson. Samson
especially urged that. il all executions
| henceforth were to be by beheading,
u machine would be greatly needed;
as he diStrusted his own power OF u.s.
ing the sword or the aX so frequently
and so accurately as would be neces-
sary. After hearing all the explana-
tions and suggestions, the Assembly
passed decree for the use OF de-
capitating machine in substitution
OF the halter, the Ak, the sword, and
the various instruments OF torture
such as the rack. One Schmidt,
German musical instrument maker,
residing at Paris, was taken into
council, and he, Guillotin, Louis, and
Samson settled among them the de-
tails Of the machine. Nay, there was
even a fifth adviser. The King, al
ways fond OF lockmaking and anna
teur engineering, requested to have
the designs shown TO him; and he
suggested an improvement which was
practically adopted. 4 sum Of five
Aya h,,n fru
| for the machine constructed for the
National Assembly by guidon the car
penter. An attempt was made to give
the name Of Louisette, or Louison, to
1t, in honor of the learned doctor; but
the name guillotine had been cur
rent in the public mind for two or
three years, and nothing could sup.
plant it, although DR.. Guillotin cer-
tain!y never sought to have his
memory thus perpetuated. The ap-
paratus was first tried in decapitating
the dead bodies Of three men and
some live animals, at the prison Of
the Bicetre. DR.. Louis, after seeing
the efficacy OF the invention tested
in this way, died just before the terri
BILE days OF the Revolution came on,
and was therefore denied the pleasure
or spared the pain whichever it
might be- OF seeing the guillotine
employed as the most dread Of
political instruments.-AR the Year
| Round.
A true man never frets about his
place in the world, but just slides into
it by the grayitation Of his nature, and
swings there as easily as @ star
Chaplin.
AT the Japanese Department ieee"e.'
young lady, examining a quantity
wrought vase, asked the japanese youth
in attendance, "Whst is that vase MADE