The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-25

cross.
Poor DR.. GuilIotin had to bea
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 a
song, "On 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 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 M.
/ M. Lepelletier and Saint Fargeon,
decree was issued declaring that the
mode Of capital punishment should
be by decapitation. Even then the
merits and demerits of the ak, the
sword, and the falling knife was left
in allegiance. In March 1892, the AS
sembly sought the advice Of DR.. An
toine Louis, q celebrated surgeon,
and Secretary Of the Paris College Of
Surgeons. He explained, scientiil-
cally, how far the various decapita-
ting instruments acted like knives,
and how far like scissors; and ex-
pressed himself decidedly in favor of
chooping- machine. He showed that
the idea of such machine was by no
means new one. An Italian book
by Achille Bocchi, dated 1866, gives
an engraving of an italian nObleman
being beheaded; heavy blade, sus-
pended by cords from a cross-bar at
the top Of a frame, is represented as
falling on the neck Of the victim; the
machine was called a mannaja, or
mannaia. In 1852 some such apparatus
was employed in Languedoc for de-
capitating Due Henri de Montmoren-
ci. 1t was also ascertained that Scot
land in the North, and Persia in the
East, had employed machines bear
ing resemblance to this. Among
the strange scenes of the French revolu-
: tionary days, not the least strange was
that Of the National Assembly listen
ing gravely to the details given on
these matters. DR.. Louis conferred
, with DR.. Guillotin, and also with the
3 famous executioner Samson. Samson
S especially urged that, If all executions
henceforth were to be by beheading,
r machine would be greatly needed ;
l as he distrusted his own power Of u.s.
@ ing the sword or the ak so frequently
:, and so accurately as would be neces-
t sary. After hearing all the explana-
t tions and suggestions, the Assembly
passed a decree for the use of de.
y capitating machine in substitution
Q of the halter, the ak, the sword, and
e the various instruments of torture
It such as the rack. One Schmidt, q
German musical instrument maker
# residing at Paris, was taken into
:. council, and he, Guillotin, Louis, anC
Samson settled among them the de-
n tails Of the machine. Nay, there was
y even fifth adviser. The King, al
ways fond Of lockmaking and anna
" teur engineering, requested to have
10 the designs shown to him; and he
vs. suggested an improvement which was
20 practically adopted. A sum Of flv,
thousand five hundred francs was paiC
% for the machine constructed for tn,
n National Assembly by guidon the car
6 penter. An attempt was made to Civ
the name of Louisette, or Louison, t.
g. it, in honor of the learned doctor; bu
g. the name guillotine had been cur
IT rent in the public mind for two O.
three years, and nothing could sup
i, plant it, although Or. Guillotin Ger
ID tainly never sought to have hi
g. memory thus perpctuated. The ap
1t paratus was first tried in deeapitatina
l. the dead bodies Of three men ant
some live animals, at the prison O
/" The Bicetre. DR.. Louis, after seeinl
h the efficacy Of the invention testet
,e IN this way, died just before the terri
q. lie days of the Revolution came on
: ! Ind was thereforedenied the pleasul,
q )r spared the pain whichever i
,e night be) of seeing the guillotin'
Employed as the most dread o
at ,olitical instruments.-AH the Yea
] Raua1