The daily gazette., 1880-04-01

Among the many victims of the
French Revolution was Victor d'Erb.
euil rich banker, the owner of two
| splendid houses, and Of several estates
in the neighborhood of Paris. aa a
He was Q man who took no par,
whatever in politics, and was quite in.
different to monarchy and republic; he
cared only for his business, and for the
pleasures which his wealth affored
him. So he cautiously kept out of the
way Of everything that might in the
least compromise him with the govern
ment Of the day. But riches alone,
the possession of carriage, even ele.-
giant attire, were sufficient at that
time to cause a man to be suspected.
| D'Erbeuil relates his story in the fol-
lowing woIds:
at was on the 27th of November,
| 1893, when, in the evening,gI was sit
ting at,supper in my family circle, and
reading several letters which had re-
ceived in the course of the afternoon.
Suddenly there was violent ring at
the door of the house. To his inquiry
the porter received the reply: In the
name of the law He fastened to
open 1t. heard heavy steps and the
rattling of arms on the stairs. took
light and anxiousiy hurried into the
ante-room, when l met the inspector
of the district and four men of the Ma
tional Guard, with written order for
my arrest from the Committee of
Public Safety, and who were instruct
ed to imprison me at st. Sulpice. They
scarcely gave me time to, put on my
coat and boots, for | was sitting in NV
slippers and dressing gown.
"They hastily sealed up my desk and
the doors of my office. Twas then Or
dered out, and conducted through the
dark night and a terrible snowstolm
to the public prison. After wretch
ed night passed in an overcrowded
dungeon, l was taken before the tri-
bunal of the district, in the first story
of the building over the prison. The
crime OF which was accused was that
l had hOnored bill of exchange of ten
thousand francs drawn by certain
Marquis of Florency, an emigrant at
Coblenz, who had placed large sum
in my bank, and had not had time to
withdraw any part of it before his
flight. This was considered as sup
porting and assisting the enemies of |
the public good, and SO was con-
demned to the dreadful punishment |
of the Lamps.
This barbarous torture was only used in |
special cases. The jailers who escorted |
me from the tribunal were cruel enough
to explain to me the particular circum-
stances under which was to die. Cuts
we're to be made all over my body, into
which wicks soaked in oil were to be
p aced, and then all these torturing
lamps were to be lighted, and l was to
be burned to death.
''My jailers led me into q remote
apartment, in order at once to carry out
this barbarous sentence. On entering |
perceived disgusting smell, caused by
three similar executions, which had
been performed here few days before.
They rudely undressed me. was tlien
10 be laid upon table In the middle of
he room, and my hands and feet to be
bound to the four corners, In order that
she terrible operation might be the
easier performed. it .fd aa
"The love of life, and fear at such hor-
rible tortures gave me strength. /
struck three of my tormentors down to
he ground, but their number was too
treat was overcome. Already lay
stretched on the table; By feet were
bound to It.; saw the wicks, the oil,
md the knife in the hands of the exc +,
.utioners; when it was suddenly an
bounced to the dreetor Of the execution
hat lis daughter had fallen into faint
ng fit, and gave no signs of life. She
vas bis only child, and the man who ,
aw blood flow in torrents every day
,ung with his whole soul ON, her, his q
iafIing. AS he lived in the building he !
vent away, and ordered the execution
o be postponed till his return.
In a quarter of an hour the order
,ame to take me back to the prison. I n
was taken into little room, the clear
md neat arrangement of which made
t seem paradise in comparison with
;he dungeon in which had passed the
previous night. A jailer brought me
some food and bottle of wine. But
,he uncertainty in which l was did not
allow me to touch much of it. When
broke the loaf of bread I found q
1ote in it with the following words
plainly written in female hand: do
not despair, for there are still kind
and grateful hearts in France The
next morning the director appeared