The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-12-22
A PROTOTYPE OF GUITEAU.

Awful Punishment Of Ravillac.
George Alfred Leonard in Gin. Enquirer.
Being in group Of experts on insanity
degree of responsibility of assassins for
such crimes as killing President Garfield.
Several curious instances were adduced of
the 1nurderers of rulers. The chief of q
lunatic asylum, who has a national reputa-
ton, said to me: ''You can make an inter-
esting letter if you will revive some of those
rescmb mblances. Find the case of Ravillac,
FELTON,, Gerard" and certain others he
mentioned.
The case of the Ravillac ecclesiastical
crank Of three centuries ago, corresponded
to the political tralp of the present day,
who thinks he understands the genius of
govern ment, and may kill and carry out the
policy of some disappointed senatorial up.
start.
On May 4. 1910 the King of Navarro, who
had become King of France, and had won
nted in the streets Of Paris by fanatic
fifty two Years old. and had reigned twen-
ty-two Years. To allay the passions of his
people he changed his religion at the age
| Of forty, but this did not save his life. He
stood in that age very much like Abraham
Lincoln at the close Of our civil war, having
! achieved the greatest victories in Europe.
and obtained the confidence Of nearly all
his people.
The night before the murder the king was
uneasy. In the morning he went to hear
mass 1t a convent, end there, Guiteau- like,
Ravillac followed him with the intention of
killing him right in the chapel, but YOU
dome, tie kings natural sou, stepped un-
expectedly between them. After dinner
the king agrin tried to sleep, but failed. At
four o'clock he arose, and was advised by a
servant to go out and take the air. Very
well, said the king, order my coach and 1
will 90 to the arsenal" 1t is said that the
assassin heard him inquire at the palace
door if TIE coach was ready, and muttered
10 himself Il have thee; thou art lost
When the king entered the coach he refused
to have any guards. He said to the coach
man: al! want is to carry me away from
hero, meaning the palace and it's commo-
Ravillac vas sitting on some stones at ths
palace gate, where the hackmen waited for
their riders. Il was his intention to step
right up and stab the king at the palace
gate in the low carriage, but a gentleman
was on that side, sitting with the king. 1t
was fine weather, and the king had all the
curtains drawn up SO that he might look
out. 1t must have been large carriage,
because there were eight persons in it. 1t
was sort of stage, indeed. Some guards
followed tie carr age. and when it turned
intoa narrow street Of Paris it was embar-
assed by SO ne carts, one filled with wine,
and the guards cut across through an alley
Thercupon Ravillac, who had been fol-
lowing the coach from the palace, and see
ing that it was stopped and had no
person around it, crept in the style Of Gui-
teau to that side where the King sat. His
cloak was wrapped around his left arm.
concealing the knife he held in that hand.
He slid between the carts and the coach, as
if he were trying merely to get by, but sud-
denly he wheeled, put his foot on one of
the spokes Of the wheel and the other on a
>to0e, and, drawing the knife, which was
DOUBLE edged, struck the king between the
heart. The king was glancing at letter
when he felt the knife, and cried out: II
am wounded" Then Ravillac perceived
that Il rib had stopped the point of the
knife, and with the quickness of frenzy he
struck another blow. aud at that moment
the king raising his arm gavo free course to
the knife, which went to the heart
The blood gushed out of his mouth
and from his wound at the same time, and
with faint sigh the king expired. A third
blow aimed by Rayillac one of the gentle
men received in his sleeve. Speaking about
it afterward the assassin said: My knife
went into his body as into bundle Of hay" /"
It is not believed that Ravillac had anv as
sociates, or even instigators, except the
general prejudice which existed against the
king in the minds of certain stalwart
church party. 1t IS believed that Ravillac,
like Gulteau. thought he was doing popu
lar thing when he killed the king, and when
he came to the place where he was to be
torn to pieces by the wild horses he saw
nlan get off his horse and put in place Of
another one which had got tired of drag
thought my action would be pleasing
to the people, but they themselves furnish
horses to tear me in pelces. Raviilac was
about thirty -one years old and unmarried,
and had been q shyster lawyer like Gulteau
He gave as his reason for the murder that
the King had not, as he was able to do,
brought back the followers of the pretended
Reformation to the Apostolic church; that
be had came to Paris to impress this neces-
Slty on the King, but was repulsed by the
Kings surrounding people. Thereupon he
had visions, some of which he described.
lie had seen in his sleep fire, sulphur and
incense; and had felt a desire to sing the
Psalms Of David lnvoluntarily, ana had
felt a trumpet come into his mouth making
Il load sound. Living in poor lodgings, he
one morning arose to build a fire of twigs
and out of the fire he Saw arise nosts
like those which were used in the
communion. One of the priests told him
that his head was disordered to see all these
things, bnt he determined to address him.
self to some great man to speak to the
king. Repeatedly repulsed from the pal
ace, he cried out to the king as he was
riding along: Sire, l speak to you in the
pushed him off with stick. Thereupon he
concluded to murder the king. He was re-
pulsed from several lodgings in Paris
on account of his poverty, and at the last
lodging he stole knife, and kept it for
some days or weeks. He sharpened the
knife with stone. and consoled himself
with the idea that the king intended to
make war on the pope and transfer the city
of the holy see to Paris, and that the king
was making trouble for the country by his
! course. Asked where he got the
! idea that the king was in the way
Of his party, he said that he had got it
from the common soldiers, who said they
| would not fight the Pope, if they were
ordered to- good deal of lying was de-
tected on Ravillac's discrimination. He
remarked that neither his father nor his
mother ever loved him. He believed that
our all-powerful Lord would not make him
suffer for it. On being convicted he was
put to the torture, the first of the boot, a
wooden box just big enough to contain both
his legs, and wooden malet is then driven
between the knees until it is forced through,
and then 3 larger wedge is driven. He
cried out MY God, receive this penance
as an expiation. Oh, God! do not drive my
soul to despair. At the driving of the
third wedge he tainted away. The prison.
ers in the Jail with him cried out "Traitor, "
wretch" monster" "vi]lain, and tried
to strike him. When he arrived at the
place of execution, he was asked to confess
his accomplices, but he had none. Fire
was p to his right hand, which
held the knife with which
he stabbed the King. and he cried out
"Oh God" 4Oh Jesus!" Oh Mary!'
Then his breast and limbs were torn with
red hot pincers. and he again cried out,
!