Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-26
THE HEADSMAN.

nowadays, though invested with d 81 ~
ter interest quite natural to the CHASTITY
craft, possesses none of the elements of
romance which attached to it up to a
century or so ago. In France, for in
stance, in the olden time, the execution
er, or High Justice, as he was called,
from the fact that only Supreme or
Royal Judges had the power to decree
death, was parsonage whose ways and
duties were as fascinating as they were
revolving. In Spain, from the earliest
time, the Office of eXecutioner was her.
editary by law. In France the law was
created by custom. No one could asso-
ciate with the children of the headsman,
who could learn no craft but that of their
father. So rigidly was this rule adhered
to that when Charles Samson died, leaving
his eldest son, only years old, the child
had to stand beside his adult assistant
on the scaffold and sanction his acts by
his presence. When the executioner had
only daughters the husband of the eldest
succeeded his father-in-law. It was only
by the complete extinction Of family
that immunity from the horrible fealty
to death could be secured.
In the early days in France the execu-
toner held his office by letters patent
signed by the King. He was only NOM
mated after close inquiry into his person
and habits. = When the appointment of
an executioner was made out the papers
were thrown on the sable in the High
Chancellor's Office, and the new heads
man picked them UP. He was then SOL
EMMY sworn to his duties. AS rule he
was not allowed to reside in town or city
unless he took up his residence in the
house of torture. In certain localities
he wore livery, consisting of jacket
bearing the arms Of the town and lad
der on the breast, and a gibbet embroi-
dered on the back. In France the exc
cutioner of the city of Paris ranked first.
for there was an aristocracy even Of the
gibbet. The headsmen bore the names
of the places they served, being termed
In public life and documents Monsieur
de Paris, de Rheims and so on.
The Office of eXecutioner was endowed
with many pecuniary advantages. His
chief right was that of haUee (from oUO5r.
to have). This consisted of as much
corn sold LII the market as he could take
in his hands, and had been granted to
help him in obtaining provisions, which
he could not easily procure otherwise,
people declining money from such hands
as his. The executioner could employ
assistants to collect his tax his right in
certain towns was exchanged for yearly
allowance of money.
Many other privileges were attached
to the office. BY an order of the Chate-
let, dated 1880, the executioner had q
right of taxation on fruit, grapes, nuts,
hay, eggs and wool also toll on the
Petit-Pont, tax on barges, a sum for
each patient suffering from leprosy, a
sum on brooms, Goals, oysters, fish,
cakes of Epiphany, water-cress sellers,
and on stray pigs. When one of his
servants captured pig. he took it to the
Hotel Dieu, and either the head or a
sum Of money was given in return. The
executioner had always a right to part
Of the apparel of the culprits who suf-
fered by lis hands at first only clothes
below the waist were given him, but
eventually he obtained the whole apparel.
III certain cities the execuhoner levied
tax Oh women of loose life. The
monks of Saint Martin gave hlm five
loaves and five bottles of wine for every
execution on their lands. Other monk
ish organizations paid him stated
yearly sum. He also received sum of
money from the state for each execution.
Iu l721 all these privileges were abol-
i7hod. aud he received a salary of &c.
0O0 hvres, special fees for executions
outside OF the city, and full expense
allowance.
The carpenters was also an important
position. His business was to construct,
repair and keep the scaffolds and instru-
ments OF torture in order. His salary
was from 10000 to $4,000 francs. The
executionef's assistants were either his
own servants or apprentices, who were
fed and boarded, but not paid.
In 1893, the National Convention, 10y
a decree issued on June 13, 1898, de-
cided that an executioner should be at
tached to every department of the re-
public. The salary OF executioners was
to lie paid by the state. In towns OF
which the population did not exceed
$4,000 inhabitants, the salary was fixed
at 2, 400 livres in those numbering from
10000 to 100000 inhabitants, 1000
Hvres and, lastly, the emolumeuts OF
the execntioner of Paris were diminished
from 16, 900 to 10000 livres. His assist
ants were paid on the same scale. Dur
ing the Reign of Terror, however, q
special fee of 5000 francs was added to
his salary. It was not too much for
what he had to do then.
The last reform in the position of ex-
ecutioner was enacted in 1910, when the
salary of the executioner of Paris was
lowered to 5000 francs, the executoner
of Lyons received 4, 600 francs. those OF
Bordeaux, Rouen and Toulouse 5000
francs, and the gang of less important
headsmen each 2, 400 francs. 1t will be
seen that we are far from the time when
NJ. de Paris collected 80, 600 francs for
the right of havee alone. There exists
still, however, by species OF judicial
suferance, certain privileges OF free
lodging and the like which exc the
French Jack Ketch's income out some
90 or 80 per cent.
However much he made, the old-time
executioner earned il. The list Of pun
ishments ne has at one time and another
been called upon to infiict cannot be
read without a shudder. Decapitation
is punishment as old as the world. It
was the form CT death privileged to