Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-07

ers that the instructive horror felt by every
sae for it is an argument in favor of the
abolition of capital punishment.
In the early times the executioner under-
took, or at least superintended, the torture
as we'll as the death Of his victim; and the
chronicles Of the Samson family abound in
revolving details of breaking on the wheel,
burning with red hot pincers, etc. Among
the victims who suffered at their hands
may be enumerated Cartouche, the high
wayman; Damiens, who attempted the life
| of Louis XV.; Count Horn, and the Count
de LaIly -Tollendal, the latter being
the recipient of curious proof of friend
ship at the hands of j. B. Samson. Many
years before, the count, then young man,
while sauntering through the streets of
Paris with his com panions, was attracted
by lights and music in one of the houses
| in the Rue Poissonnisre, and, knocking at
the door, sent in a request that they might
be allowed to join in the revsls. The
| master of the house, who came to meet
| them, told them that the festivities were
in honor of his marriage and coupled the
expression Of the pleasure he should feel
in receiving them, with a warning that
the assembled guests were not of the class
| with whom they were In the habit
OF associating. The young men persist
ing In their desire, he introduced them to
the company, among whom they passed a
| very pleasant evening, being much struck,
however, by the dark and somber express
| sion worn by many of the guests. When,
| at the close Of the entertainment, they ex-
pressed wish to know the name of their
host, he informed them thas he was San
son, the executioner, and that many of the
[ guests were his confreres in the profession.
Two of the young men seemed much dis
turbed by this announcement, but the
third, Count Lally -TollendaI, said that be
had long wished to make the acquaint-
aace oe the executioner, and begged to
be allowed to see the implements
of his calling. Samson acceded to this
request and the young man examined with
much curiosity the various instruments of
torture and death, showing particular in
terest in the immense two edged sword, on
one side of which was engraved a wheel
emblem of torture, on the other the word
''Justitia." He asked if it were possible tc
sever the head from the body at single
stroke. Samson replied in the affirmative
an said, jestingly, that should fate bring
any Of the gentlemen then before him into
his hands he would engage their suffering
should be short. When, ive-and-t thirty
years laler, Count de Laily- Tollendal wal
under sentence of death, On a frivolous
charge of having betrayed the kings
interest in the east, Samson remembered
his jesting promise. He had re
sired from active duty by this time, having
had slight stroke of paralysis, but OF
hearing of the condemnation of the count,
he returned from his farm at Brie-Comte
Robert, to demand frem his son and sue
cessor the privilege of once more welding
his double edged sword. Most persons
would have rejoiced at being spared the
necessity of using it on a former guest
but the old executioner appeared to think
that it was an honor, if not pleasure, tc
die by ais hand. His son, with some diff
Guilty, dissuaded him from his pur
pose; but he insisted on being present al
the execution. The old count, although
displaying great courage, was in state Of
nervous excitement, which prevented his
remaining perfectly still under the stroke
Between his nervousness and that of the
younger Samson, the blow Frustrated with
out killing him. He sprang up, looking
reproachfully at Jean Baptiste Samson
who, recovering for the moment all his
former strength, snatched the sword from
the hand of his son, and, with one skillfu
stroke, completed the fatal work.
Up to the close of the eighteenth CEN
fury decapitation was reserved for those
Of noble birth, criminals of the lower
classes being either hanged Or broken on
the wheel. Between 1910 and 1880 the
number of those who suffered the latter
punishment was verygreat. In 1888 young
blacksmith named Jean Louchard wal
sentenced to be broken for the murder o.
his father. The accused was quite limo
cent of any intention of injuring, or sver
striking the old man, having merely in @
moment of strong excitement, caused by
his fathers harsh treatment, flung rsck
lessly from him heavy hammer, aimed
at himself. He was deeply penitent fol-
the unhappy result of his act; and when
the mob, who had followed him to tht
place of execution, Enthusiastically showed
their determination to rescue him, he
begged the executioner to kill him before
their design could be carried ont. This
Samson refused to do, and the excited pop
ulace carried their point and rescued the
unwilling prisoner. Samson, for time
almost feared that they would wreak theil
vengeance on himself, but in this he was
mistaken. "Fear nothing, Chariot" said E
tall smith, addressing NJ. de Paris; "ws
want to harm not you, but your tools
Benceforth you must kill your customer;
without torturing them And collecting
the wheel, the rack, and all the other i'm.
plements of torture into one large heap
the mob set FIRE to them, dancing rounc
with shouts and songs until they were con
sumed.
Such was the end of torture in Paris
Had Chsrlofs clumsy tools not given place
to the ingenious mechanical contrivanct
soon to supersede them, there would have
been probably less suffering, and certainly
less boodshed, in the dominions of NJ. de
Paris during the ensuing decade.
"Why is Mrs. Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetabl,
Compound like the Mississippi river in a spring
freshet! Because the immense volume of THU
healing river moves with such momentum thai
it sweeps away all obstacles and is literally food
ing the country.
LOVE AND FAME.
| The DOefsa souI that had tho borav ,~os.o1