Morris tribune., 1883-10-06
OFF WITH HIS HEAD!
Execution of q French Criminal by
the Guillotine-..His Bearing
on the Scaffold.-.A Novel
Bequest.

PARIS, Oct. 4.-The man Houy, who was
convicted of having murdered with re-
volver an old lady and her bonne at Dourdan
last April, and of having stolen her silver
plates and clocks, was guillotined at
Versailles NJ. Diebler, ''Pexecuteur
des hautes oeuvreS," aroused Hcuy in
in his cell at o'clock in the morning, say
ing, "Houy, nous avons recu une triste nou-
vele" Houy shrugged his shoulders with
indifference, and observed, "Ah, c'eSt pour
ce matin, eh bisn." Houy refused to eat his
breakfast and declined rudely the protfered
consolation of priest, NJ pAbbe Charbet
He asked for pen, ink and paper, which
were given him. The Able Charbet again
advanced to offer his services, but Houy
again roughly pushed him aside and pro-
ceeded to write two letters. The first one
was to his brother, and read as follows:
My DEAR BROTHER: Gather together al
my effects, together with 5 francs that you
will find tied up iii one of my stockings, and
ma ke present of them to the first really
po0f mau that you happen to meet.
The second letter was addressed to the
president of the republic, conceived as fol-
lows:
Eighteen dead bodies are buried in cellar
at the corner of Rue deS JOIrneau1 and
ment pas.n
Houy, who is near-s tyhted, then gave his
silver spcctacles and pair of buckled shoes
to one of his jailers, who, 10y a coincidence,
is also near-sigrted. At 30 he was put into
tle guillotine cart and driven slowly to the
Pont Colbert, where the guillotine had been
erected. He stepped out of the cart pale but
plucky. The Able Charbet again offered his
mediation and held toward him a crucifix,
but Houy persisted in his refusal to have any
thing to do with the abbe, and decliued to
kiss the crncifix, remarking: DICTATES La
courroie. adieu."
Houy was a thick set, robust man 55 years
of age, with pepper-and-salt beard wiry
and hristly- fact, the typical beard OF
bandit des tapis francs. He wore a brown
corduroy suit and coat. This was removed
oil the scaffold, and he stood in blue and
white striped shirt NJ. Diebler accom-
panied Houy to the panche and, stepping in
front of the condemned man, seized his
gray, bushy hair in both hands and pulled
with all his strength to compel the prisoner
TO advance his head under the ak. There was
a moment of breathless hesitation. Then
suddenly NJ. Diebler pressed simultaneously
the button of the lunette and the button of
the aX-drop. The prisoners head rolled into
the wooden bucket, half filled with sawdust,
and the body fell into the basket The opcr-
alton lasted exactly two minutes and
thirty seconds. 1t was a cold, cloudy,
windy day, and only 500 spectators
were present, the majority of whom were
women and young girls. One little boy,
accompanied by his father, examined all the
mechanism of the guillotine, his father ex-
planning the details A journalist remon-
strated, but the father replied: I'll faut bien
que les enfants s'instrucisent."
Houy comes of ssgood criminal stock.
When IS years old he was sentenced to the
galleys to five years hard labor, together
with his father, for coming false money. His
grandfather was highwayman.