Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-04-25
The Headsman of Paris.
[From the London Globe.1

| M. Deibler, the Paris executicner en-
joys a sinecure. Since M, Grew was
called to the presidency of the republic
the ideas OF Victor Hugo have been al
lowed to prevail, and no executions have
taken place. The actual quill
lotine differs considerably from that
which Is seen at Nine. Taussaua's andis
supposed to have rendered such san
culinary service to the first republicans.
AS M. de Paris remarks, it is perfection
itself, and none but churl would refuse
to place his neck in the lunette on a
line with the bright, sharp knives, which
are kept locked in leather case at the
private residence of the dread official.
close to La Roquette. NJ. Diebler. is a
quiet man, impressed with the functions
intrusted to him. He is of q retiring
disposition, as if aware that the office he
holds places him beyond the pale of or
binary men and causes him to be looked
down on by the rest of his felloW-creat-
ures. No one would think while visiting
him III his quiet home, that he had been
the means OF hurrying hundreds into
eternity, or would rememb Der how TrOpp-
mann, the murderer of the Kinch fam
lily had bitten him to the bone when he
was assisting at the execution of one OF
the most cold-Dlooded assassins of mod
ern times. The apartment he occupies
is over the stable where the guillotine is
packed away until it is wanted for use.
and those who describe their visits to
the executioner, and relate how he cut a
truss OF straw in two TO show the working
OF his instrument, have every reason to.
be thankful for well developed imagin-
alton. M. Deibler is q tailor By trade,
and more than one workingman in the
quarter OF La Roquette has had his
clothes repaired by him. He is not a
communicative man, and the idea that
his name will appear ID print makes him
nervous, for on one Or two occasions he
has been taken to task by the Partisan
Journalists, who have accused him of IN
necessary roughness. His looks hardly
bear out such charge, for there Is moth
ing of the bully about him, and those
who meet him of q Sunday afternoon
when he takes his wife out for a walk
with him along the houlevards, would
take bim to be an ordinary workingman
bent on enjoyment.
There Is nothing picturesque about
him. The tights and the red leather
Jerk1n OF his predecessors are quite I'D
known to him. He thinks it due to the
solemnity of the occasion, when his SER
vices are required, TO wear suit of black
clothes and stOVe-pipe hat. He is
plain, matter of-fact man, none too brave
If what his wife says is true. He re-
quires according to her version, a con-
siderable number of Clutch drops" be-
fore his courage can be raised to con-
cert-pitch. He accepted the post on the
resignation of Mr.. Heindrich, whose val
ct he had been for many years Custom
has not hardened him. He seems to feel
the responsibility of shedding the blood
of his fellow creature, more especially In
cases of prisoners, like Moreau. the her
balist of Saint Denis, who declared at the
foot of the guiliotine that he died inno-
cent. Most of those who have passed
through the hands of the present execu-
toner have admitted their guilt. but
even SO he remains gloomy and silent
for several days afterward. The govern
ment pays him about $3.50 per annum.
Out of this sum he has toprovide his as
slstants ,andno perquisites are attached to
his Office. The condemned man is
brought out of La Roquette with his
coat thrown over bis shoulders to hide
the vest and shirt, which have been cut
away so as not to impede the downward
stroke of the knife The coat is removed
when the criminal is pushed against the
plank which throws him forward onto
the gulllotine, and this garment is the
only guerdon of the executioner.