Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-11-07
NJ. DE PARIS.
A Modest Nan Who Avoids Public
Notice.

AOtlCt.
The residence Of NJ. Delbler, or, as be Is
generally called by the populace, " NJ. de
| Paris, the dreaded eXecutiODer (50urreau)
Of France. l. not far distant from Ia Ro-
| quette, that prison in front OF which ne has
so often fulfilled the "hIgh WORK " Of his
CHASTITY Office when carrying out with the
| guilloiine the extreme penalty Of French
criminal law. says q London U,orld CORE
spondent. lie occupies dat on the see
ond floor OF wretchcd street lying
between the boulevard de Ia VII.
lette and the rue 81. Maur, aud
within an easy walk from the cele.
brstCd cemetery OF Pere Ia Chaise. The
house, the street. and all the surroundings
are such as q romancist, IN the most weird
fight Of his Imagination, would be likely to
picture as the appropriate habitqtlOn OF
such ,aneulnary minister Of Justice. To
obtain IN interview with NJ. Dcibler Is a
task OF considerable difficulty; but TO be
permitted TO visit him az his abode il a still
greater one, and required much tact and
diplomacy. In the first instance, the police
will not give his address, and, besides this,
he himself dlslikes nOtoriety, aud, as much
az possible, keeps apart from the outer
world, aSsociating but little with ms neigh
bors. Among the common people, and
especially the criminal classes OF Paris, In
the very heart Of whose quarter he re-
sides, NJ. de Paris " is regarded with
horrible suspicion and dread. Many OF
these actually believe him to be responsible
for the judicial deaths Of their comrades,
and accordingly avoid all intercourse with
him. He is also credited with being the
pOssessor OF the "eYil eye" a fearful sitri
butte which the superstitious and ignorant
believe brings with ii cllamitOUs msfOr-
tune on whomsoeyer he casts either kindly
or an iIl-fayoring glance. No one is more
conscious how detestabe his duties are
than NJ. DeibIer; and for this reason, he
says, he has 10 be very wary with whom he
associates, as he would not be surprised IL
some relative or companion Of a murderer
whom he had "sh0rtened" should attempt
one fine day 10 assassinate him In an excess
Il terror or revenge.
notwithstanding the endeavors OF the
police to mislead, the headsman's home |
was discovered. Although the locality Is |
lUgubrious and uninyIting, the apartments |
themselves In which he lives with his wife |
and mother are neat and clean, showing |
that The former, who Is a gOod-loOklng |
woman about thrty-fye years old, Is OF |
thrifty and tidy habits-a characteristic, by |
the way, common to most Frenchwomen |
OF her class. The rooms are comfortably |
furnished. In one OF them, the sitting |
room, there Il large cage containing n
number OF singing-birds. The furniture IL |
good, and the walls are adorned with a few |
prints. Beyond this there Is nothing OF in |
terest which attracts the eye OF the curious !
yisitor-nothing In any of the rooms
to indicate N. Deibler's hideous calling. In |
this regard he Is unlike the late Marwood, |
who decorated" the walls OF his modest |
dwelling-bouse at Horncastle with the va
rions ropes which, under his manipulation, |
had done so many murderers TO death.
The cautious manner In winch Nine. Die
bier opened the door-for she firmly held 1t
slar tiil she satisfied herself that the intrli-
der" was friendly-showed al once that she
was not accustomed 10 visits from unknown |
persons. When she became confident her |
which at the beginning was stid /
and repel'ant, became gracious. she exer-
cises great influence over her husband,
and The reserved aud stand-off manner
which n. Deibler assumes when conversing
VIII . stranger = wholly due TO her. She !