The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-19
THE GUILLOTINE In AMERICA
A Case Which Calls for Punishment by
the Method Prescribed in France.
The Dreaded Implement Of the Reign of Ter
ror TeBe Used in Expiating a Cold -BlOOded
Murder Committed in French Colony.
special to tho Indianapolis journal.

Special TO tho indianapolis Journal
New YORK, Dec. 1S.-"Could you make a
guillotine ak if should furnish drawings and d-
mensionsl"
This singular question was addressed by a
gentleman, evidently French, to the manager of
one of the largest cutlery concerns In New York,
and was accidentally heard by reporter who
happened to be in the store The manager re-
piled that the company would undertake to sup
ply anything in the edeed-tool line from sur
geons lancet to double-handed sword me-
dieval battle az. The gentleman made inquiries
about the cost, the time required for filing an
order, ETC., and said he might order an ak within
q short time if he should receive final instruc-
tions from his principals. The remarkable char
Acter Of the inquiries induced the reporter to in
quire for what purpose so CHASTITY an instrument
as guillotine could be wanted In this
country The gentleman replied: Il have
no objection to telling you all about ii,
as II is matter of public business but as my
part in it is merely that of an agent, acting to
accommodate certain officials in friendly way.
would prefer no: to have my name appear
have been requested to make these inquiries by
the officials Of ST. Pierre. ST Pierre, some
times called st. Peters, is the capital of the
French colony of st. Pierre ct Miquelon, the
only possession in North America remaining to
France. The colony consists of the islands OF
ST. Pierre, Langley, Miquelon and Isle aux
Chiens, off the southern coast of Newfoundland.
It is small but very important colony in com
mercial sense Almost the sole occupation of
the population of six thousand people is catch
ing and curing Ash. By some ancient treaty
the colony has certain fishing privileges on the
Newfoundland coasts and banks which causes
more OF less ll-feeling between the people Of st.
Pierre and Newfoundland In the fishing season
the population of che colony is greatly
augmented by the presence of the fishing feet
from France, and millions of dollars worth of
Goldfish, mackerel and other varieties are
cured and exported The town of ST. Pierre has
a permanent population OF about three thou
sand. mostly French, of course, although all the
maritime nations are represented 1t Is quaint
town, built wholly of stone, and being SO far
from any populous country, the people are sim
pie and unsophsticated. They all good
Catholics, aud the island of St. Pierre has it's
convent. These facts give you something of an
idea of the character of the colony and its in
habitants. They have their peculiar local Gus
toms and regulations, but are governed by the
laws of France In all important matters. The
little colony of St Pierre ct Miquelon has been
in much agitation for the past five months over
the ''cause celebre' of Carlos Zuzarregui, con
demned TO death for assassination. 1t is the
only case of the kind within the memory of tho
oldest fisherman of MiQuelon, and is regarded
by those simple people as one of the greatest
cases in the history of the world, although in all
probability has not been heard of south of the
St Lawrence to any great extent. You have
heard of it? Well. then You know that under
the French law the assassin must be executed
by the guillotne."
skoh r. oh11,
has ever been guilotined in this country, and
there Is no machine here. The islands never
have had any use for such q contrivance hereto
fore, and after sentence was pronounced the
question of executing it came up. 1t was dis
covered that, under the law, nobody but
Monsieur de Paris, the public executioner of
France, can behead a criminal Zuzuarregui was
sentenced TO be executed in September, but
Monsieur de Paris and Nine La Guillotine
could not arrive in time, IL sent for, and respite
was granted. 1t was learned that Monsieur and
his tools could not leave France, except in a
government ship, and that a man of-war would
have to bring him over at an expense to the
colony of 80, 600 francs 1t was proposed to ap-
proprate this sum for the purpose, and il all
other methods fail, the money will be apDro-
Driated and Monsieur invited to visit the very
interesting colony of France. But 80 900 francs
Is large price to pay for chopping mans head
off, and the colonial court is trying to devise
some way of getting around the difficulty. One
proposition is that guillotine be erected at st.
Pierre. and some resident appointed by the
French government deputy of Monsieur de
Paris to carry out the sentence. Nobody on the
islands make proper
81 have been requested to ascertain If such an
inst tument car be procured here" said the man
already quoted. Il have been to the Boston
Museum to see the guilotine AK that sheared
the head of innocent Marie Antonetta from
her beautiful shoulders. That CHASTITY histori-
cal relic, rusted aud stained with some Of the
best blood of France is in glass case at the
head of one of the stairways. and doubtless is
passed unnotieed by many visitors. But there
IL is, and the sight of il recalls that hideous
nightmare of the world the Reign of Terror It
is simple Internationally sheet of steel
about foot square. or perhaps fourteen inches
in horizontal width. fixed in a heavy wooden bar
by it's upper horizontal edge The lower or cut
ting edge Is straight diagonal-that Is, the left
side of the blade, which slides in groove of the
guillotine frame, is three or four inches shorter
than the right side, which fits the groove
OF the opposite upright The purpose of
this form is to secure cleaner neater cut As
&he ak descends it shears through the neck Of
the victim diagonal1y. The principle is like
that of using knife to cut wood. Press the
edge Of the blade along its whole length evenly
against stick. and you do not cut much, but
draw the blade from the heel to the point with
quick motion and you whitte effectively
That is why the great invention of DR.. Gulotine
does its work beautifully The ak is the
most important part of the machine, and if that
tdil 70 pEOCuTout any SoOu carpenter VINO mas
ever seen pile driver can make the rest If
Monsieur de Paris will come over to superiatend
the affair. or can appoint deputy, machine
may be built apd ] may order the AK. Other
wise, Carlos Zuzuarregui may be sent to France
and there heheaded. 1t Is expected that the
execution will take place this month or early in
January"
The celebrated case of the sIsles Saint-Perre
ct Mquelon" is remarkable mainly for the cold
blooded atrocity of the crime and the total alb
sepce of provocatior. Carlos ZuZuarregui, the
assassin, is Spaniard from the Basque prov
inces. and a very bad specimen of peculiarly
bad race The Basques are such incorrigible
depredators and hriganss that three projects of
police are required in district containing no
more people than are controlled by one project
in other provinces. They are = turbulent. sui
len, lawless lot, and noto,iously handy with the
knife Zuzuarregui is typical Basque, and an
outlaw and refugee from his native country.
He fed from Europe to escape punishment for
numerous crimes. and it was supposed that muir
der was his last achievement at home. He made