The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-09-10
The Headsman of Paris.
respondence New York Times.

Correspondence New 1orK Times.
M. Heinrich, the successor OF fat lit
tie Henri Samson, as headsman ofPar-
is in 1S47 was a man Elk feet in hight,
with a clear, cold blue eye, regular
features, and the manners and ar
riage OF aperfect gentleman, his whole
bearing having the appearance of a
half-pay officer. M. Heindrich always
generated" in evening dress and a
white cravat, and after each execution
went to the church of st. Ambrose,
where he ordered a mass to be said
for the repose of the soul of the vic
tim. which over, he took a bath and
then breakfasUed. Heindrich had an
imperative voice and q strong hand.
When he took hold of his man he new
er met with any resistance, and
It is told of him that when Yer
ger was called and on a hundred pre-
texts sought to postpone thefatal mo-
ment, Heindrich simply walked into
the cell, looked fixedly at him, and
said. "Eh bien, Verger," and the 9th
er shuddered, rose and followed.
Heindrlch died on the Good Friday OF
1872, at the age of 10, after exercising
for SO years his profession, and WIS
succeeded by his aide, Roch, who was
his antithesis, being as jocose and
bonhomme as the other was reserved
and solemn. Roch was a tall, power
full man with a placid face, gray whisk-
ems, and gold earrings, looking Oh ex-
ecution days, in his black frock coat,
opened to show his cable-like watch
chain, as if he were q workman In
Sunday clothes. You always expect
ed to hear him sing lie Petit Eben-
iste," or some such ditty popular with
his class. His bon mots were proven
bal, but they were not in very
good taste, as for example: "Come,
my lad, be Of courage; no one wants
to hurt you," and, when Albert pro-
posed to address a speech to the pub
lie, bah! I'll abridge it," but they
delighted the jailers and gave copy to
the newspapers. He took part in 173
executions. His hobby was his
guillotine, which he called his bijou.
Hs rubbed it bright, furnished the
blade, wiped off with his pocket hand
kerchief every grain of dust and speck
of mud, and having heard of the "sin-
lister noise made by the knife in fall
ing, arranged india-rubber Innings for
the grooves, and in order to ave the
patient" from the sensation produc-
cd by the sight of the knife, concealed
it with a screen. Roch was married
and the father OF eight children, whom
he adored; and when he 'functioned''
in the provinces, his first act after the
operation was to dispatch a telegram
to his family, telling how the
"affair had been conducted" and
if there had been "a good
attendance" He died in 1879 of
apoplexy, at the age OF 90. The pres
emit incumbent, NJ. Deibler, an ex-cab-
inet-maker OF Dion, entered upon
his career as an amateur and from
pamour de Part in 1885. M Deibler
married q daughter of his colleague
OF Algeria, Mile Rasenauf, who, hav-
ing been educated with the whole
some traditions of the past,
would not have consented to
any nuptial derogation" you,
perhaps, may not know that the bour-
a affects to retain those privileges
OF nobility which were granted to his
predecessors in the 18th century by a
royal ordonnance. But his children
have learned to share popular preju-
dices against the profession. His son
preferred to enter as a clerk in one OF
Partisan monster stores. Deibler does
not enjoy thepopularity of Roch and
Heindrich; he is less active, less vigor-
Gus than they who could plaquer-
"fatten'-the patient on the plan
Ghetto and, without moving, touch
the spring. He loses time, and even q
second seems an eternity to the look
ers-on.