Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-12-28
THE FRENCH HEAOSMAN.
An Interesting Chat with the King
or the GutIfotine.

or the Guiiiotine.
Few people have ever seen the public
executioner of France. and it is nc
easy matter TO find him. for the police
refuse to give his address, and his
name is carefully omitted from the
directory. The dreaded Monsieur de
Paris" % he is called by the lower
classes. is. however. M. Deibler.
and he rents fiat on the second floor
Mt No. 8 Rue Vicq d. Air. squalid
little street, half an hour walk away
from the Roquctte Prison. This man,
who conducts the ceremonies in which
the guillotine plays the most promin-
EFT part, is very quiet person, of re-
firing disposition, who breads notoriety
and avoids contact with his neigh bors
rs much as possible. There is moth ng
in the headsman appearance nor in
his home to denote his CHASTITY office.
After some difficulty the New York
World Paris correspondent secured the
address of NJ. Deibler and found that
the head man was not indisposed to
tell the details of his unenv able pro-
fession. He could not, however, be
induced to exhibit even privately the
guillotlne, which he referred TO as
1.-THE machine" He said:
1.-The machine is ready mounted
for use, and / may be summoned off
at any moment l usually get twen-
ty-four hours notice in Paris and more
than double that time for the depart
ments. but | must hold myself con-
stantly in readiness 10 start off at a
moments notice. AS rule | have to
spend ut La Roquette the night pre-
ceeding an execution. A great deal has
10 be done in a very short time. Soon
as the two black vans arrive-one con-
tanning the woods OF justice and the
other destined to convey the body of
the cs.lprlt TO the Ivry Cemetery-I
have 70 superintend the installation of
the machine, which takes upward of
an hour The fixing of the knife and
of the apparatus itself is an intricate
job. There must be no hitch ut the
last moment The instrument is in
variably placed on five stones lust
outside the central door of the Ro-
quette Prison. l accepted the post /
now hold on the resignation of Mr..
Hcindricb. whose valet | had been for
several years. Until my appointment
| was tailor by trade. and many
working man in the Roqueitc quarter,
where | live, has had his clothes mend
ed by me. But, you see. | have risen
in tine world. From a member of old
clothes on my own hook. / have got to
be n tirst-c cutter IN the government
and Nj. Deibler
smiled at his rather CHASTITY joke.
while l am fixing the machine"
continued the headsman, "the Able
Faure arrives. The Able Faure enters
La Roquette and gives spiritual COM
fort to the doomed man. After being
left alone with the chaplain for short
time the lprit is handed over to my
assistant. who brings him from his cell
down the stone stairway which leads
to the depot-the prisoner S last station
on earth before reaching the machine
where he is seated on wooden stool.
and his toilet begins. THIS doesn't
take much time. for his hair and beard
were clipped on entering the prison.
Tho man is pinioned, his shirt stripped
of its collar. and he then goes forth to
his death by the central door, wher he
is strapped to the fatal plank whi,h.
topping over. brings his neck into the
half circular portion of ring that |
secure before springing the knife
Soon as | touch a button in one of the
upright posts the knife falls and the
head is received in a tin vessel contain
ing sawdust. The BODY is unstrapped.
put into II coffin. with the culprit's
head between his legs. and The remains
are then driven off to Ivry cemetery,
where they are buried"
"Does life endure any time after the
head Is severed?"
No. l think not" the exeeutioner
replied. retlectlvely. The great loss
of blood produces syncope. Be-
sides
Here NJ. Deibler went out Of the
room and brought In largo black
leather box. which he placed on the
table. On raising the lid there appear
ed the bright steel knife of obliaue
shape which is fixed TO the cross beam
of the guillotine at each execution, and
VIII .ch NJ. Deibler carefully watches
over and cleans at home He took it
out of its soft red lining the other
afternoon. stroked ii with his hand as
if to brush the dust off its highly-pol-
ished surface. and. turning it over.
said:
There; look at the back of this
knife. 1t is heavily weighed. you see,
to make it fall swiftly and with tire.
mcndous forcc when / touch the
spring. Now. this is the reason why
think that all consciousness departs
from the brain of n man after the fall
of the head. At the same instant that
the neck is severed by the blade. the
weighty portion strikes so fearful
blow on the occiput that the cheek is
often bruised trom the fall of the head
Into the tin vessel containing the saw
dust. Yet the head is only raised q
few inches above the tin vessel which
receives ii. Such q blow is. i'm my
opinion. sufficient to drive out any ray
of memory, reflection or real sensibil-
ity that may linger. after the decapita-
ton, in the brain of the most obdurate,
bull -headed criminal"
'Are YOU in favor of capital pun.