Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-10
FRANCES HEADSMAN.
A CHAT WITH THE MAN WHO
WORKS THE GUlLLoTlNE.

p.,;r,
~ ""''
'""er-""w He Does His work-The
Fatai hnife--A Method Superior to
Hanging or Electricity.
re" people nave ever seen the public exc
cutioner OF France, and it is no easy matter
to find him, for the police refuse to give his
address, and his name is carefully omitted
from the directory The draadad ,s,tons,o,,r
do paris as h., IL ,.lta,l NV tho lower. closes
ia bowevar NJ naillar o,,d ha ,s,,,ts :, a.,
on tho socord eo,- IN a s,,,,oIid Iit,,a -
half an hours vvsik ou,ey fr,,,, ,,,a p,nnattf,
,.r;4or This ma, who co,,a,nts tha oo,a
norias l., ,,bioh ,ha ,.,,;ra,.,.- -, ~
-. e"V s'-N
~ ratirii,., de,,otiti 49, 81 a.nr,st,-
a,I o,.,;ls an,..,4 - ,,a;,-t,t,o,::r ~
-, -. A.. tn. ~.
- - H. -
- iva ~ "
e.. US 49, si;ss ~ .,u.,,,.,.
so'''g I'm u,'s W. W. t'.'''ons
~ t"e ie'' VI u anu .ouiiu
.ua' .ne i'edES,nah F." rs i',' ''l'.'slVseu 10 zen
liie uet'lis OF us i''i'N' i''ie lfS'esS'on; ne
a
even PIiNa'eif, '"e ea!"oe'he, "nlcn ne IT.
'eifeo 10 ''S ''i' 'i''''i'''' 'ie s@'i.''
THE TERRIBLE MACHINE
THE machine Is ready mounted for use,
and may be summoned OFF at any moment.
| usually get tweuty-four bours' notice In
| Paris, and more than double that time for
the departments, but must hold myself con-
stantly in readiness to start of at a moments
notice. As rule, have to spend at La
Roquette the whole night preceding an exc
cution. A great deal has to be done in a very
Short time. Soon as the two black vans ar
rive-one containing the woods of justice
and the other destined to convey the body OF
the culprit to Ivry cemetery-l have to su,
1 perintend the installation of the machine
which takes upward of an hour The fixing
of the knife and Of the apparatus itself is al
intricate JOB Ihere must be no hltch at the
iase moment Inc instrument Is invariably
placed on nVe stones just outside the centra
uoof 9i Ine i.oqget'e prison l accepted tht
pp1S ~" uoiu oii we f5'9ls nation Oh NJ
- us az ~ l'eTi' to' seN 81 {,
sl. ny al,Po'-''.1ie,t ! vas d 'E'i =,
~ ua.o' anu many %9 ,l AliI'iila IL, tn'
49, iae.e ~ 'ei "Neie .i'o us l1u III
- .tNi, NJ ou See' Il"
60 - - 'No WI ~ 80 {, nieiuei VI oi'
e-o.neS on ny owl. tiooN n'INe sot 70 De
sT "a US - .i!ii'iI'
IT,, a IN. L. De'0'e' 'N''i'' at MS ia'ie
sua1S JOAT
nle l am nAlns tue tlachlne, con
.,nueu 'H Tbo ne U.s. F. 'ne aDoe fanr
$50 ~ - s-;,;.1a3 49, -. ~. ~,
- ".-a go p''t'uAi ,o.nio,' ~ VI
uooiheu man: Ailei oeins ieit alole VIII
1850 ,n ~ tot d salot. .lnie ln9 euipr,t
So, - IN - ~ :, ins,9 In
Id 70 ~ a.. ~ So 80 "s5 "1iS,
W VIZ p i''iie, i'is' S'ti'I o'
VI CO.. u 49, le''ulhs tiio iliachlne.
w ne - seA re. VI, "oooeii s'ooi' ana III
tohe' oeeiis in'S uoeSh tahe Ihuch tiine
Tor MS mar ana beard were clipped on enter
ing inc prison.
THE FATAL KNIFE
1.-THE man is pinioned, his shirt stripped @
its collar, and he then goes forth to his deaf
by the central door, when he is strapped +
the fatal plank, which, toppling over. bring
his neck into the half circular portion of
ring that secure before springing the knife
Soon as | touch button in one of the UT
right posts the knife falls and the head is re
ceived in a tin vessel containing sawdust
The body is unstrapped, put into a coffin
with the culprit's head between his legs. an
the remains are then driven off to Ivry GENE
terry, where they are buried"
docs life endure any tine after the hea.
is severedf'
"No, l think not" the executioner replied
refectively. 1.-THE great loss of blood prc
duces syncope. Besidesr-
Here NJ. Deibler went ont of the room an
| brought IN large black leather box whic
ne placed on the table. On raising the Ii
there appeared the bright steel knife c
obhque shape which Is fixed to the eros