Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-17
HOW THEY TAKE LIFE,
Modes of Executing Criminals in Va
ri0us Lands lashing or neadS
in Japan The Garrote.
How 1t Feels to BE Lynehed, as Told
by Man Who Bad a Chance of
Knowing.

| The decspitation of Prado in Paris by
the guillotiue and he recent action OF
| the New York legislature, by which, after
| the first of January the execution of
criminals, by banging is abolished aud
electricity employed instead, says the
Cincinnati Eaquirer, suggests some
notice of the various modes employed TO
| put men 10 death in obedience 10 the law
The guiilctine has been the favorite
| instrument ia use in Ftance for the past
century. II derives it's name from Joseph
| Ignace Guiilotine, a French physician
who h0urishe2 in the days of the French
/ revolution, who suggested the use OF the
| instrument as speedy method OF get
| tug rid Of criminals, but who was not the
/ inventor of the machine. It is com posed
| of two upright posts, grooved ON the in
| side, and connected at the top by cross
/ beam. In these groves a sharp iron or
steel blade, placed obiquely, descends by
! its own weight on the neck of the VICTIM
| who is bound 70 ooard laid beueath
/ The machine possesses the yir.ue OF speed
and certainty, but thus has a superiority
over the sword and ak.
1t is a curious and not generally known
/ fact that the FIRST gujllotine was CON
strueted after designs of recorder at
/ StTasburg. Tobias Schmitz, manufac-
/ turer of what is often another instru
ment of torture-a piano Until 1872 the
guillotine had not been improved. It re-
| sembled the soaffold used in America A
/ flight of steps led up to platform, which
was surrounded by railing. The oh cot
was to let every bodr see. The criminals
called it the AbbaRe de Monte-a Regret
| That is, an abbey which separated
them from the rest of the world, on the
steps OF which they mounted with regret.
! Heindereicr, who was the headsman in
| 1872, greatly improved the instrument
/ Instead of monster machine, which it
| took three or four men TO put together
1 he reduced il to its sim plest expression.
| And such it is today. Tao upright iron
/ beams containing two groves on each
inner side, one for the 'lunettp,n or
| socket, and the other for the traptzlform
/ knife, perpendicular swinging plank
rising to the leysl OF the oulprits breast,
! against which he is thrown forward be.
tween the two beams; at the right of this
! plank aud leaning on a willow baske:
| painted black and partly filed with bran
| is a board, over which they slide the body
after decapitation; to the left two pals
of carbonated water; Ia front a sort of
zinc tub into which the head falls. The
guillotine was formerly PARTED red and
the knife so exposed that it was the frst
| object seen by the condemned man u
leaving the prison gate. NoS 1t is pale
/ yellow and the knife concealed.
Criminals in Spain suffer the Death
penalty by the garrote. The Felon sits
/ in a chair; behind him is a stout post, TO
which are affixed two clasps of iIon
which, when joined encircle his neck
/ Through the post and back of the collar
runs screw. When this screw Is turned
the collar is frightened and an iron wedge
| enters the neck at the base of the brain,
which dislocates the axis, pierces the
/ spinal cord, and produces instant death.
| The criminal Goes not wear a cap or
mask, and the snap of the bones and
CHASTITY look of the last moment can be
heard and seen by the lookers.on As
soon as the execution Is over one of the
police rushes forward aud seizes the exc
cu:ioner, who is arrested and taken TO
prison, where the iurado is sti!i assembi-
ed. The executicner is placed in their
midst accused Of having killed man,
and denounced murderer. The judge
! askes him what he has to say in answer
80 such a charge, and he replies, "lt IL
true that have killed the prisoner, bnt
deny being the murderer, for, although I
com mitted the act charged displaying
his arms with the badge, / did it in the
the cause of justice ard IN pursuance OF
the law, all OF which / was compelled 10
| do by virtue of my office" "Ihe accused
is innocent and Is discharged" answers
the court, and then the formula of the
Spanish law is satisfied.
Beheading by the sword has been a
favorite method of executing srimiu
in Japan aud other countries of the east,
| The victim kneels and bows his head.
| I he executioner draws two edged sword,
a long and glIttering weapon, keen rs q
razor He wipes ii with piece of hig bly,
colored silk, and taking his stand raises
the sword and vi h a quick firm move
ment drawing stroke sewers the head
from the body, giving vent To loud hiss
ing noise. The executiOner then re-
moves the stains from the sword with a
/ piece OF paper, sheathes 1T and wake
away with envious eyes. In India peo-
pie are frequently executed with the
sword, while petty offenders are thrown
into dens with poisonous cobras, which
sting them TO death, and they die with
horrid agonies. Some of she ancients
put their criminals to death by poison
Socrates took the fatal poison and the
Persisus use a species of the upas, while
the Egyptia employed ground glass
that was mixed with the food of tine
victim. The Romans had various forms
OF capital punishment. Roman citizens
could only die by the sword. Hence Sc
Paul Who was Roman. was heheeded