Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-18
A FRENCH EXECUTION.
Graphic Account of a Criminals Death IN
Paris-Guillotine W.. Electricity.
fChlcagn HerAld.l

fChicago Herald.l
have witnessed "A French execution from
hoe 20 eoda and can tel plain truths OF
the headsman and his assistants and OF
the terrible dJama which, for one man AZ
least. lasts altogether too short a time. IL
was years AGO when ! saw my first one.
An assistant 10 Monsieur de Paris
promised TO let me know, and at
last after several days Of uncertainty,
be saw from whore he had been
watching the messenger Of DEATH the
bearer of the lette. telling the headsnan
that the execution was fixed for the follow
ing morning. IF ] don't come back
soon. e" he said 30 his wife, "you Will know
That II is ~ right. and that am with the
chief 90 and soon there were five OF us to-
retLer. While II was still day they went
10 take last turn in the Rue de Ia folle
Rcguaut, where the machine was Kept.
TLeb thev separated. making an appoint
ment for II O'Clock for supper.
PREVIOUS INJECTIONS.
At table they talked Of the execution
about 10 take place. of past ones, and OF
their blood-stained garments. These
assistants are obliged 10 wear frock
coats and tall hats, though time was
when they appeared in evening dress
ike undertakers' men. They reminded
each other of tho day when there were
three executions one after another. OF
the woman who was guillotined protesting
her innocence, and Of the one who had
been brought % the scanOld really dead
from fear and whom they had decapitated
all the same 50 as not 10 bring her back -
the prison. there would have been such
An ado about it, At o'clock in the morn
ing we were OF. and az last we arrived at
the Place dc ia ROquette, where our advent
was greeted by a murmur Of curiosity
by several reporters and few well known
individuals as. for instance. two fast wo-
men dressed i'm mems clothes. females not
being allowed to be present at executions.
Ina the I1iddle Of the road 7 noticed five
stones these formerly supported the raised
scafold. up which thirteen steps led, but
nowadays the machine rests simply on the
ground.
FRICTION or THE GuHLOuSF.
An assistant fixed the base of the ma
chine with the aid Of q water-levcl because
the posts must be quite vertical. So that
the kuife-the cutter these gentlemen
call il may fall with al its weight and
swiftly. First Of all the assistants took OF
their frock coats and put on long blue
Ll0usc-. like those worn by cattle-dealers;
then they took the machine ont Of the
wagon and mounted IL piece by piece, slow
lv. silently. and surely. and when all was
finished there remained two hours tOpass-
waiting for the man.
Time was finally called. however. and in
another half hour AL would be over. Ihey
went intothe jail, all except the fellow who
remained 90 guard the machine. and he was
very proud of his mission. Just think the
attention of the public which few minutes
before was divided among five, was now all
centred on him alone, and very likely he
looked az the machine with a knowing air,
4 q hon. nfIl thaVa ~ II na
arranging something that had been for
gotten. moved the bucket of water placed
at the foot Of the post. took ont the sponge,
and willingly answered questions. In the
mean time the condemned fellow was
brought into the outer court of the prison,
where the exocutiOner and three assistants
were waiting ON him.
BINDING THE CONDEMNED.
They seized him. seated him on a stool
and proceeded TO bind his limbs. All this
was done silently. When the man spoke
they did not answer him-for them
he no longer cXisted-and only pulled
the cords tighter and tighter. The
cold scissors cut off his hair, ghded
along the neck and clipped away the
shirt collar Just fifteen centimetres below
where the knife would strike in few min
utes. Monsieur de Paris signed the
book and gave the receipt for the criminal.
which served as a certificate Of death also.
The assistants rubbed their hands and two
of them took hold of the condemned,
whose legs were shackled by "A stout cord.
The prison door was opened, n cry came
up from the public. t. which those who
were supporting the condemned responded
by tightening their hold of him.
The LAST FAREWELL.
There was moments pause; ii was the
F., lot gnnflarTyq1 and bfa
confessor. One of the assistants stood be-
fore the lunette waiting for the mans head
10 bee passed in: be seized IL 10y the hair,
the executiOuer was az the button, he gave
the signal by a look, two assistants sided
the victim ON the sec-saW board toward the
gaping lunettc; with all his force and
weight the man to the left held the con-
dcwned in the machine while another
seized his feet With fOur fingers of the
right hand the oxecutioner rapidly lowered
the upper half OF the lunette on 20
the neck, no which he glanced quickly,
and by movement Of his left
hand let fall the knife, which with
"a whizNng sound passed through
the vertebrR. cutting u like a thread,
and the assistant threw the head into a
long basket. At the same time two other
assistants threw the body into the same re-
ceutacle. and then it was shut up and
hoistcd into one of the wagons, which left
Immediately. The blood WAS washed away.
tine sereeants de Vile cleared the place,
and soon il was completely empty.