Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-02-23
NERyEp TO pEATH.
The Cause Which Enables so Many Crfn-
inals to Die ''Game."


inals to Die "Game."
There has Just died in Paris vener-
able ecclesiastic named Able Crozes,
whose long career of useful beneficence
was passed amid surroundings which
to most men would have been extreme
ly painful, if not absolutely repulsive.
The deceased able was chaplain to tSa
prison of La Roquette, and from 1868
to 1882 it had been his doleful duty to
take pastoral charge of all criminals
sentenced to death. During his EVENTS.
two years of office he had attended to :
the scaffold no fewer than fifty-one
murderers, comprising among others
La Pommerals, Avignoin, Troppmann
and Billoir The sole accusation which
his detractors could urge against the
''aumonier" of La Rouquette was that
he was apt to show little too much
commiseration for the atrcoious des-
perados who received his ministra-
tions, and that he was moved even to
use his influence to obtain reprieve
for the exceptionally bloodthirsty
young man Troppman, who salts
fed his craving for slaughter by
tho massacre of an entir fami-
ly. The Able Crozes occu-
pied very humble apartment in
a house close to the Jail, and his room
was adorned with all kinds of sordid
articles presented to him as souvenirs
by the assassins who had received the
consultations of religion from his hands
at the supreme moment of their fate.
One of the most curious of the at
tributes of the excellent priest who has
just passed away remains to be describ-
ed. 1t was he who supplied the con-
demned with stimulants just before
their execution. While praying with
the malefactors he gave them snan
glass of ''mele-cassis." which our Paris
correspondent describes as "black
current cordial, dashed with brandy"
The publication of such petty detap9'
is not without it's use, inasmuch as it
serves to illustrate a fact with which
it is highly expedient that not only the
community at large, but the criminal
classes in particular, should be made
fully conversant-thatn ine-tenths of
the statements made as to murdereTs
dying game" are so much arrant non
sense. In almost every case when a
criminal is led to execution, whether
it be by the guillotine or by
the gallows, it is found absolute
ly necessary to administer some
kind of alcoholic stimulant to the
trembling wretch, and in olden times,
when the condemned prisoner was al
lowed to drink as much as ever he
liked on the morning of execution, it
was probably the man who was the
most drunk who died unexceptionally
game" 1t may seem at the first
blush somewhat indecOrous that jail
chaplain should be. above all others,
the functionary intrusted with the task
of giving a parting nip to a criminal,
but, on reflection, the "aumonier" may
appear to be the most suitable person
by whom so delicate a function could
be performed. From the time of his
condemnation the prise ner has been
on terms of affectionate friendship
with his spiritual instructor, at whose
hands he knows that he can safely ex-
pect kindness and sympathy, andt>ft>
may be with feeling of gratitude,
which, for moment partially softens
his depraved heart, that the MALE
factor accepts a dram from his con- 4
fessor. The like refreshment offered
to him by the executioner or by one of
the prison wardens might be accepted
only with repugnance or rejected in
the disgust OF desp .ratiOn London
Telegraph.