St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-02
DEATH BY THE GUILLOTlNE.

A Paris Correspondents Graphic
Description of an Execution at
the Place de la Roquette.
Henry Haynes Paris Letter.
Ihave witnessed a French execution
from hoe to soda, and can tell plain
truths of the headsman and his assist
ants, and of the terrible drama which
for one man, at least. lasts altogether
too short time. Itwas years ago when
l saw my first one. An assistant to
"Monsieur de Paris' promised to let
me know, and at last, after several days
of uncertainty, he saw, from where he
had been watching, the messenger of
death, the bearer of the letter telling
the headsman that the execution was
fixed for the following morning. eff |
don't come back sOOn," he said to
right, and that l am with the chief"
and soon there were five of us together.
While it was still day they went to take
a last turn in the Reu de la Folie Reg
nault, where the machine was kept;
then they separated, making all ap-
pointment at II o'clock for supper. AT
table they talked of the execution about
to take place. of past ones, and OF their
blood stained garments. These assist
ants are obliged to wear frock coats and
tall hats, though time was when they
appeared in evening dress. like under
takers men. They reminded each other
of the day when there were three exc
cutionS one after another, OF the woman
who was guilotined protesting her inno-
cence. and of the one who had been
brought to the scaffold really dead from
fear, and whom they had deeapitated
all the same so as not to bring her back
to the prison. There would have been
such an ado about it," At O'Clock
in the morning we were off, and at last
we arrived at the Place de la ROQuette,
where our advent was greeted by a MUIR
mur of curiosity by several reporters
and few well-knoWn individuals. as,
for instance, two fast women dressed in
mems clothes, females not being al
lowed to be present at executions. In
the middle of the road [ noticed five
stones; these formerly supported the
raised scatfold. up which thirteen steps
led, but nowadays the machine rests
simply on the ground. An assistant
fixed the base of the machine with the
aid of a water-level, because the posts
must be quite vertical, SO that the knife
the "cutter" these gentlemen call it
may fall with all its weight ard
swiftly. First of all, the assistants took
off their frock coats and put on long
blue blouses, like those worn by cattle
dealers; then they took the machine
out of the wagon and mounted it piece
by piece, slowly, silently AID surely,
and when all was finished there re-
manned two hours to pass-Waiting for
the man.
Time was finally called, however, and
in another half hour all would be over
They went into the jail, all except the
fellow who remained to guard the ma
chine, and he was very proud of his
mission. Just think, the attention of the
public, which a few minutes before was
divided among five, was now all centered
on him alone, and very likely he looked
at the machine with knowing air,
touched it here and there as if he were
arranging something that had been for
gotten, moved the bucket of water
placed at the foot of the post, took out
the sponge, and willingly answered
questions. In the meantime the con-
demned fellow was brought into the
outer court of the prison, where the eX-
ecutioner and three assistants were
waiting on him. They seized him,
seated him on 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 eXisted-and only. pulled
the cards tighter and tighter. The cold
scissors cut off his hair. glided along the
neck and clipped away the shirt collar,