Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-08-26
Dopkinsuillr asrntmfhian.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 2c, 1890
ELECTRICAL EXECUTIONS.


Experiences, Ancient and Modern, With
Criminals In France.
Those who are in favor OF tho execu-
tion OF murdorors condemned to death
by means OF electricity, as being tho
quickest and least painful method of
sending them out OF the world, have
boen led to this conclusion by motives
OF humanity which do them tho utmost
credit Strangely enough, however, 1t
Is precisely on humanitarian consider
ations that NJ. Boauquesne. the Gov
ernor, and the Able Faure. the chaplain
OF the Roquettc jail, are opposed to such
an innovation. 1t is to the Roquette
that prisoners sentenced to death are in
variably transferred after their con-
demnation by jury sitting in the Seine
Assize Court, and none are moro compe-
tent than the Governor and the chaplain
TO pronounce an opinion on the subject,
except, perhaps, Monsieur do Paris"
as the chief oxecutioner Is called, and
even then his views might be regarded
as based, in certain measure, on mo-
tives OF personal charactcr--for the
man who has gone about the country
chopping of heads with his guillotine
could scarcely be expected to deliver n
thoroughly impartial opinion. Were he
TO express preference for the electric
system he might lay himself open to the
reproach that he was not quite as skill
full as he ought to be. The Able Faure,
who for tho past Ave years-with one
at 49, II -. ..lo
who as Protestant received ghostly
counsel and advice from pdsteur OF his
roligion-has accompanied to the scaf-
fold all the criminals executed on the
square In front OF the Roquette. ex-
presses the utmost horror at the idea Of
such change. The worthy ecclesiastic
says that he has the utmost sympathy
for all scientific inventions, but he re-
fuses to believe that French Legislators
will be so cruel as to protract by prepar-
ations which require certain amount
OF time the sufferings of even MUIR
derers.
The Able Faure has attended during
their last moments upward Of sixteen
criminals, and he says that scarcely two
seconds elapse from the time when.
after q farewell embrace, he gives up
the prisoner to the executioner, to that
at which the head OF tho murderer rolls
on the ground. He remarks indignant
ly that he never can admit that mon,
however debased they may be. ought to
be placed like common animals in
glass apparatus and struck dead with an
electric spark. This is opposed to every
principal OF humanity. The chaplain
Of the Roquette is, after every execu-
tion, In the habit OF writing notes OF the
ghastly scene which he has just Witness
cd, and he declares that not once during
the whole of his experience has the con-
demned man offered the slightest resist
ance. This ho attributes, in great
measure. to his own presence on the
scafrold, and he says that II the electric
system were introduced he would be un-
able to offer tho prisoner the consola
| ton OF religion up to the last moment.
| OF Prado the Able relates that although
he was generally regarded as a brazen-
faced and hardened scoundrcl, ho spoke
earnestly with him during his last min
utes, and that his confidence in him was
so great that he begged him to save his
body from dissection at the School OF
Medicine. or Geomay, the murderer OF
Nine. Bour-Couloumy, he wrote that
he had died like q soldier, a Breton and
n Christian. A few minutes before he
was executed he asked tho Abbe TO con-
vey his last farewell to his old mother.
The Able Faure says that at the Ro-
quette every thing is done to render the
last moments OF criminals as easy as
possible, and, like NJ. Beauquesne. he is
positive that, far from being a merciful
innovation, the system of executing
prisoners through the medium OF elcc-
tricity would really subject them TO
decided increase Of moral torture
London Telegraph.