Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-08-28
A WEIRD TRADE.
THE WORK OF THE FRENCH
PUBLIC ExECUTIoNER,
M. Diebler, Who Handles the Ma
tional Guillotine, Talks About
His Ghastlx Rusinaas

tlonai GuiIIotine, Talks About
His CHASTITY Business.
A great deal from time to time has
been said about the public executioner of
france, but still more remains to be told.
He was always an interesting parsonage
in the eyes of the Parisians, and perhaps
this is why his post is so eagerly sought
after. The last time it became vacant no
fewer than 8, 900 aspirants applied for it,
and when M. Diebler retires from the
profession the number will no doubt be
still greater. That there is weird at
traction about it is proved by the confess
sions of all those who have filled it, and
the attraction is furthermore increased by
the official title of the berth, PExecuteur
des Hautes Guvres, which is high-sound-
ing enough to flatter anybody's vanity.
Let it be recorded at once, however, that
the present holder of it bears his honors
with commendable modesty, and is not
above being interviewed like any COM
mon mortal Hence | was able to ap-
proach him after the last execution.
MIR. Deibler never courts popularity by
parading himself in public. No sooner
has he done his duty than, leaving his
assistant to take down and clean the
guilotine, he withdraws from the prison
by back door, and repairs, unperceived,
to small wine shop in the Rue Folie-
Regnault, where he takes plate of soup
before going home to his family. His
two aids, having carefully packed up les
bois de justice and deposited them in a
shed set apart for the purpose also repair
to the same wine shop, and the three to-
gether compare notes as to the way in
which the condemned prisoner underwent
his punishment and was put out of the
world. M. Deibler then calls for cup
of coffee and petit verre, and, rolling up
a cigarette, proceeds to chat with the
customers, who are anxious to learn all
about the last moments of the departed
criminal.
This is the moment to observe him.
He is a man who looks much younger
than he is-a fact which shows that his
lugubrious calling does not weigh heavi-
ly on his mind. He is ON the road to so,
but nobody would think him to be more
than 40. He is of rather small stature,
thick set and muscular in spite of an in
trinity from which he suffers. He dres-
ses in black with immaculate linen, and
his whole get up would be most appro-
pllulC Dub lOl u hSuN1 SOlo tiihiu uiiet piS
breast pin. At first sight his face has
savage air about it, but when you exam
inc him closely he improves, and he then
appears to you in the light of typical
bon homme. His eyes are soft and at
times roguish. He is fond of his joke,
but his laugh has strange ring about it,
and gives kind of unnatural expression
to his countenance.
One odd feature is small rough tuft
of beard or barbiche, into which few
white hairs have crept and which clashes
with his otherwise gentle mien. His
voice, too, is peculiar. Sometimes it is
harsh, at others caressing. He talks
slowly, and timidly as if he were afraid
of compromising himself. Tosum up he
is curious character, a mixture of the
tender hearted father of family and the
inexorable messenger of DEATH a man
who has two lives-his home and the
guillotine.
$50 you wish to know how Vodable
behaved himself2" began M. Deibler.
"Well, very well indeed. should like
to have such men always. He was one
of the pluckiest / ever had to operate on.
He bore up to the last second in the most
heroic style. Pity his courage was spent
in crime"
"What about Pranzini2 He was the
very reverse. The papers said he died
bravely, but that was not true. He trem-
bled all the time, and when he reached
the guillotine he nearly tainted away.
Altogether he was sorry fellow" Evi-
IDENTIFY M. Deibler admires criminals who
do not show the white feather; this to
him is their crowning sin. Questioned
as to a female convict on whom he will
shortly have to exercise his skill in the
provinces, he said: 81 am fond of trav-
cling; it relieves my mind and strength
ems me to work: but don't like to have
any thing to do with women. 1t is a
disagreeable task. They cry so much,
such airs BY the way, l don't like you
journalists; you are not always reason
able. IL.
"For example, where you say am too
long about my job, whereas, in reality, l
do all l can to get through it speedily.
But l cannot risk losing my place to
please you. Supposing I failed, and
made mess of the execution, it would
create a scandal at once. am not al
ways sure Of my assistants. lam obliged
to watch them. When they have laid
the condemned man on the sliding board
l arrange his position in my turn, and it
is not till see that he is all right that l
let the knife drop. 1t is serious affair,
YOU know, and am bound to take pre-
cautions to avoid mishaps. I hope you
will remember this in future and do me
Justice" Having delivered himself of
this mild rebuke, he returned to the i'm
mediate subject of the interview. 81 do
not, as some people imagine, see the pris-
oner when he is woke up for the last time
by the authorities. wait in the adjoin-
ing cell, which is called the sale de tot
lette. / am not curious to see him. If |
were not in the profession should never
dream of going out of my way to witness
an execution, for it is not pleasant sight
by any means.
When he first began to operate he felt
trihe uneasy, but has got quite accus-
toned to it, and thinks no more of 1t
than of smoking his cigarette. He has
now taken part, either as chief or assis-
tant executioner, in 800 cases. He med
itates retiring ON his pension, but not yet
"When one has children" he remarked,
"one is in duty bound to make position
for them. But for that l should retire
tomorrow. hope, whoever may be my
successor, that he will be as attentive as
have been toward the criminals placed
in nv charge to undergo their final expi-
ation.n At this moment man entered
o,d sol,tol NJ Deibler 81 saw yOuno