Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-06-02

But the parliament of Toulouse was par
ticularly fond of the wheel.
Before the execution Of Peiletier several
experiments were made on dead bodies.
Tie assembly finally ordered that he
should die by the guiilotine and his execu-
ton took place on April Is, 1892. The
machine worked well. 1t was operated
By Samson, in whose family the Office of
executloner in Paris had been hereditary
for many years. The people were very
much horror struck by this execution.
according to many accounts, although
some of them must have witnessed the
brutalities inflicted on victims of the
wheel.
On July q, 1892, there was a mishap
with the guillotine. The wooden grooves
had got out of shape and the knife failed
to fall promptly. Afterwards metal work
was substituted and from that time there
has never been any bungling with the
gulllotine. Its history is one of entire
and great success.
Within few months of Pelletier's ex-
ecution the guillotine began its work in
assisting the political movements of the
time. In August it was taken to the
Place du Carousal. In August the son of
the executioner, Samson, fell off the scat
fold and was killed. On one occasion it
was removed for one day to the Place de
Greve for the execution of some emigres,
and then back to the Place de la Revolu-
tlop for that of two robbers The Place
de Greve was in tie centre of what is now
the Place de Ia Concorde. 1t was there
that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Nine. Elizabeth and Nine. Roland and
other famous persons were put to death.
1t is estimated by historians that between
Aug. 10, 1892, and the ninth ''Thermidor g"
1894, 10000 persons were killed by the
invention of the ingenious Dr.. Louis.
The execution of Charlotte Corday for
the assassination of Marat gave rise to an
interesting discussion. When the execu-
TONER held up her severed head he struck
it with his fist, and hundreds of persons
were willing to swear to the fact that the
face blushed.
There is a story to the effect that DR..
Gulllotin was put IN prison for refusing to
make triple machine, but this is uncer-
tain. 1t does not appear that triple ma
chine was made. The single one worked
quickly enough to cut off the heads of
forty-hve persons within twenty minutes.
Under the empires restoration the
gulllotine continued its standing on the
Place de Greve, and the sentence of death
was regularly carried out. During Louis
Philippe's reign the guiilotine was trans
ferred to the Barriere st. Jacques, and in
that of Napoleon III. to the Place de la
Roquette, where it has remained TO this
Gay.
Samson, the excutioner during the reign
Of terror, sold the original guiilotine to a
man named Cortius for SIS 600 aud he sold
it again to niece. That niece was Mime
Tussaud, who kept the wax works show il
LONDON. The original guillotine IS in the
hands of her descendants, who carry on
the business.
The last execution on the guiltione was
tdat of Lieut.. Anastay, for the murder OF
Baroness Della d, which took place on the
9Th OF last month, and at which there wa,
a very unpleasant scene. The present tx
ecutioner is nj. Deibler. vino is a good
workman, but much less interesting per
son than Samson, who belonged TO al arts
tocratic family, which had taken to execu
ting on account Of drink.-N Y. World.