The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14
MONSIEUR De PARIS.
Queer Facts Recalled by the ReSigna-
ton OF the HeadSmel.

$1,000 I'll a. e%SLEAASL AC5 A2AN~ AA~sAASNeSs
The Fable About DR.. Guillotin.
From the New York Mau and Express.
So Monsieur de Paris has resigned! 1t
is the most striking if not the most sig
nificant feature of the anarchist reign Of
terror. For Monsieur de Paris confessed
frankly that he has resigned his place
simply through fear. He knew that he
would presently have Vaillantand prob
ably some other anarchists TO treat pro-
fessionally, and he feared the vengeance
of their comrades. II is true, that is
fear brave man might feel without
shame. Especially is this the case when
man, like this one, has wife and
children to provide for. Despite, how
ever, this danger of vengeance, the
place will never be vacant. When last
it fell vacant there were no less than
5000 applicants for IL. Twice that num-
Der are ready to take it to-day; not so
much because of its emoluments as be-
cause of a certain CHASTITY fascinat ion
that attaches to the work. 1t is the same
fascination that leads thousands of people
to crowd about the scaffold eagerly to see
the headsmans bloody task performed
1t Is the same trait of human nature that
makes others enjoy prize fight, bull
hight; that made the Romans Of old enjoy
( the butcherieS of the Coliseum, and that
makes the Apaches to-day delight in the
torture of their captives; a strain of saw
agery and bloodthirstiness.
THE Ex-ExECUTIoNER.
Now NJ. Deibler, who has just resigned,
is the last man one would supect either Of
cruelty or of fear. He is to begin with,
singularly modest, unassuming man who
shuns rather than courts publicity. He
is of stOlid, phlegmatic temperature,
never excitable or passionate, almost
timid in manner He is past 80 years old,
though he scarcely looks so. He is of
less than average statue, but strongly
built and thick set. No dandy of the
boulevards Is more scrupulously exact
in dress than be; his linen and black
broadcloth being always immaculate.
His eyes are soft and gentle in expression,
and so is his voice He is fond of quiet
joke, and his laugh, though not boisterous,
is hearty. On the whole, you would never
take him to be the public headsman of
Paris, who has 'officiatedn in more than
three hundred cases.
o.. THE TRADE OF MONSIEUR.
t'Monsieur de Paris is the name by
which he is universally known. The
official title of his Office, however. is still
more high sounding: "L'Executeur des
HauteS lEuVreS.O
The work of guillotining a condemned
man need not be described in detail.
Less CHASTITY but scarcely less interest
ing is the conductor rather was the con-
duct-of NJ, Deibler Immediately after it
was accomplished. He attended always
with the utmost care to every detail Of
| the execution, taking the keenest profess
sienal pride in having it artistically done.
But the instant the blade fell and the
severed head lay in the big zinc pail, he
turned and left the scaffold. His assis-
tants could do the rest, and unship the
lethal machine and put it in its store
| house He went straight to little
wine shop in the Rue Folie Reg
nault and ordered dish of soup! I'm
| agine man having a good appetite at
such time. Before he finished his assls-
tants generally ioined him. After their
soup they would nave coffee and cigarettes
and would sit there and chatfor an hour
about the work they had just done, and
how it compared with similar jobs form
| erly accomplished. There was no tone of
levity in their talk, but neither was
there of righteousness. They talked of
an execution in a serious but entirely
matter-of-fact way, just as they might of
the launching of ship or the painting of
| house. Finally, having discussed all
| the details Of the case, M. Deibler would
lighta fresh cigarette, put on his hat,
| pick up his umbrella, which he always
carried, and go home to his family.
THE DIscoURAGER OF HE'S FANCY.
M. Deibler always disliked to have his
| victims play the coward. He wanted
them to go their doom with unfaltering
nerves. The notorious murderer Pran-
| Zini, whom he beheaded few years ago,
was miserable wretch.
He was as limp as a wet rag, and quiv-
ering like Jelly fish. l never" said M.
Deibler, "had more utter poltroon to
| deal with"
AS for women, who have now and then
come to his scatfold, he dislikes intensely
to have anything to do with them; not so
much from sentimental reluctance to put
| a woman to death as because, he said,
"they always cry, and make noise, and
| give themselves such airs" He always
liked to have an execution go off quietly,
and in order. The newspapers often crit
| icised him for being too slow in his work.
| a charge which he resented as unjust.
II do it," he said, lust as quickly as it
can properly be done. l don't enjoy lin
gering over it, you may be sure. 1t is not
particularly agreeable work. But suppose
| hurried, and something went wrong,
what scandal there would be! | cannot
afford to take any such risks, So after my
assistants have placed the condemned man
/ OA bAlC SlluluB D6dLu anu DOulu lln IlSJ,
1 must examine him carefully, and make
sure that they have done all right. 1t is
a serious business, and 1 can run no risks. -
THE USE OF CUSTOM.
! NJ. Deibler said that when he began his
work he felt bit uneasy, but after five or
six executions he thought no more of it
| than of smoking a cigarette, except of
| course, that he felt the responsibility rest
| ing upon him. He never felt any morbid
interest in his work, however, and, con-
trary to the general opinion, did not 90
! personally to the cell to lead the CON
demned man forth to his doom. He
waited in an adjoining room until the man
was led forth by others. Moreover. he
said that If it were not his business he
would never go out of his way to witness
an execution. 1t is not, he said, pleasant
sight, no matter how much the penalty is
deserved.
NOT DIR. GUILLoTIS.
1t is, by the way, curious bit Of his
torical injustice that the CHASTITY instru-
ment which Monsieur de Paris operates
is called "guillotine." The world has,
with great PARTICULARLY of circumstanc c
attributed the invention and adoption of
1t to DR.. Guillotin. AS a matter Of fact.
however. that estimable patriot had no
such dubious distinction A year or so
ago memorable bust of Dr. Guillotin
was set Up in the Sale du Jeu de Paume
at Versailles UNhera yvera manu- ,,l,,,