The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-01
FRENCH EXECUTIONERs.
Their sons and Daughters Marry,
Forming a Distinct Caste.


Paris Gable New York Sun.
France IS to have new official execu-
toner before the beginning of the year
The present Monsieur de Paris, Louis Del
bier, is 90 years old, and has been in har-
ness for IS years. The job is worth 81. 200
year and perquisites, and upon retire
ment there is an annuity of $500.
In these days the legal beheading of a
man doesn't happen often. The crime must
be very atrocious to bring the penalty, be-
cause The French laws are wondrously len
lent In matters concerning the spilling OF
blood. The records of the trial courts of
France for the last six years-that is, since
the application of the much-discussed
Beranger law-show that when a man
commits murder his chances of being gull
lotined for it are about ! in 49, If the muir
der is committed in hot blood he rarely
gets more than five or six years in prison.
and If it be premedtated he stands three
chances of deportation to one of execu-
ton. For that reason when the sentence
of death is pronounced the French news
papers print the fact in fat black type,
indicating its rarity.
NJ de Paris is the sole executioner for
Continental France, and there is an exc
cutIoner for Algeria and Tunis. Until 1871
there was one for each province, named
after the chief cities-M de Rennes. NJ
de toulouse, Etc. Charles Henry Samson
was the first executioner of Paris holding
once from the time the guilotine was
adopted in 1872 until 1920 when he was sue
ceeded 10y his son, who had the job until
1910. He, in turn, was succeeded by one
Roch' who was in office until the Access
sion OF Deibler. The latter grew up in
the trade. His father was a proverbial
eXecutloner before him, and as soon as the
m IA bo
made an assistant. At the present time
he is man of some influence, and much
respected in his neghborhood. He is not
a pretty man to look at, but he is said to
be exceedingly urbane. He has had two
wives, both daughters of executioners
lntermarriage is a characteristic of the
craft, which is, perhaps, self-explanatory
The four assistants of M. Deiber are all
sons of former executioners, and each has
married the daughter of an executioner
1t is little caste all by itself
There is but one guplotne in France and
it IS lugged around from place to place as
II Is needed. 1t is a very ugly-looking
machine, and cost $1,000. NJ. de Paris re-
ceiVes, in addition to his salary, 81 900
year for taking care of it and keeping it
in business-hke condition. 1t does not
look unlike an old-fashion Franklin print
ing press. The two uprights in which the
knife runs are little over ten feet high
and the greatest width of the platform
is about four feet The knife itself is
wedge-shaped, eighteen inches wide, and
weighs 40 pounds, with the weight which
surmounts it. In an execution it falls
about four feet in two-thirds of a second
The machine was first set up in the
Place du Carrousel for the execution of
political prisoners, but was removed by
the commune to the Place de la Concorde,
where Il stood at a point % feet north of
the present ohelisk. There, from Janu-
airy, 1893, until August, 1894, over $500 per-
sons were beheaded, including Louis XVI,
Charlotte Corday, Marie Antoinette, Nine.
Roland, Philippe Egalite, Danton, Des-
moulins, the sister of Louis XVI, and
Robespierre and his brother. 1t was then
removed to the Place du Trone, now the
Place de la Nation, where 1880 more per-
sons were beheaded in one month. Since
1852 the place of execution has been in
front of La Roquette prison. About 80
feet from the entrance there are five OBJ
long stones inlaid in the pavement over
which the guillotine is erected; the center
stone is the one upon which the basket is
placed to receive the head at is falls I'M
der the knife.
The agitation for the adjustment of
capital punishment in France is not car
ried on with the vigor that marked the
palmy days of Victor Hugo and his asso-
ciates, but observing men say that the
Discrimination of French judges to infiict
the death penalty is becoming yearly more
marked. and that while the existing law
may not be soon changed, il will gradually
fall into a desuetude that will be the
equivalent of abolition, considering the
great latitude permitted the magistrates
in it's constituting.