Kansas City journal., 1898-01-16
WITH "MONSIEUR DE- PARIS"
CHAT WITH MOST NOTED OF THE
WORLDS EXECUTIONERS.
He Has Decapitated Over Five Hun
dred Persons-Dreads Notoriety
and Does Not Wish to Have
His Business Known.

Comparatively few Frenchmen are ac-
quatnted-that is, personally acquainted
with their dreaded and mysterious COM
patriot, Monsieur de Paris" and it Is
no easy matter to come across him. for
his name is omitted from the Paris direc-
tory, and the police absolutely refuse to
have anything to say as to his where
abouts.
Ernest P. De Neuville says. in the Phil
adelphia Press. that being in Paris, not SO
very long since, and having some. perhaps
pardonable., curiosity concerning a ceremo-
troduction to Monsieur He De Paris. e' who n is
in private lfe as peiber and wo his
acquaintance and mine said, though Of a
most retiring disposition, with a perfect
with inquisitive strangers, more especially
Journalists. as much as possible, would not
be found indisposed to give just few de-
sion-a profession. by the by, from which
he Is about shortly to retire. after having
served the state well and faithfully for
than 5O3 of his fellow creatures. SO, armed
with my credentials, l one afternoon pre-:
sented myself at decidedly luxurious and
far from the Palais Royal.
NJ. Deibler at Home.
Good afternoon" said pleasant look
Ing. gray headed and gentlemanly man as
added. genially. What can do for you?"
said that was there with the express in
tention Of cross-examining him. provided he
would allow me. With pleasure" he re-
self. And his manner was so courteous.
his appearance and surroundings SO far
from denoting his grisly Office that I felt
md oYvnn tn HA Ntv,t
Immediately. How long have you held
your present position under the govern
sJust fortyDone years. asAei' / succeeded NJ.
Gus. or notorious seen M. T Heindrich. nc ias 'a and
Th sarh ThGm IN @ Rm in in
eighty-two executions before commenced
business on my own account, so was no
ance was not an easy matter. can assure
you, for the criminal, youth named La
s,hsr prads who ana had murdered his father
to resort to ns methods T the reve9se semee'ea 81
gentle. However, the story Of that exc
Paris journalists were very severe with me
and declared that l lost my head as well
my appointment followed the trade Of a
tailor. and so from a maker Of garments
IN second.class emporiums I have worked
cutter In the government establishment"
and NJ. Deibler laughed heartily at his own
rather CHASTITY joke.
"La Machine.'
next ventured to ask IL could be al
lowed private view Of the guillotine.
NJ. Deibler shook his head most decisive
~ tmpossi6le Gh Quite ,7 Impossible; But
1t is worked. 1t Is all very simple. Tho
culprit is strapped on to this see-saw plank.
rr aaed Ms
where it is secured. thus. When ! touch this
button, the knife. which is heavily weighted
mendous m ] force rec and i the 0i head Is T received
IS i not simple now? / may tell YOU that
as l am liable to be summoned at a mo-
ments notice: I am supposed to receive
full days notice in Paris and two days for
the departments. but always hold myself
in readiness to start at any moment. as
SO soon as the day and hour of an execution
are fixed by the authorities there IS great
deal to be done in a very short time.
In Paris | make it a rule to pass the
night preceding an execution at the Ro-
back as De on when Se
woods. Of justice and the other destined
to convey the body Of the culprit to Ivry
sonally superintend the installation OF la
machine and give a dress rehearsal. as it
were. OF the performance with the gentle
out. By this means have always with one
solitary exception avoided any hitch at the
last critical moment. AS soon as the hour
over to my assistant. who. together with
the prison chaplain. escorts him to the de-
la maehine0Where his toiiet is per-
formed. This does not take long. for his
nair and beard have been kept close cropped
since his condemnation: he Is pinioned. his
to his death. AS soon as the body is un-
strapped from tn the the plank a It is put into
And now. NJ. Deibler." said. what
is your opinion as to the theory that life
time after it is severed from the body?"
-, Well" was the reply given refiectively.
II have certainly on more than one occa.
open and close. and the lips twitch con-
yusively for quite ten minutes. and even
given. But though this may give all the
semblance Of lingering life, do not fancy
that 1t is life. and for this reason. You
at the same instant that the neck is sew
cred the occiput receives blow that fire.
quently cracks the skull. and would. in my
ray of memory. reflection or real sensi-
bility that might otherwise linger in the
brain; Then. again. the great loss of blood
there may be exceptional cases. I should
not like to assert positively that there are
not"
Opinion of Capital Punishment.
"And with regard to the proposed uni
versal abolition Of capital punishment. are |
you favorable toward 1t or otherwise?"
NJ: Deibler gave most expressive shrug |
of his shoulders as he said: "One must |
not quarrel with ones bread and butter,
you know. AS am paid to carry out |
the sentence of the law do not feel justi- |
fed in expressing an opinion as to whether
the law is right or wrong. Still, by that |
you must not imagine that feel no respon- |
siblity in shedding the blood of a fellow /
creature. for do feel it most acutely, and |
custom has not hardened me to 1t In the |
least. But, there, capital punishment may |
be said to be virtually abolished in France |
already. for during the last year and |
and only five of them were executed"
"Is it fair to ask your opinion as to the |
respective merits Of beheading and hang |
MY opinion is that the guillotine Is the |
most sure in its effects and offers the least |
objection: 1t does its work neatly and |
so as to admit Of no collusion
between the administration OF the law and |
he friends of the guilty. There have been
some sad bunglings over hangings, and |
hanged men have been resuscitated before |
low. you know. whereas. when a mans |
head is once of there are no means Of
has been tried and found wanting and |
t also permits of colluson, for II is possi-
Die for the eXecutioner to be induced for |
1 consideration to moderate the dose"
After this we had some general conver-
,aton, then We parted with many express