The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-18
IN FRONT OF the 0UILL0TINH.


In these rushing times we might take
for our motto Something New, Always
Something Newt" Consequently.
imagine that the impressions of a
woman at the foot OF the guillotine
would not be commonplace. have just
been present at the last performance
in the Place de la Roquette. where "a.
de Paris and his assistants ofiiciated in
the name Of so-called justice. The hor-
rible spectacle haunts and racks the
mind, and tends rather to reinforce the
partisans of the abolition OF capital
punishment. The horror of the pun
ishment imposed renders a guilty man
almost worthy of pity. The sight of
human being. dragged like a beast to
the slaughter house. up even to the
sinister seesaw, is terrible. know
many people may be aStonished that
anybody could be moved to pity for the
ferocious brute. Carrara, who trans
formed his mushroom establishment
into a crematory and had no mercy for
the unfortunate young man, Lamarra,
whom he threw into the fire after hav-
ing murdered him for the purpose of
robbery. / know all that. and l do not
monster, but that is no reason why we
should not be disgusted at the spec
tacle which was presented 10 our eyes.
and which i will now endeavor to de-
scribe with the impartiality OF simple
spectator. without resentment or preju-
dice, but with a heart that revolts
against q scene that has neither the
grandeur nor the majesty OF punish
ment inflicted. but rather exhibits the
cowardice and baseness of a vengeance
which hides itself from the light Of day.
The execution was fixed for o'clock
in the morning, but from the hour of
midnight the neighborhood of the
Grande Roquette was swarming with
an undulating and mocking crowd.
Jailbirds. murderers, footpads and
women OF the streets assembled there
to see. as they said, "the Italian ami
NAL shortened"
Journalists were admitted into the
narrow space so often described, with
its five sinister stones and its legendary
gas jet which is never lighted except
on the evening before an execution.
There In the rain we watched the set
ting up Of that horrible machine which,
according to the legend, Cagliostro
showed in a glass Of clear water to the
terrified Marie Antoinette. In the yell
low and spectral light of the gas jet
that flickered in the wind these prepa-
most on level with the ground stands
the scaffold with it's two arms in the
air brandishing the sparkling knife.
And /, a woman, in the presence of
these preparations, could not help
thinking of the family of the wretch
whose head was soon to fall into the
basket. / thought of his little children
who were at that moment sleeping
soundly somewhere. and of his wife,
equally guilty with him. and who, as it
were, pushed her husband into the
arms OF the executioner as a last resort
to save herself. What remorse will be
hers when they tell her abruptly: Car
rara has suffered his punishment; you
are n widow!"
But the day was dawning and the
lamps were going out. At the win
dows and even on the roofs numbers of
spectators were gathered as If to wit
ness some carnival. The sight was
heartrending. Mounted gendarmes and
soldiers gradually came out Of the
darkness, and one might be inclined TO
rail at such0 display of force at the
execution of a wretch paralyzed by
fear, who in few moments would APP
pear upon the scene tied hand and
foot.
There, was some little commotion
among the crowd when people began
to point at a thin. old man who hob
bled about with the gestures Of a dane
ing jack to see IL the knife In the brass
runners was in good working order.
This was Deibler. the executioner, a
ghost with a white beard, who adjusted
the instrument with the indifference OF
q grocer weighing his goods. Suddenly
there was profound silence; the rain
was over. heads were uncovered and
motionless; breathless and almost in
agony the crowd followed with staring
ewes the movement of the donrs NJ tho
prison, which at last opened wide. A
suppressed "Ah!" came from many
contracted chests, while with pale faces
all gazed on the assassin, whose crime
the mountebanks OF the fairs popular
lied. He was simply frightful to look
at, bowed down as he was with terror.
He did not look like a human being.
He looked like beast. His intelli-
gence was already dead and his heart
animal still remained The sight was
dreadfully sad. What followed beggars
description. The executioner cnd his
aids seemed no longer to be men en-
ployed to carry out the ends OF Justice
they looked like butchers. They seized
the condemned man, some by the ears.
some by the legs. while others held
down the centre Of the body and kept
holding up to the very moment when,
the head rebounded into the basket and
the abomination was at an end.
But one should be present and see the
pavements covered with blood, the CORY
knife. the blood spIrting from the de-
capitated trunk, the ignominious wash
ing at the nearby fountain, and the
cutters rolling to the sewer purple
colored mud. in order to be able to COM
prehend all the horrors OF an execution
In pa c--Indanendanra RQlpa