The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-15
MONSIEUR DE PARIS, AN
ARRANT BRAGGART AND
BUNGUNG EXECUT|ONER
In His Own Estimation, How
ever, He Is the Prince of
GuillotinistS.
TALK WITH M. DEIBLER
Who Disgustingly Bewails the
Loss of His Business as Chief
Headsman.
NO PLACE FOR MACHINE
Many Criminals, Therefore, Miss
Chance of Having Necks Sew
cred by an Artist"
70 PLACE FOR MACHINE.
.ecial Corresnondence of the Iourna1.

Special Correspondence of the Journal.
PARIS, May 3.-"Fifty years headsman of
France and only two hundred executions!
Do you call that a record?' cried NJ. Deib-
Ter disgustedly, when 1 asked "How's bus
iness?'
Not pretty man this Monsieur de
Paris, his official title according to an
Gent usage. Squatty, one leg drags, nose
resembling an Irish potato in infancy;
hanging cheeks. wateTy eyes; the mein of
disappointment. The Citizens King he
copies by carrying an old umbrella under
his arm, rain or shine, and in dress re-
sembles the typical government scribe,
who acquired a torpid liver for salary
of ninety-seven francs a month. Only
Deibler is a well-paid man, according to
French notions. He has SO week for life,
and. besides. is paid by the performance"
like Manager Conreid's French stars.
by principle 1 am opposed 10 capital
punishment. continued NJ. Deibler, "but
the guillotine, forming one of the props of
criminal procedure in France 1 claim that
it ought to work in the capital as well as
in the provinces.
IT'S now ten years since I off1ciated here
for the last time Ever since our local
murderers-each of them could give points
to the worst of their kind in all the world
our local murderers. L say, have enjoyed
immunity from death. The President must
needs commute their sentence every time.
Why because 1 can't get place to set
up my machine"
II had no idea that the guillotine was a
very large affair." I interpolated timidly
The headsman threatened to end the in
terview then and there if l insisted upon
Joking. and I had my hands full demon
strating that the humor was unintentional
Finally he ventured to explain.
EXECUTIONS MUST BE PUBLIC.
when the Municipal Council sold Ro-
quette square. the ancient place OF execu-
ton, for building lots" hes said, lit failed
to name another location where the guillo-
tine might be set up and ever since I have
vainly tried to secure the necessary space.
Housewares object; there is church
near, or something Of that sort. Once or
twice I succeeded in persuading a sufficient
number of proprietors by pointing out that
they could rent their windows and roofs at
high rate during every performance. but
every time the place acquired proved too
small. The law decreed that executions
must be public, j. e., there must be room
for a squad of soldiers as well as for a
host of onlookers.'
Deiber assured me that he spoke both
| as citizen and father. The office 1 hold
| is hereditary in our family he said proud
| ly. where shall my crown prince study
| the trade. if opportunities at home are
| curtailed? Yank him about the provinces !:
| That means interruption to his studies at
| school, and. besides, executions in the prov
| inces lack inspiration. In places like Nantes
| or Carpentres 1 feel like a member of the
| Coincide Franchise forced to play lie Cid
| before an audience of country yokels. To be
esteemed master in any line of business.
/ one needs the Paris hallmark, and unless
| the Municipal Council appoints a new place
| of execution, the office of Monsieur de
Paris will go begging My son shall not
| continue in the trade save he be admitted
| to Paris audiences is his sacred right"
Previous to this burst of eloquence, Nj.
! Deibler had produced his scrapbooks. and
l now pointed to item setting forth that
two thousand brave Frenchman had offered
| CONTINUED ON PAGE 2, PART %