Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1909-10-23
HEADsnEH WITH sENTMHHr.
French Executfoners, Jules C1Arstfe
says, Are Sensitive souls.

French Bxecutfoners, Jules C1Arstfo
Says, Are Sensitive Souls.
When the elder Deibler, a successful
and popular executioner In France,
died Eve years ago, Jules Clarstis
wrote several pages to show that
headsmen we're not callous and brutal,
but sensitive. sentimental souls, the
Boston Herald says. He quoted the
story of Lays. the opera singer. who
soothed the nerves of Samson by sing
ing to him at Sansons request and at
his lodgings tender airs by Lulli and
Gluck. He reminded his readers OF
Edmond About's patriarchal and touch
Ing story OF the wedding feast OF an
executioner's son in the country; how
the family and the relations-all tho
males we're workers OF the guillotine-
wept when they sang, or listened to in
genuous romances. The executioner IL
no longer the man In red The Deib-
lers, father and son, were particular
about their black frock coats and
stovepipe hats. Samson, free from BUSH
ness cares, was found with his little,
daughter on his knee reading to her
Xavier de Maistre's Voyage autour
de ma chambre." The Deiblers cult
waited their garden and visited the
bourse. They were Interested chiefly
in the investment OF their salary and
In flowers Close to the executioner Is.
the detective, and 1t Will be remem-
bered that Sergeant Cuff was never
weary of talking about his roses when
others were wondering what had boz
come of the moonstone Swinburne.
by the way, a warm admirer OF Wilkio
Collins, was In the habit OF com
pairing Cuff with Inspector Bucket In
Bleak House" Is Wilkie Collins read
much to-day? How many students at
Harvard. Yale, Dartmouth and at col
leges for women could pass an exam
nation on "The Woman In White
~The Dead Secret" "Armadale"? How
many could describe Count Fosco or
Miss Lydia Gwlit or Identify Ozias
Midwinter7 We fear that very few
could give information about Mortimer
Collins or even name correctly two or
three of his delightfully."- fantastical
novels.
To go back to executions and exc
cutioners. When there was discus-
sion In New York state concerning 8.
more humane method OF putting muir
derers to death than hanging COM
mission was appointed to hear evil
dence and make report. Several
methods were strongly advocated as
effective and "merciful," among them
the guillotine, and the question was
then raised whether there could be
consciousness after decapitation. OF
course cranks appeared with strange
machines, some Of them wildly In
genious. An absolutely full report OF
the work OF the commission would
be entertaining reading Is there any
country today wherein the man that
marries an executioner's daughter
must follow his father-in-law's callIngf
Mr.. Claretie says that some wears
ago he heard executioners talking near
the machine In Paris. They were wait.
Ing for the daybreak. The head opera
tor at last replied to colleague. who
coming from the country had said.
You have few minutes yet" NO.
and looking at his watch addedr
Times up. | set my watch at the
bourse." This brings to mind the re-
mark OF General Burgoyne In Mr..
Shaw's Devils Disciple" that he
would not hang any man by an Amer,
| lean clock.