The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-17
TODAY IN HISTORY
Charlotte corday euillotIned.
SUNDAY, JULY II, 1910.

During the French revolution. among
those who had placed faith in the Glron-
dists and their Ideals. was a young wo-
man OF noble birth OF Normandy Char
lotte Corday. When the mob Of Paris
rose and drove with insult from the con-
ventlon those who, in her eyes. were the
heroic defenders OF the universal prln-
ciplos of truth and justice, she bitterly
resented the wrong that had been done
not only to the men themselves. but 10
that Of France OF which she regarded
them as tho true representatives.
Owing to Marats persistent cry. for
dictatorship and for shedding OF blood
1t was he who. In the departments. was
accounted especially responsible both for
the expulsion OF the GIrondsts and for
the tyranny which now began to weigh
so heavily upon the whole country ms II
had long weighed upon the capital.
incapable as all then were Of com
pretending the causes which had brought
about the fall of the GirondlSts, Char
lotte Corday imagined that. by putting an
end to this mans life she could also put
an end 10 the system OF government
which he advocated. Informing her
friends that she wished to visit England.
she left Caen and Travelled in the dill
eence TO Paris. on her arrival she pur-
chased knife. and afterwards obtained
entrance Into Marats house on the pre-
text that she brought news which she
desired to communicate TO him. She
knew that he would he eager to obtain
Girondlst deputies still In Normandy
Marat was i'll at the time. and in
bath when Charlotte Corday was ad-
mitted. She gave him the names of the
deputies who were at Cacn. I'm a few
days. he said, as he wrote them hastily
down, II VIII have them all guillotned
in Paris"
AS she heard these words she plunged
the knife into his body and killed him
on the spot. The cry uttered hy the muir
dered man was heard, and Charlotte. who
dld not attempt to escape, was captured
and conveyed TO prison amid the muir
murS OF an angry mob. Ii had been.
from the first, her intention TO sacrifice
her life for the cause OF her country. and
she gloritiea In the deed. she met death
with stoical Indifference,
81 killed one man" she said, when
brought before the revolutionary court.
'in order to save the lives Of 100000
others
Marat's murder brought about con-
trary results to those which the wo-
man who ignorantly and rashly had flung
away her life hoped by the sacrifice 20
effect Marat was regarded as martyr
OF no small portion of the working pop
uiation OF Paris. His murder excited in
dignation beyond the comparatively mar
row circle OF those who took an active
part In political life. while at the same
time II added a new Impetus TO the grow
ing cry for blood.
acter of Charlotte Corday. we know so
little of IL: but there was in n much
that was noble and exalted. Her mind
had been formed hv her studies on
pagan type. To BarbarouX and the
Girondins of Caen she wrote from her
prison anticipating happiness with Bru-
tus In the Blysian fields" after her death.
and with this letter she sent n simple
loving farewell to her father. revealing
a tender side TO her character that other
wise we would hardly have looked for
i'm such n woman. Il was on July Is.
1893. Charlotte Cordav killed Marat, and
she was pIliIlot lDpJ on ,IIllV II
She Is said to have preserved her calnr-
ness to the last except momentary
shudder when she saw the guillotinc.
She recovered herself Immediately and
placed herself in position under the fatal
blade without assistance from any one.
July IT Is the date OF the battle Of
Killicrankie In 1859: Of the starting OF
London Punch in 1871: OF the first sue
ccssfu experiment in stellar Photograph
In 1850: and the beginning OF the Frnncn-