Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-09-24

was ast0nishcd that he considered the
risk In the case of his old friend, but
Boyer maintained rcsolutely that be
dare not interfere. From Boyer the
wife went TO tho concicrgerie to tell
her husband OF the failure OF her mis-
sion and to bid him goodby. She was
taken from the prison and carried
home In swoon.
The next morning n number of carts
were backed up TO the door OF the con-
ciergerie. and soldier In the prison
called the names of iwenty-one men
who were 10 go forth 10 execution.
Among them was Henri Chateaubrun.
They all walked out TO the carts. some
OF them dragging themselves. some
erect. nil OF them showing In their pale
and haggard features the mark or
death. Standing in the carts. they were
driven toward the Seine and crossed
Il by bridge entering the Place de
ia Revolution, since called the Place de
Ia Concordc. There stood the guillo-
tine with persons to work It ready TO
ion of twenty-one heads. and there
stood crowd. kept back by soldiers,
10 witness the grcwsome sight. The
carts stopped beside the machine, ana
the victims descended from the carts.
And now began work that even an
implement SO well adapted TO the pur-
pose found II difficult TO perform. Each
one OF the prisoners. hailess and with
his hands tied behind his back, In turn
stepped up 10 Il. was laid upon IL.
strapped 10 II; the knife fell, his head
rolled into the basket. aud his body
was removed 10 make room Tor the
next victim. Fifteen of the twenty
one had been executed when the
guillotine refused 10 work. Whether
the knife got wedged In the grooves
or whether the machinery that raised
the ak or that which detached 1t after
Il had been raised got out OF order
doesn't matter. Something had gone
wrong. and those In charge OF the exc
cutions were unable TO fix II.
The proceedings were stopped, and n
messenger as sent for mechanics to
put the guillotine IN order. This re-
quired time Waiting is not conducive
TO discipline. The soldiers who were
there to keep the crowd back grew Lax.
and by the time workmen had arrived
people had elbowed their way close
upon the remaining six men standing
IN line waiting for the repairs on the
machine that was to make corpses OF
them.
Get back! cried the guards. SHOW
ing the crowd with the butts OF their
muskets.
This was repeated so often and was
disobeyed so often that ut last very
little attention was paid TO 1t. Chateau
brun presently found himself In the
first line OF spectators. Then, instead
OF being In the line next the guillotine,
he found himself in the second. In the
pushing that continued he was wedged
back into the third line and nj last was
at the back OF the crowd that was there
TO see his head cut or.
There was something radically
wrong with the guillotine. The men
fixing It hammered aud pulled and
pushed and screwed and unscrewed.
Meanwhile the day was ended, and 1t
was growing dark. Chateaubrun, con-
siderlng the sight OF his execution not
worth so long wait, quietly walked
away.
The Place de la Concorde Is at the
beginning of the Champs dElysees.
chateaubrun, every moment expecting
to be missed. concealing as well as he
could his tied hands. his heart beat
ing wildly. passed into the Champs
d'Elysees eager 10 run. but forcing
himself TO walk leisurely. There he
made his way onward in the shadow
of the trees Finally. when he had
gone far enough from the scene Of his
intended execution. meeting n man
coming toward him, he said:
"M'sieur, Il friend of mine just now,
who IS great wag. tied my hands be-
hind my back and ran away with my
hat Kindly unlooscn me-"
Certainly. m'sicur; II will give me
great pleasure to do So"
Thanking the man who had relieved
him Of the last mark Of being an in
tended guillotine victim. Chateaubrun
went into side street and was lost.
The gWllotine was fixed. but there
were twenty instead OF twenty-one
persons executed.
No word OF Chateaubrun's escape
reached his wife during the day OF ex-
ecu;lon. nor the next. nor the next.
Indeed. II Is questionable II his alb
scncc from the number OF the con
demned was noticed by the authori-
ties. Mime. Chateaubrun was in the
condition Of one stunned Boyer call
ed 10 see her and found her heart
broken. she told him she wished to
die. lie begged her 10 live for his
sake. confessing the love he had long
felt for her. She was too paralyzed
mentally and physically TO even con
slider what he said Not TIL some time
afterward did she realize that he might
have had her husband put out of his
way.
But within a short time a woman