The Sun. — 1828-05-16 (London, England)

EXECUTION AT ARGENTAN.  The execution of two murderers which has recently taken place in the town of Argentan (department of L'Orne) was attended with the following revolting and horrible circumstances : —The culprits were Perrotte, who assassinated the Cure of Louvieres, and Lepallier, the murderer of his wife. Though found guilty at Alengon, the sentence was ordered to be carried into execution at Argeiitan, the chief town of an arrondissement, which for some years back has been deplorably fertile in crimes of the deepest dye. The conduct of the people upon this occasion seemed to accord too truly with the bad reputation the country has gained. For several market-days, preceding that in which the execution tookplace, a more than usualcon course of the inhabitants of the surrounding communes flocked to Argentan ; and, on quitting it in the evening, expressed no little discontent at the prorogation of their horrible curiosity. At length the intelligence of the rejection of the culprit's appeal reached Alenvjon, and they were taken from the prison of that town to be conducted to Argentan. They were, however, told, that they were going to Caen, to hear a commutation of their punishment pronounced. On arriving at Argentan they were, however, informed that they were to die the next morning. In the course of the night Perrotte endeavoured, but in vain, to strangle himself with his cravat. The next day the whole population of the town, augmented by thousands from the neighbouring towns and villages, were collected about the place of execution ; great numbers of the crowd climbed up the scaffold ; and the. executioner turned their curiosity into a source of abundant profit, by exacting some sous from each, to show them the guillotine in all its details. Amongst his eager customers was a great proportion of the softer sex. It was not without considerable difficulty that the scaffold was cleared on the approach of the culprits, who came on foot, each accompanied by a Clergyman. Perrotte seemed to be half dead with fear, and could scarcely drag himself along. Lepallier walked with a firm step. Perrotte fell almost insensible into the hands of the execu tioner ; he was qUickly bound to the fatal plank, and his head severed from his body. The blood seemed to have been literally frozen in his veins ; for it was remarked -that from the headless trunk there followed but a few drops of blood and thick gore. During his execution it was with some difficulty that the clergyman attending Lepallier could persuade him to turn aside. ()n hearing the fall of the axe, he quickly turned round and watched with steady eye, the blood-dripping instrument ascending to its place, from whence it was next to fall upon his own neck. He then embraced his confessor, pressed the crucifix to his lips, and mounted the scaffold v ith a firm step. Before allowing himself to be bound on the plank, he threw a look into the basket in which lay the mutilated body of his fellow sufferer ; then again raised his eyes to the axe, and placed himself an the plank. At this instant alone the fear of death seemed to come upon .him ; he struggled violently ; and it was not without considerable exertion that he was placed in the proper position, and that even so imperfectly, that the axe, instead of going through the neck, severed the head above the under jaw. The greater part of the crowd quitted the place in a kind of tumultuous horror, but several remained mounted on the scaffold, drew the knife of the guillotine up and clown, looked upon the mutilated bodies, and even one of these wretches offered her assistance to the executioner's valets in fixing the bodies and heads in the basket.