Year: 1872

hANUEDs


From The French of j. Collin de Plancy.1


IT has, sometimes happened that when
man has been hanged he has, either
through the carelessness or unskillfulness
of the hangman, or from some other un-
fOreseen cause, escaped death. Some
people may imagine that in such a case
there is not so much disgrace in being
hanged. Let them not indulge in this be-
lief any longer, for l, who speak from
my own personal experience, have found
the situation very unpleasant one.
Those whose fate has led them to the
scalfold, and who have had the misfortune
to be cut down too soon, have my sincere
pity. There are many persons who, on
such an occasion, would be very happy
to be cut down before life was extinct,
and they will think that I have very
strange opinions. But have reason from
experience. ErpertO cTeC1or Roberto. That
is to say, have been hanged, although
my name is not Robert You shall know
why, and what was the result of it, AS
for those capricious minds who think IL
strange that l should write my history il
my last will and testament, would simply
ask them where they expect me to write
it. Do they imagine that one who has
been hanged ought to write a book about
it?


1t is now twenty years since the event
of which I write took place, but the stig-
ma of having been hanged, which follows
me in spite of myself. is none the less
bad recommendation among scrupulous
people.


I was an honest grocer of Lausanne,
my birthplace. had a f1ourishing busi-
ness, and every day added something to
I I1ctn in
mon with my brother grocers, to add
mutton tallow to the salted butter, flour
to the powdered sugar, sage leaves to the
tea, cider to the cOgnac, water to the to-
bacco, sawdust to the ground pepper, and
roasted beans to the coffee. These little
auxiliaries were not noticed, from the fact
that their consumption was more or less
general.


| had clerk who was an excellent
hand at that business and he mixed the
different articles so skillfully together
that no one found any fault with my mer-
chandise. Proud of his success, he wish
ed to do better. He imagined that with
jalap, flour, the juice of white prunes,
and do not know what other drug be-
sides, but something less innocent, per-
haps, he could make the honey go further;
but his composition produced an effect he
certainly did not foresee. About dozen
of our customers who used that honey
were taken i'll, and some of them died. [
was the first to suspect the truth. l placed
a jar of, pure honey in the shop, and car
ried the adulterated honey into my Wife's
room, for | was married. l gave as a
reason that could notsell any more of it,
as it had an unpleasant taste. My wife
was very economical, and, not wishing to
waste the honey, she determined to have
it for her supper Happily, she had no
children, or she would have feasted them
likewise. During the night she was
taken so i'll that was obliged to send for
physician. He Immediately recognized
symptoms of poisoning. He asked her
what she had eaten, and very naturally
she answered that she had supped on some
honey that had taken out of the shop,
because my customers did not likei it. The
physician appeared struck by this circum-
stance, and, giving some prescriptions, he
retired, saying that he would returR in an
hour. I awoke my clerk to send him to
the apothecary with the prescriptions
and when he learned what had passed he
became pale and trembling. He went out
Immediately on my errand, ,sbut he did not
return, and it was the apothecary himself
who brought the medicine.


This incident increased my trouble. At
the end of an hour the physician re-
turned, bringing nurse with him, and,
telling me that the patient must be kept
quiet, he advised me to go into the shop.
l there found two Sheriffs from the city,
who had come with two bailiffs to arrest
me as prisoner. What shall | tell you?
They accused me of having poisoned
four persons in the city, besides my wife
among them being the sister of the
Judge, who was stern Lutheran. They
searched my shop, and from the many
adulterated articles there they drew bad
differences against me. The disappear
ance of my clerk, who did not return,
was taken as another proof of my guilt.
In Short / was condemned to be hanged,
and the sentence was quickly carried into
execution. By privilege which is not
rare, had a default of confirmation of
Wnlcn ! had never boasted, and you may
call IL fortunate or unfortunate as you
choose: My throat was ossified, and the
rope did not entirely stop respiration:
ana that evening, when they had de-
llvered me to young surgeon who had
!. bought me, instead of a dead man he
3 found on his table only an insensibIe
man. Being alone, he gave me his hest
care, and on the following night he as
sisted me to escape, wishing me better
luck. s51 -


You see that hurry over this recital
= The recollections chat it awakes are not of
such nature that / care to dwell long
: upon them. I was very grateful and full
OF Joy at finding myself alive and free.
With only twelve forins, which the young
doctor had given me, i was not rich; but |
was only thirty six years old. / reached
: ~'the Rhine and obtained passage on coal
boat, in return for which / was TO do
some light work. L went to Holland,
where every German is well received,