Micky
Disaster area
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2010
- Messages
- 101
- Location
- No man's land.
This is an extract from the introduction Victor Hugo wrote for his work “The Last Days of a Condemned” in which he attacked the death penalty.
In the South, towards the close of last September, the following circumstances occurred: I think it was at Pamiers. The officers went to a man in prison, whom they found quietly playing at cards, and gave him notice that he was to die in two hours. The wretched creature was horror-struck, for during the previous six months he had been forgotten, he had no longer thought about death. He was confessed, bound, his hair cut off, he was placed in the fatal cart, and taken to the place of execution. The executioner took him from the priest, laid him down and bound him on the guillotine, and then let loose the blade. The heavy triangle of iron slowly detached itself, falling by jerks down the sides, until, horrible to relate, it wounded the man, without killing him! The poor creature uttered a frightful cry. The disconcerted executioner hauled up the blade, and let it slide down again. A second time, the neck of the malefactor was wounded, without being severed. Again he shrieked, the crowd joining him. The executioner raised the blade a third time, but not better effect attended the third stroke. Let me abridge these fearful details. Five times the blade was raised and let fall, and after the fifth stroke, the condemned man was still shrieking for mercy. The indignant populace commenced throwing missiles at the executioner, who hid himself beneath the guillotine, and crept away behind the gendarmes' horses. But I have not yet finished! The hapless culprit, seeing he was left alone on the scaffold, raised himself on the plank, and there standing, frightful, streaming with blood, he demanded with feeble cries that someone would unbind him! The populace, full of pity, were on the point of forcing the gendarmes to help the hapless wretch, who had five times undergone his sentence. At this moment the servant of the executioner, a youth under twenty, mounted the scaffold, told the sufferer to turn round, that he might unbind him: then taking advantage of the posture of the dying man, who had yielded himself without any mistrust, sprang on him, and slowly cut through his neck with a knife! All this happened! All this was seen!
In the South, towards the close of last September, the following circumstances occurred: I think it was at Pamiers. The officers went to a man in prison, whom they found quietly playing at cards, and gave him notice that he was to die in two hours. The wretched creature was horror-struck, for during the previous six months he had been forgotten, he had no longer thought about death. He was confessed, bound, his hair cut off, he was placed in the fatal cart, and taken to the place of execution. The executioner took him from the priest, laid him down and bound him on the guillotine, and then let loose the blade. The heavy triangle of iron slowly detached itself, falling by jerks down the sides, until, horrible to relate, it wounded the man, without killing him! The poor creature uttered a frightful cry. The disconcerted executioner hauled up the blade, and let it slide down again. A second time, the neck of the malefactor was wounded, without being severed. Again he shrieked, the crowd joining him. The executioner raised the blade a third time, but not better effect attended the third stroke. Let me abridge these fearful details. Five times the blade was raised and let fall, and after the fifth stroke, the condemned man was still shrieking for mercy. The indignant populace commenced throwing missiles at the executioner, who hid himself beneath the guillotine, and crept away behind the gendarmes' horses. But I have not yet finished! The hapless culprit, seeing he was left alone on the scaffold, raised himself on the plank, and there standing, frightful, streaming with blood, he demanded with feeble cries that someone would unbind him! The populace, full of pity, were on the point of forcing the gendarmes to help the hapless wretch, who had five times undergone his sentence. At this moment the servant of the executioner, a youth under twenty, mounted the scaffold, told the sufferer to turn round, that he might unbind him: then taking advantage of the posture of the dying man, who had yielded himself without any mistrust, sprang on him, and slowly cut through his neck with a knife! All this happened! All this was seen!
Last edited:
Ivsoldier, that was so 
