THE FRENCH EXECUTIONER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3154, 10 September 1892, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE FRENCH EXECUTIONER.

Tin: . ee-r io':e;- i( lie the mo-:- , c'-inou-, inter.--I.uil', and imp "am figureid 'he hist -.ry of I'*!' -nee in g-aieral. and of Pari.-! in p-i ail lr. thaiu i a.ek totl.e tir.rt-eiitii e :itiii'\, v. .: lin 1 ihat tS.-ic aire nly e\i.-.t-..d an in i.velaa'. wh jse duty it y.A . t > v,-'a;p. h..n_', ii.-h • ~i, l.r. ak on 11,., v, cn.l 1 c;: 11, in lii* n i ;u.- M t ini.iw. He was t:,-n .uii-.l_ tie- - I'i-e cutiouer of Iligli .lusli.-e, and i.v. i bailiwick P -se 1 .-neli a fnn.-t ionarv. For '1 loni/ time lie wore a special costume —a e.'.s.-ock, wrought in eoionis piculf r to the tiun ill which he operated, and beaniie in front, the repr■ .-rotation of a ..'ibbel. and behind that of Ihe - i-ifi'ohl-stairc use ; einbh-ms somewhat too obvious of his iinfainons profession. S-i soon a- the ollice of iionrivau was ilea tn.-ncntly established, large Inx.s were olfe.red to him, and the executioners of France now became .-o jealous ol their iirer.'e'ativi-s that one of them in loliO sued a gentleiiiau of law because, seizing a thief who had tried to take, his purse, he had drawn his sword, and cat olf the rascal's ear. In thus acting the gentleman was accused of having infringed oil the executioner's rights, and iuva. led his profession, tile car technically belonging to the executioner as one of his perquisites.

Xo loss curious than manifold were the taxes and privileges of all kinds enjoyed by this functionary. When he performed an execution on the domain of a monastery lie was entitled, amongst other things, to the head of a pic; and the AI) be of St. Germain paid him an annual tax of this kind. The heads, moreover, of any pigs found straying in the streets or highways of I'iris belonged to the executioner. Darin* t.hiiteenili, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries the Parisians had permitted their pigs to stroll about the public thoroughfares ; but when the son of Louis le (Jroil was killed by a fall from his horse, which had stumbled over one of these wanderinganimals, it was forbidden thenceforth to allow them outside theirownors' premises, though an exception was made in favour of the monks ot Saint-Anluine, wh:i were still at liberty to let out their pigs, which were distinguished by a peculiar mark oil the ear. Any pig found walking abroad without this marie was now seized by the executioner, who could demand cither its head, or, in lieu thereof, font- .sous. Another of his curious privileges was to levy a tax on young wom.M leading objectionable lives. He received duty, moreover, on the goods vended by different classes of shopkeepers, and could walk into their shops and help himself to a certain proportion of their stock. Still more extraordinary than any hitherto mentioned was the tax ho levied 011 all sick persons living in the suburbs of Paris, who were compelled to pay hi 111 four sous apiece every quarter. Home of the tolls taken at the bridges went into his pocket. He was permitted to despoil the criminals he put to death. At MrsC ho could only take possession of what they had upon them above the girdle, but ultimately he obtained everything. —Sala's Journal.