THREE MALEFACTORS, TWO MEN AND ONE WOMAN, ARE CONDEMNED TO DEATH BY THE COURT OF PARLIAMENT AT PARIS.
ON the 18th day of April in this year, three malefactors, two men and one woman, were condemned to be hanged. Two high gallows of wood were consequently erected, that the punishment for such evil deeds, as they had committed, might be exhibited to the public. They had confessed themselves guilty of thrusting out the eyes of a child of two years old, whom they had in wardship, of putting it to death by running thorns into its body, which was most cruel, and of being great thieves.
One gallows was erected without the gate of St James, on which one of the two men was hanged,—and another without the gate of St Denis, between the chapel and windmill, on which was hanged the other man, who had been a player on the hurdy-gurdy, as also the woman; and although they were both married, they had lived together in double adultery.
They were delivered to the executioner from the prison of the Conciergerie, but were attended by almost all the ushers of the parliament, because they had been sentenced by that court. Great multitudes assembled to see the execution, more especially women and girls, from the novelty of the fact; for this was the first instance of a woman being hanged in France. The woman was hanged, with her hair all dishevelled, in a long robe, having her two legs tied together below the knees. Some said, that she requested that it should be thus done, as it was the custom of her country,—while others said, that she was thus sentenced as a memorial for the longer remembrance of women, and that her crimes were so enormous she was deserving of a severer punishment.
Many prisoners were afterward hanged from the dungeons of the Châtelet, who had been therein detained some time until others of their gang could be apprehended. They had gone to different parts of the kingdom where pardons were obtained,—such as the dedication of Saint Denis, that of St Maur, of St Fiacre, of St Mathurin, and elsewhere,—and had attacked travellers in forests and on the high roads, under pretence of asking alms; but the greater part of them had been arrested, confronted with their companions, and executed by the king's officers of justice.