Semi Weekly South Kentuckian

An Assassin's Horrible Death.
On the 5th of January, 1758, as King Louis XV. was entering his carriage at Versailles, a stout young man pushed through the Swiss Guards and stabbed the King with a pocket knife. The wound was slight, but all France was convulsed. The assassin was Pierre Damiens, a fanatic. without accomplices, plain or rational motive.
In his pocket was found a neatly bound New Testament, and his purpose was to promote the orthodox faith. From the hour of his arrest to the moment of his death, a period of two months and twenty-three days, he was in torture wherever he was awake, so cruelly was he bound, chained and confined. When at last the day of execution came, he was taken to the torture chamber and subjected to the greatest amount of anguish which the human frame is capable of enduring, surgeons standing by to give timely notice of insensibility.
Then he was driven by a circuitous route through the streets of Paris to the place of execution. This took an hour and a half. Another half he was kept waiting in full view of the preparations, the apparatus not being ready. Then in view of the assembled multitude, many of whom were women, he was placed on a lofty platform and the hellish work began. First his right hand was burned off. next, masses of flesh were torn from him by red-hot pincers and melted lead and resin poured into the wounds; lastly, a strong horse was attached to each of his four limbs, and an attempt was made to tear him to pieces.
After a considerable period it was found impossible to do this. and a message was sent for permission to cut the muscles of the joints. It was refused, and again an attempt was made to tear the limbs apart, but without success. A second time word was sent that the horses could not tear the dying wretch asunder. Permission was then given, and the muscles were severed, but not until both legs and one arm had been torn off. did the prisoner expire.