he same day--it was on the Thursday--the Council of
Ministers met. The discussion was long and animated. Only one minister
opposed recourse to the scaffold. He was supported by Louis Napoleon.
The discussion lasted until 10 o'clock. But the majority prevailed, and
before the Cabinet separated Odilon Barrot, the Minister of Justice,
signed the order for the execution of three of the condemned men, Daix,
Lahr and Chopart. The sentences of Nourry and Vappreaux, junior, were
commuted to penal servitude for life.

The execution was fixed for the next morning, Friday.

The Chancellor's office immediately transmitted the order to the Prefect
of Police, who had to act in concert with the military authorities, the
sentence having been imposed by a court-martial.

The prefect sent for the executioner. But the executioner could not be
found. He had vacated his house in the Rue des Marais Saint Martin in
February under the impression that, like the guillotine, he had been
deposed, and no one knew what had become of him.

Considerable time was lost in tracing him to his new residence, and when
they got there he was out. The executioner was at the Opera. He had gone
to see "The Devil's Violin."

It was near midnight, and in the absence of the executioner the
execution had to be postponed for one day.

During the interval Representative Larabit, whom Chopart had befriended
at the barricade of the barriers, was notified and was able to see the
President. The President signed Chopart's pardon.

The day after the execution the Prefect of Police summoned the
executioner and reproved him for his absence.

"Well," said Samson, "I was passing along the street when I saw a big
yellow poster announcing The Devil's Violin. 'Hello!' said I to myself,
'that must be a queer piece,' and I went to see it."

Thus a playbill saved a man's head.

There were some horrible details.

On Friday night, while those who formerly were called _les maitres
des basses oeuvres_* were erecting the scaffold at the Barriere de
Fontainebleau, the _rapporteur_ of the court-martial, accompanied by the
clerk of the court, repaired to the Fort of Vanves.

* The executioner in France is officially styled
_l'executeur des hautes-oeuvres_.

Daix and Lahr, who were to die, were sleeping. They were in casemate No.
13 with Nourry and Chopart. There was a delay. It was found that there
were no ropes with which to bind the condemned men. The latt