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Q: 1905 Languille ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: 1905 Languille
Category: Reference, Education and News > General Reference
Asked by: jcrouse3880-ga
List Price: $2.00
Posted: 28 Jun 2002 09:42 PDT
Expires: 28 Jul 2002 09:42 PDT
Question ID: 34562
In 1095 someone named Languille was executed at 5:30 am on June 28th.
Who was he. Again I can't locate data, even here on google. But that
maybe since I don't have a full name.
Answer  
Subject: Re: 1905 Languille
Answered By: netcrazy-ga on 28 Jun 2002 11:16 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hello,

The name you are looking for is "Henri Languille". The only source
confirming this name is available on this site
( http://www.metaphor.dk/guillotine/Pages/Names.html#B ). It has a
list of names related to guillotine.

In France in the days of the guillotine, some of the condemned were
asked to blink their eyes if they were still conscious after the blade
fell. Reportedly, their heads blinked for up to 30 seconds after
decapitation. A particularly detailed report comes from Dr. Jacques
Beaurieux who, under perfect circumstances, experimented with the head
of the murderer Languille, guillotined on June 28, 1905. Here is the
complete report
http://www.metaphor.dk/guillotine/Pages/30sec.html

I hope this answers your question. If you have any question, please
ask for clarification. Once you are satisfied with my answer, do rate
it.

Search term used

Languille execution on June 28

Have a good day.

Regards
netcrazy
jcrouse3880-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars

Comments  
Subject: Re: 1905 Languille
From: fms-ga on 28 Jun 2002 11:58 PDT
 
The Scottish artist Douglas Gordon created an artwork based on this.

Here's the description from 
http://www.dialnsa.edu/iat97/Venice/FPP/gordon.html

The viewer enters a darkened room and a light abruptly comes on. After
25-30 seconds the light is just as abruptly extinguished. During that
brief interval the viewer can read the following haunting text:

"In 1905 an experiment was performed in France when a doctor tried to
communicate with a condemned man's severed head immediately after a
guillotine execution.

"Immediately after the decapitation, the condemned man's eyelids and
lips contracted for 5 or 6 seconds. I waited a few seconds and the
contractions ceased, the face relaxed, the eyelids closed halfway over
the eyeballs so that only the whites of the eyes were visible, exactly
like dying of newly deceased people.

At that moment I shouted "Languille" in a loud voice, and I saw that
his eyes opened slowly without twitching, the movements were distinct
and clear, the look was not dull and empty, the eyes which were fully
alive were indisputably looking at me. After a few seconds, the
eyelids closed again, slowly and steadily.

I addressed him again. Once more, the eyelids were raised slowly,
without contractions, and two undoubtedly alive eyes looked at me
attentively with an expression even more piercing than the first time.
Then the eyes shut once again. I made a third attempt. No reaction.
The whole episode lasted between 25 and 30 seconds."

...on average, it should take 25 and 30 seconds to read the above
text.

Notes on an experiment between a doctor and criminal from the
"Archives of Criminal Anthropology."

Gordon won one of three "2000 Awards." at the 1997 Venice Bienalle.
The judges say it is "for work of an extraordinary emotional
effectiveness based on extremely low-key means, demanding a new
attitude from the public."
Subject: Re: 1905 Languille
From: texast-ga on 28 Jun 2002 16:06 PDT
 
.
The search "Languille executed 1905" (without the quotes) produced 23
hits (the www.metaphor.dk site mentioned in the answer was the second
hit on the list), among them the following:

A site called "Guillotine History" had this short mention: "1905 At
5:30 a.m. on June 28 1905, Languille was executed by means of
decapitation."
http://www.lightwithin.org/curriculum/lesson_plans/language_arts/10to12/Handout%20-%20Guillotine%20History.doc

And on another site a slightly longer version of it: "1905 June 28th
Languille was executed at 5.30 a.m. Dr Beaurieux made an experiment
with the severed head. Read his report."
http://bofhcam.org/co-larters/tracing-spammers/colophon.html

Then I found an interesting reference at a site titled "Glossary of
Historical Persons mentioned in Jens Bjørneboe's last four novels"
which was compiled by Esther Greenleaf Mürer. As sources she
acknowledges these: Webster's Biographical Dictionary, Aschehoug og
Gyldendals Store Norske Leksikon, and various sources on the web.

The title of the page is longer than the very brief mention given:
"Languille, d. 1905. French murderer"
http://home.att.net/~emurer/about/names.htm

The newscientist.com site carries the Beaurieux report, and gives the
source for it (the text following is quoted from the web page):

A particularly detailed report comes from Dr Beaurieux who, under
perfect circumstances, experimented with the head of the murderer
Languille, guillotined at 5.30 am on 28 June, 1905. (From "A History
of the Guillotine" by Alister Kershaw. His source is "Archives
d'Anthropologie Criminelle," 1905):

"Here, then, is what I was able  to note immediately after the 
decapitation: the eyelids and  lips of the guillotined man  worked in
irregularly rhythmic  contractions for about five or  six seconds . .
. I waited for  several seconds. The spasmodic  movements ceased. The
face  relaxed, the lids half closed on  the eyeballs, leaving only the
 white of the conjunctiva visible,  exactly as in the dying whom we 
have occasion to see every day in  the exercise of our profession,  or
as in those just dead. It was  then that I called in a strong,  sharp
voice: 'Languille!' I saw  the eyelids slowly lift up,  without any
spasmodic  contractions . . . Next  Languille's eyes very definitely 
fixed themselves on mine and the  pupils focused themselves . . . 
After several seconds, the  eyelids closed again, slowly and  evenly,
and the head took on the  same appearance as it had had  before I
called out.

"It was at that point that I  called out again and, once more, 
without any spasm, slowly, the  eyelids lifted and undeniably  living
eyes fixed themselves on  mine with perhaps even more  penetration
than the first time.  Then there was a further closing  of the
eyelids, but now less  complete. I attempted the effect  of a third
call; there was no  further movement and the eyes  took on the glazed
look which  they have in the dead.

"I have just recounted to you  with rigorous exactness what I  was
able to observe. The whole  thing had lasted twenty-five to  thirty
seconds."
http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/answers/719top20.jsp?tp=top

This description by the good doctor is also quoted in the article
titled "Bluebeard Meets Madame Guillotine" which deals with Henri
Landru. It can be found at
http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial7/landru/7.htm

And there's another extensive quoting of the report at:
http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/strange/070201_strange.html

A somewhat shortened version was given at the "Morbid Fact du Jour"
web site on October 11, 2000, according to their archive (the
following is quoted from the web page):

A debate has long raged about whether a decapitated head retains
consciousness for a time after death. In 1905 in France, Dr. Beaurieux
was able to investigate the head instantly after a guillotine
beheading. He described his experience as follows: "... immediately
after the decapitation, the eyelids and lips of the guillotined man
worked in irregularly rhythmic contractions for about five or six
seconds. I waited for several seconds. The spasmodic movements ceased.
The face relaxed, the lids half-closed on the eyeballs, leaving only
the white of the conjuctiva visible, exactly as in the dying whom we
have occasion to see every day... It was then that I called in a
strong sharp voice: 'Languille!' I then saw the eyelids slowly lift
up, without any spasmodic contraction -- I insist advisedly on this
peculiarity -- but with an even movement, quite distinct and normal,
such as happens in everyday life, with people awakened or torn from
their thoughts. Next, Languille's eyes very definitely fixed
themselves on mine and the pupils focused themselves. I was not, then,
dealing with a vague dull look without any expression that can be
observed any day in dying people to whom one speaks: I was dealing
with undeniably living eyes which were looking at me." (An Underground
Education)
http://asylumeclectica.com/morbid/archives/morb1000.htm

This site mentions Languille's first name:

"Beaurieux
"A doctor who in 1905 made an experiment with the severed head of
Henri Languille"
http://erodyssey.com/g1_863f763h/guest/guillomisela.html

The search "Languille 1905" (again without quotes) produced 80 hits.
www.newscientist.com was hit number 1, and www.metaphor.dk hit number
2.

Many of the hits had nothing to do with Henri Languille, although some
sites showed up that I hadn't seen before, including a German version
of Beaurieux's description, which can be found here:
http://www.todesstrafe.de/inhalt/geschichte/fallbeil/seite4.htm

TexasT
.

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