Word: desfourneaux
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Dates: during 1939-1939
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When 76-year-old "Papa" Deibler, who as Monsieur de Paris had pressed the button at more than 400 guillotinings in his 40-year career, died last February, his 80-year-old Uncle Léopold Desfour-neaux was appointed temporary successor. Connoisseurs complained that Desfourneaux lacked his nephew's finesse, at his first execution took ten seconds to Deibler's customary three or four. Last week, after six weeks' cogitation, the prisons director pronounced Uncle Léopold's initial effort a complete success, thus making him France's new official high executioner...
...well-known to French newspaper readers as Edouard Daladier, "Papa" Deibler was latest of a 68-year-long line of Deibler-executioners. He rarely appeared in public except in his official capacity, traveled incognito in a private compartment. Few days after his death, his 80-year-old uncle, Leopold Desfourneaux, was appointed his temporary successor, to execute one Maurice Pelorge, murderer, who had refused the traditional pardon (always offered to the first victim of a new executioner). Connoisseurs complained that Desfourneaux took ten or 15 seconds to Deibler's customary three or four, lacked his nephew's finesse...
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