The Engineer and the Guillotine

Bastille Day story:

Three men were condemned to be guillotined in the French Revolution. The first was a general who commanded the king's forces in atrocities against the civilians. He was granted his wish to look straight up into the blade, yelled "Vive le Roi!" ... and the blade stopped halfway down. According to guillotine rules, he was free and ran off to the nearest cafe.

Next was a priest who gave the royal family communion, and was accused of absolving them of their terrible crimes. He, too, wanted to look up at the blade, yelled "Jesus, je viens" .. and the blade again stopped halfway down. Thus absolved himself, he ran off to the cafe to have a drink with the general.

Third was a guy who fixed things -- we'd call him an engineer today, but he was just in the palace fixing the plumbing the day they came to get the king. He saw what had happened with the general and the priest, so he asked to look up at the blade. But before they could let it fall, he yelled:"Hey, I see what's jamming the blade up there!"