Sacred Haven of Debauchery

According to the accounts of the few people who knew him, Charles Henri, who in his youth tortured and impaled convicted criminals, and in his old age guillotined them (torture was abolished by the revolution), was an "extremely kind, gentle, and charming man," generously giving alms to the poor who were not repulsed by him. His tone, clothing, and manners were extremely gentlemanly, and he was always exquisitely courteous to his clients: for example, when taking Charlotte Corday to the scaffold, he warned her about the jolts of the cart and advised her to sit not on the edge, but in the middle of the bench.

Charles Henri Sanson carried out a total of 2918 executions, including the execution of King Louis XVI. Although he was never a supporter of the monarchy, Charles Henri refused to execute the king, but eventually he had to do it. He also executed Queen Marie Antoinette, and then Danton, Robespierre, and many other figures of the Great French Revolution.

There is a well-known historical anecdote: Sanson, after his retirement, met Napoleon Bonaparte, who asked him if Charles could sleep peacefully after executing almost 3,000 people, to which Sanson replied to the emperor: "If kings, dictators, and emperors sleep peacefully, why shouldn't an executioner sleep peacefully?"