What little is known about Egidij Fux, a candidate for the post of state executioner, comes from his applications for that post (now in the Archives of Yugoslavia, AJ, 63, F-50-1922). Three such applications are preserved. The first was addressed to the Ministry of Justice in Belgrade on 5 May 1922  ; the other two to the Presidency of the Higher Provincial Court in Ljubljana on 8 and 9 August , respectively. In addition, there is Fux's petition to King Alexander I , requesting, „in the most humble humility“, royal support for his applications.

Egidij Fux was born on 20 August 1865 in Metlika (Slovenia), a lawful son of Emanuel Fux and Karolina née
Kapela. He spent five years serving in the army and two more in a military school for cadets. Thereafter he worked as a postal employee for 15 years. He left the post office in 1900, when he developed „a severe nervous disorder“.

In 1900, he left for Italy, where he engaged in business. Fux's account of his motives and the circumstances under which he left his homeland is rather confused. Apparently his troubles started when he was disinherited by his grandmother for no good reason. In consequence he was mocked, humiliated and treated like a criminal by all and sundry. Dishonoured and rejected by all, he „fell into a terrible state of spiritual depression“, which forced him to leave and „seek abroad the cure for the total mental collapse which I was threatened with“.

Thanks to „the blessed influence of the Southern climate“ in Italy, he not only fully recovered but also achieved „a state of enhanced intellectual and moral powers“. He was „respected and liked by all“. Even when he lost his business at the onset of the war, and was interned as an enemy subject, he continued to „enjoy the protection and, on account of my qualities, the confidence and support of one of [Italy's] highest political dignitaries“. However, an escalation of post-war conflicts between Italy and Yugoslavia caused Fux to be exiled to his home country.

In 1920, Fux settled in Slovenia, first in Metlika and then in Maribor, where his address was: Maribor (Krčevina), Praprotnikova ulica 142. Upon his return there, he relapsed into depression, „caused primarily by material poverty“. His many applications for employment were turned down or left unanswered. And when he did find a job, the pay was inadequate: „abused in my misery and exploited by my employer with a monthly salary of 275 Dinars, I became physically weak and mentally subdued, due to excessive exertions“.

Under the circumstances Fux decided to compete for the post of executioner. He claimed that his primary motive for applying was his misanthropy. His hatred for mankind, he claimed, was but a reaction to the injustice and suffering he had endured from men. „The suffering has so altered my psyche that I have lost all sensitivity and all humane consideration for the human species. I am consumed by hatred for mankind“. Therefore: „I am seeking satisfaction in taking revenge by helping the members of the human race on their road to a deserved death. In short, I wish to become an executioner in the service of the State of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes“. The executioner's job offers an ideal opportunity for a misanthrope to take his revenge on mankind with impunity: „I wish to spend the remaining years of my life in freedom rather than in prison, where I could end if I were to impetuously avenge myself by taking a man's life on my own. So I have decided to wait for an opportunity to take my revenge on human society in a legal way“. 

Fux wished to be useful to the State not only by performing executions but in other ways as well, particularly by conscientiously performing all his duties. No one will be able to bribe or subvert him – he shall for ever remain loyal to his oath and shall carry out all orders unquestioningly. He shall never feel ashamed of his future calling, „because I feel far above the prejudices harboured by those who have, intentionally or not, threatened my existence and tried to destroy me; on the contrary, all they have achieved is that I remain alive and ready to demonstrate my firm determination to take revenge on members of their society, which never allowed me to have an honest life“. 

This is what Fux had to say about himself and his qualifications for the job: Aged 57 years, 172 centimetres tall. Speaks Slovenian (and some Croatian), German, Italian, French and, to a degree, English. He refrains from alcoholic beverages, does not gamble and does not chase women. He is engaged in intellectual work. He loves animals (but not men) very much. He has no property and no friends. He is married, but „has severed all connections in this respect“. As for his general physical condition, it could be much better, if he had not done hard manual labour without enough food to eat. In consequence, he has developed a hernia and is forced to use a support belt for it. Finally, due to overall physical weakness, he fell three weeks ago, injuring his right elbow. Nonetheless, he hopes to fully recover very soon and be able to perform his duties.

As regards specific qualifications for the job of executioner, Fux confessed to having no clear idea of the actual requirements nor was anyone able to provide him with useful information. When asked, the Public Prosecutor in Maribor, told him that knowledge of butchery might be required, but Fux had no skills in that trade. Fux then wrote to acting executioner Seyfried with the same question, also asking to be taken on as an assistant or an intern, but received no reply. He feared that Seyfried thought him unable to do the job and wondered if the Ministry would support his case vis-à-vis 
Seyfried.

The Ministry of Justice treated Fux's submissions as bona fide applications for employment. At its request, the Maribor police submitted a report on the candidate, stating that he was married but had no children and had not lived with his wife for over 20 years. As he seemed to avoid all contact with neighbours and people in general, the police investigation failed to turn up any negative information on Fux. He had no criminal record. Nonetheless, the police report did caution that Fux „is generally known as a half-wit“.

In Belgrade, Fux's application was duly processed. The King's office forwarded Fux's petition to the Ministry of Justice for further processing. The Ministry sent the application to its Division for Bosnia and Herzegovina with an instruction that it should be „taken into consideration when deciding on a replacement for the retired executioner Seyfried“.

When choosing the new executioner, authorities opted for the experienced Mausner. As for Fux, the appointments committee decided that, at 57, he was too old for the job. No mention was made of Fux's apparent mental deficiencies, which had been duly reported by the Maribor police. It seems that the authorities failed to note the potentially subversive character of Fux's application. 

Maribor (Krčevina), Praprotnikova ulica 142