Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-04-25
MARTINsBURG, VA) THURSDAY, APRIL IS, 1888.

given them, as the keeper said, 10 en-.
ploy their hands and amuse them. The
wooden blind before one ofthe gratings
was removed, and girl flaw to il
with the ferocity of tiger, thrust her
hands at us through the bars, and
threw her bread out into the passage,
with look of violent and uncontrolled
anger such as never saw. She was
tall, and very fine looking. In another
cell lay poor creature, with her face
dreadfully torn, and her hands tied
strongly behind her. She was tossing
about restlessly upon her straw, and
muttering to herself indistinctly. The
man said she tore her face and bosom
whenever she could get her hands free,
and was his worst patient. In the last
cell was a girl of eleven or twelve
years, who began to cry piteously tho
moment the bolt was drawn. She was
in bed, and uncovered her head very
unwillingly, and evidently expected to
be whipped. There was another range
OF cells above, but we had seen enough,
and were glad to get upon the calm
Lagune. There could scarcely be a
stronger contrast than between those
two islands lying side by side---the
first the very picture of regularity and
happiness, and the last refuge for
distraction and misery. The feeling of
gratitude to God for reason after such
a scene is irresistible.
In visiting again the prisons under
the ducal palace, several additional
circumstances were told us. The con-
demned were compelled to become en-
ecutioners. They were led from their
cells into the dark passage where stood
the secret guillotine and without warn
ing, forced to put to death a fellow
creature either by this instrument, or
the more horrible method of strangling
against CRATE. The guide said that
the office of executioner was held in
such horror that il was impossible to
fill it, and hence this dreadful alterna.
tive. When the prisoner was about to
be executed, his cloths were sent home
to his family with the message, that
s'the state would care for him." How
much more agonizing do these circum-
stances seem, when we remember that
most of the victims were men Of rank
and education, condemned on suspicion
of political crimes, and often with FAM
lilies refined to a most unfortunate ca.
pacity for mental torture!-One ceases
to regret the fall of the Venetian re-
public, when he sees with how much
crime and tyranny her splendour was
accompanied.
! saw at the arsenal to-day the mo-
del Of the "Bucentaur," the state gal
ley in which the doge Of Venice went
out annually to marry him to the sea.
This poetical relic, (Which, in Childe
Harold's time clay rotting unrestor-
ed, was burnt by the French--why,
| cannot conceive. 1t was departure
from their usual habit of respect to the
curious and beautiful; and if they had
been jealous of such vestige of the
grandeur of conquered people, il
might at least have been sent to Paris
as easily as "St. Marks steeds of
BRASS" and would have been as great
a curiosity. | would rather have seen
the Bucentaur than all their other plum
der. The arsenal contains many other
treasures. The armour given to the
city Of Venice by Henry the fourth is
there, and a curious key constructed
to shoot poisoned needles, and used by
one of the Henry's, I have forgotten
which, to dispatch any one who offend
ed him in his presence. One or two
curious machines, for torture were
shown us,--mortars into which the VIC
tim was put, with an iron armour,
open only at the ear, which was screw
ed down upon him till his head was
crushed, or confession stopped the tor
ture.
"OH! I'M ONLY A PASSENGER
AT a certain time-no matter when
Ia vessel, which was crossing the wa
tiers, sprang leak, and it was AFTER
wards kept ahoat.--The pumps had to
be necessarily in motion; and the hands
nv their constant fatlOtle NIGHT and dav