Hannibal journal. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1852-1853, 1852-05-27
JoURNAL AND UNIoN--HANNIBAIA we. MAY On, 1852.

and the soldiers with their bayonets, seeking 70
clear out the seam and pry up the slab; others
with the butts Of their mtiskets striking The
slab with all their might to break IL, while the
priests demonstrated. against onr desecratinp
their holy and beautiful house. While thus en-.
gagged, soldier, who was striking with Che butt
oil his musket, struck spring, and the marble
slab flew up. Then the faces Of the inqusitors
grew pale as Beshazzar, when the handwriting
appeared on the wall; they trembled all over. -
Bepeath the marble slab, now partly up, there
was staircase. | stepped TO the altar, and
took from the candestick one of the candies four
feet in length, which was burning that might
explore the rooms below. AS was doing this
was arrested by one Of the inquisitors, who
laid his hand gently on my arm, and with very
demure and holy look, said, "My son, you must
not take those lights with your bloody hands,
they are holy" "Well," | said ~ will take
holy thing to shed light on iniquity; will bear
the responsibility" i took the candle, and pro-
oeeded down the staircase. As we reached the
foot Of the stairs, we entered large square
room, which was called the Hall Of Judgement
In the centre Of it was large block, and
chain fastened TO it. On this they had been ac-
customed to place the accused, chained to his
seat. On one side Of the room was one elcva-
ted seat, called the Throne Of Judgement. This
the Inquisitor General occupied, and on either
side where seats less elevated for the holy faith
ers, when engaged inthe solemn business of the
Holy Inquisition. From this room we
proceeded TO tie right, and obtained access
to small cells, extending to the entire length Of
the edifice; and here such sights were presented
as we hoped never TO see again.
These cells were places Of solitary confne-
ment, where the wretched objects Of inquisito-
rial hate were confined year after year, till death
released them from their sufferings, and there
their bodies were suffered to remain until their
bodies were entirely decayed, and the rooms
had become fit for others to occupy. To pre-
vent this being offensive to those who occupied
the inquistion, there were lues or tubes extend
! ing to the open air. sufficiently capacious TO car
ry off the odor. In these cells we found the re-
mains of some who had paid the debt of nature;
some of them had been dead apparently but a
short time, while of others nothing remained
but their bones, still chained to the floor Of
their dungeon
In other cells we found living sufferers of both
sexes, and of every age, from three-score years
and ten, down 10 fourteen or fifteen years-all
naked as when born into the world and all in
chains Here were old men and aged women
who had been shut up for many years. Here,
too were the middle aged, and the young man,
and the maiden of fourteen years old. The SOL
diers Immediately went to work TO release these
captves from their chains, and took from their
| knapsacks their overcoats and other clothing
which they gave to cover their nakedness.--
They were exceedingly anxious to bring them
out TO the light Of day; but Col. L.. aware of the
danger, had food given them, and then brought
them gradually to the light, as they were able to
bear it.
| We then proceeded . said Col. L., to explore
another room on the left. Here we found the
instruments Of torture, of every kind which the
ingenuity of men or devils could invent. Col.
| L. here described four of these horrid instru-
ments The first was machine by which the
victim was confined, and then, beginning with
the fingers, every joint in the hands, arms and
body, were broken or drawn, one after anoth-
err, until the victim died. The second was
box in which the head and neck Of the victim
were so closely confined by screw, that he
conld not move in any way. Over the box
was avessel, from which one drop second fell
upon tn head of the vctim-every successive
drop falling upon precisely the same place on
the head suspended the circulation in few
moments, and put the sufferer in the most
machine, land horizantally, TO which the victim
was bound; the macine then being placed be-
tween two beams, in which were scores Of
knives so fixed that, by turning the machine
with a crank, the flesh of the sufferer was torn
from his limbs all in small pieces. The fourth
surpassed the others in fiendish ingenuity. Its
exterior was a beautiful W oman, or large doll,
! richly dressed, with arms extended, ready to
! embrace lis victim. Around her feet a semi
circle was drawn. The victim who passed over
this fatal mark, touched spring, which caused
the diabolical engine to open; its arms clasped
him, and thousand knives cut him into as ma
ny pieces in the deadly embrace.
Col. l.. said that the sight of these engines of
internal cruelty kindled the rage of the soldiers
to fury. They declared that every inquisitor and
soldier OF the lnqusition should be put the
torture. Their rage was ungovernable. Col.
l.. did not oppose them; they might have turned
their arms against him, if he had attempted to
arrest their work. They began with the holy
fathers. The first they put to death in the ma
chine for breaking joints. The torture of the
inquisitor put to death by the dropping of water
on his head, was most circulating The poor
man cried out in agony to be taken out of the ia
tai machine. The Inquisitor General was
brought before the internal machine called "The
Virgin" He begs to be excused. "No," SAID
they, iyou have caused others to kiss her, and
now you must do it." They interlocked THEN
bayonets, so as to form large forks, and witt
these pushed him over the deadly circle. The
beautiful image instantly prepared for the en-
brace, ped him in its arms, and he was cut
into innumerable pieces. Col L. said that hi
| witnessedthe torture of four of them-hs heart
sickened at the awful scene--and he left the sol
diers to wreak their vengeance on the last gull.