The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-09-13

fensivc to those who occupied the in.
quisition, there were flues or tubes cx.
tending to the open air, sufficiently Ca
pacious to carry off the odor. In these
cells we found the remains of those
who had paid the debt Of nature;
some ofthom had been dead apparent.
ly but short time, while of Others
nothing remained but the bones, still
chained to the floor of their &ungeon.
= III other cells we found living suf
tercrs of both sexes, and Of every age,
from three score years and ten down
to fourteen aud fifteen years, al naked
as when born into The world, an
all in chains Here were old men,
and aged women, who had been shut.
up fer many years. Here, too, were
the middle aged, and the young man,
and the maiden CT fourteen years old.
The soldiers Immediately wen. TO
work to release these captives from
their chains, and took from their knap.
sacks their ovcrcoats and other cloth.
ing, which they gave them to cover
their nakedncss. They were exceed
ingly anxious to bring them out to the
light of day; but being aware Of the
danger | had food given them, and then
brought them gradually tc the light,
as they were able to bear it.
we then proceeded 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.. dc.
scribcs four of these horrid instru.
mcnts: "Thc first was machine by
which the victim was secured, and
then, beginning with the fingers. every
point in the hands, arms, and body
was brolS.cn, Or drawn, one after nm.
o!hers pp,i!. the sufferer died. The
second was box, in which the head
and neck of the accused was so close
ly scrSwed that. he could not move in
any way. Over the box was a vessel,
from which one drop of water second
fell upon the head of The victim, every
successive drop falling precisely on
the same place. which suspended the
circulation III Il lew moments and put
the sufferer to the most eTcruciating
agony. The third was .n internal
machine, laid horizontally, 70 Which the
victim was bound this instrument
was then placed between two beams,
in which we're scores of knives, so
fixed that, by turning the machine with
crank, the flesh Of the sufferer was
torn from fis Iimps in small pieces
The fourth surpassed tho others in
hcndish ingenuity. Its exterior was ii
beautiful woman, or large doll, richly
dressed, with arms extended, ready to
embrace its victim. Around her feet
a scniicitclc Was drawn. The victim
WHO passed over this fatal mark
touched spring. which CAUSED the
diatQQlical engine to open, its arms
cIaspcd him, and q thousand knives
cut him into as many pieces, in their
deadly embrace"
Col. l.. said that the sight of these en-
gincs Of Internal cruelty kindlcd the
rage OF the soldiers to fury. They
declared that every in4uisitor and
soldier of the inouisition should be
put to the torture. Their rage was
ungoyernab!c. Col. l.. did not oppose
them they might have turned their
arms against him, if he had attempted
to arrest their work. hey began
with the holy fathers. The first they
put to death III the machine FOR break
i"l ljoli;s. The torture Of tic induisi.
tor r'l, t. death by The dropping or
''aIvy on his head WAS most excrucia-
ting. Inc poor man cried out in ago.
ny to ue taken tr"u the fatal machine.
The lnquisitor general was brough,
before the Internal engine called 1.-The
Virgin lie begged to bo excused.
"No," said they ''you have caused
others to kiss her, and now you must
do it," They interockcd their bayo
nets SO as TO form large forks, and
with these pushed him over the deadly
circle. The beautiful image Instantly
prepared for tho embrace, claspcd
him i'll its arms and he was cat into
innumerabIc pieces. Col. l.. said that
lie witnessed the torture OF four of
them his Heart sick Ecncd at the awful
scene, and lie left the soldiers to wrcak
their Vengeance on the last guilty in
mate Of that prison.housc OF hell
In the meantime it was reported
through Madrid that the prisons oft
lnqusiton were broken open, and
multitudcs FASTENED to the fatal spot.
And oh |! what meeting was there 1t
was like . resurrection About Il
hundred, Of those who had been buried
Tor many years were now restored to
lite. There We're fathers who lou ID
their long,lost daughters; wives were
restored to their husbands, sisters to
their brothers, and parents to their
children and their wero some that
could recognize no friend among the
multitude. Tho sccnce was such as
no tongue can describe.
When the multitude had retired,
Col. l.. caused the library, paintings,
furniture, ETC., to be removed; and
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