New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-10-17
The vehmie Tribunals.


made at different times respecting the terrible
Vehmic or secret tribunals, which 1ourjshed
in Germany in the middle ages, no records of
their proceedings, nor any Of the instrumeuts
which they employed in putting to death the
victims whom they condemned, have yet bean
discovered. This has been ascribed to the fact
that they were accustomed to hold their afstin1s
in caves andin the midst Of forests, on moan
talns, and they did not deem il prudent 10 have
recourse to writing. The remains Of one Of
| these strange tribunals have at Length, however
been discovered. NJ. de Mayenfisch, marshal
of the court Of Prince Hohenxollern Hienarin
gen, fancled that he perceived in the wall Of one
OF the galleries OF museum Of rare and curl
GUS arms, the trace Of secret door covered
with plaster. He caused the plaster, which VA
very thick, to be removed, and discoyered q
| wooden door The door was removed, and Be-
hind it was found one in iron, fastened with four
enormous locks. With great difficulty the loczs
were opened, and subtsTranean passage Of
rapid descent, was seen MI de Mayenfsch, &C.
companied by the employees Of the museum. en-
| tered with torches and after walking upwards
| Of three hundred yards, found that the passage
| was entirely blocked up with rubbish. 1herub-
bish was removed-there were not fewer than
sixty eight cart loads Of it.
4 Then vast saloon was open. On the walls
at certain distances were wooden figures, clum-
silly executed, of the Holy Virgin and St. John
| the Baptist, together with number of cruci-z
fxes. Between these objects were instruments
of torture, such as heavy chains, pincers, iron
rings, poignards, and sort of cap in iron with
sharp points, destined apparently to be put on
| the head. In the middle Of the place was a.
large stone slab or table, and around it we're
| ten stone seats On the table was hammer,
Il i've balls in black wood, and copper plate, at
the bottom Of which were in bas relief q cruci-
fix, the Holy Virgin and ST. John the Baptist
On the table also was the iron seat of the Saint
Vehme. This seat it was which more than any
thing else proved the purpose for which the cav
ern had been employed The hammer was pro-
baby that with which the initiated were. ac-.
customed to strike three times on the doors Of
the persons whom they were charged to summon
before the secret tribunal the plate and the
the balls were probably employed in voting
four votes being sufficient to cause q condem-
nation to death-the only punishment Saint
Vehme was accustomed to inf1ict. It is ON re-
cord that in the principality Of Sigmaringen,
the last Vehmic Court was held in 14I7, under
the presidency of Duke Uric OF WurtemBure.
Some time after, when the two Counts of zol-
lern, who had been cited before secret tribu-
nal, possessed themselves Of the country, they
abolished the secret jurisdiction, and caused
the place in which it had been accustomed to
hold its sittings to be fastened up. 1t is very
likely that this place is that which has just
| been discovered. CGaiignani's Messenger
/ -
| CRoNsTADT TAKEN AFTER DINNER-B Brospss and
| Jones oper their Wine. Jones How would L
take .Cronstadt? With vigor and decision
nothing more easy. My dear Brown, look
here This table is the Baltic; very well.
l Now look Jones places certain Strawberries
for the forts; the city Of Cronstadt on this occa
sion only being represented by a plate of goose
berries at, the back Here we are. The
lstrawberries the forts; Gronstadt tho goose
berries. Now a little vigor and decisionl This
il spoon is the Duke Of Wellington, three decker,
leading the van. We go in here, firing both
broadsides at once, to destroy the forts to lar
4 board and starboard; while at the same time
our guns in the bows and stern-sheet smash
the other forts before and behind. Very good
We are then in front of Cronstadt-the city Of
lCronstadt We shell that, Sir shell it, Of
course Blow up the powder magazines capit-
ulation ensues; the Russian fleet is in a blaze,
and, my dear Brown, that is how / would take
Cronstadt- Brown: After dinner; Punch.
1 -
A SNAKE STORY.--s During the Florida war; =
said the speaker, 81 was with the American
army One day shouldered my gun and went
in pursuit of game In passing through the
swamp saw something few feet ahead Of me,
lying upon the ground, which had every appear
auce of log, it being some forty feet In length,
and about one foot in diameter So positive was
that it was nothing but Q log. that paid no
attention to il; in fact would have sworn be-
fore q court of justice that it was log and
nothing else You see, / had never heard OF
snakes growing to such huge dimensions, and
the fact is, never should have believed it if ]
had
.sWell,'' he continued, g between me and the
log Gas took il to be) was miry place, which
it was necessary for me to avoid. therefore
placed the butt of my gun on the ground ahead
Of me. and springing upon it, lit right on top
of--what do you suppose 7
"a boa constructor, said one
"No,,
can anaconda said another
"No',
ssWhat could it have been p said q third
sJust what supposed tito be--a log said
the wag.
i The FABIAN PoIIoY OF WAR.--It is said that
! the constitution of the only military company
: ever attempted to be organized in Nantucket
began with the following art Gle g Article j
In case of war this company shall Immediately
J disband.''
When deyout Mussulman found himself II
the midst of terrible tempest at sea, he recol
! leeted that he had violated Mohammedan Law
/ by indulging in swine's flesh on particula,
] occasion. Having made due confession. ani
! prayed for cessation of the storm in vain, b.
lpettishly exclaimed, ss What fuss about littl
i pork
, B. s.dsstOgsstsaf,