Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-12-20

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bic floor be examined Let water be brought
and poured upon it and We win all watch
and see if there is any place through which
it passes more freely than Others. replied
to him, Do as you please Colonel, and
ordered water to be brought accordingly
The slabs of marble were large and beauti-
fully polished. When the water had been.
poured over the floor, much to the dissatis-
faction of the Inquisitor, careful examina-
tion was made Of every seam in the floor, to
see if the water passed through. Presently
Col. De Lille exclaimed he had found it,
BY the side Of one Of these marble slabs
.slsc 1Yrsssr- rnesed tl,sougn fast as though
there was an opening beneath. All hands
were now at work for further discovery
the officers with their swords, and the sol
diers with their bayonets, seeking to clear
out the seam and prize up the slab; 9TH
ers with the butts of their muskets striking
at the slab with all their might to break it,
while the priests demonstrated against our
desecrating their holy and beautiful house.
While thus engaged, a soldier, who was stri-
king with the butt of his musket, struck
spring, and the marble slab flew up. Then
the faces of the inquisitors grew pale as
Belshazzar, when the handwriting appear
ed on the wall 4; they trembled all over
Beneath the marble slab, now partly up,
there was staircase. | stepped to the al
tar, and took from the candlestick one of
the candles, four feet in length, which was
burning, that I might explore the room
below. As was doing this, was arrest
ed by one of the Inquisitors, who laid his
hands gently on my arm and with very
demure and sanrtimonious look, said, My
son, you must not take those lights with
your bloody hands, they are holy 'Wel,'
| said, L will take holy thing. to shed
light on iniquity [ will bear the response
bilityp l took the candle, and proceeded
down the staircase As we reached the
stairs we entered large square room,
which was called the Hall of Judgement.
In the centre of it was huge block, and
chain fastened to it. On this they had been
accustomed to place the accused, chained to
his seat. On one side of the room was an
elevated seat, called the Throne of Judg-
ment This the Inquisitor General occu-
pied, and on either side, were seats less ell
evated, for the priestly fathers, while en-
gagged in the solemn business of the Holy
Inquisition.
From this room we proceeded to the
right and obtained access to small cells, ex-
tending the entire length Of the edifce;
and here such sights were prese nted as we
hope never te-see again.
These cells were places of solitary con-
Gnement, where the wretched objects of in
quisitorial hate were confined year after year,
ill death released them from their sufferings,
and their bodies were suffered TO retain until
they were entirely decayed and the rooms
had become fit for others to occupy. To
} prevent this being offensive to those who oc-
cupied the inqulsition, there were fues or
tubes extending to the open air, sufficiently
, capacious to carry off the odor In these
4 cells we found the remains Of those who paid
5 the debt Of nature; some Of them had been
, dead apparently but short time, while Of
/ others nothing remained but the bones, still
= chained to the floor Of their dungeons.
s In other cells, we found living sufferers
: of both Sexes and of every age from three
g score years and ten, down 10 fourteen or ff-
d teen years--all naked as when born in the
o world aud all in chains! Here were old
n men and aged women who had been shut uE
S for many years Here too, were the mid
d died aged, and the young man and the maid
l. en- of fourteen years old. The soldiers i'm
b mediately went to work to release these cap
u tives from their chains, and took from theil
y knapsacks their overcoats, and other clothing
5, which they gave them to cover their naked
l. ness. They were exceedingly anxious tt
l. bring them out to the light of day but be
IS ing aware of the danger, had food giver
t. them, and then brought them gradually II
d tie light, as they were able to bear it.
ID We then proceeded to explore anothe
O. room on the left Here we found the instru
le ments of torture, of every kind which tn
s, ingenuity of men or devils could invent
le Col. l.. thus describes four Of these horrit
instruments The first was machine b
&c which the victim was secured, and then, be
u ginning with the fingers, every joint in tn
Id hands, arms and body was broken, or drawr
y, one after another, until the sufferer died.
in The second was box, in which the head an
- neck of the accused were so closely screwe
ot that he could not move in any way. Owe
N the box was a vessel from which one dro
he of water second fell upon the head of tt
We victim-eyery successive drop falling upo
ms precisely the same place, which suspende
Oh The circulation in few moments, and D.
or the sufferer to the most excruciating agon
ci- The third was an internal machine, laid no
,ut izontaly, to which the victim was bound
be- this instrument was then placed between tv
cu- beams. in which was scores of knives, so Fl
in ed that, by turning the machine with Gran
Mt the flesh Of the sufferer was torn from
- limbs in small pieces. The fourth surpass
the the others in fendish ingenuity. It's exteri
lad was beautiful woman or large doll, rich
,ro- dressed, with arms extended, ready to e
and brace its victim. Around her feet ser
poll circle was drawn. The victim who pass
ar over this fatal mark touching spring wh
lere caused diabolical engine TO open, its ar
cul- clasped him, and thousand knives cut b
rrid into as MANY pieces, in their deadly embrac
ave Col L. said that the sight of these
! in gines of Internal cruelty kindled the rage
ried the soldiers fury. They declared that e
loly ry inquisi,or aud soldier of the Inquisit
led; should be put 10 The torture. Their r.
ared was ungovernable Col L. did not opp
this them; they might have turned their al
8 of against him, if he had attempted to ar
their work. They began with the holy fa
y as ers. The first they put to death in the
and chine for breaking joints. The torture Of