Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-07-11
Torture I'm British india.

Recent investigations made by Commit,ee
appointed by the Governor General OF BRUSH III
dia to inquire into the subject of torture oy gov
ernment officials at Madras, exhibits some start
ling facts. A communication from the ouper'h-
tendent of Police to the Secretary OF Government
at the Presidency, states that people were HOOK
ing from all parts of the interior to lay their coui,
plants before the COmmittee-that three huhdieu
such complaints were then at Madras, ana thal
more were coming in daily. The MODES Oh 'oi
ture commonly used in India are numerous.
frequent one is to take off a mans turOan anu
clothes and tie him to stake, deprived ot Ioou
and water, and exposed TO the rays ol the ournlne
SUM- second mode is to put a man In 'he s''cAs
for days and weeks together, exposed 10 lhe SUM-
and not in such stocks as are used IN Englahu.-
The ordinary Indian stocks consist OF square holes
with sharp edges cut in a fallen Tree, thfou9h
which the feet are thrust, when peg is driven
vertically to prevent them being pulled out again.
and which fits close to the ankle bone. Then, as
there is no seat for Indian stocks, and nothing Tor
the back to rest against the unfortunate prisoner
often finds his feet raised up and his body thrown
down in position which If long continued is eX-
qusitely painful. A third mode is to bind the
fingers of each foot close together with twlne,
aud then drive pegs in between them, which Is
process of exceeding torture. A fourth plan is to
stretch man out on his back, aud, fastening his
hands and feet with ten pegs to the ground, to leave
him with face upturned to the SUMS vertical rays,
which literally scar the unprotected eyeballs. A
fifth mode is to tie man up by the feet; or, as
is more general, to fasten him to bedstead or
stretcher, and then stand it on end against wall
so as to leave the sufferer, till he couesses or pays
with his head downward. A sixth plan, and one
which will iniallibly make man do or confess a.
nything, is one which, among the police, is an es-
pecial favorite. The plan is 10 tie a mans arms
behind him above the elbow joint tightly, so as to
bring them as close together as is possible, and
then throw the end of the cord over bough of
tree and haul the victim up till his toes bare
| ly tomch the ground. His shins are then beaten
with the butts of the police horsemen's riding
| whips, or with sticks of any kind which causes
him to raise his feet every moment, and throws
the weight of the body with jerks upon the cord.
The result of this is degree of torture ana pros
tration which, in the space of half an hour would
overcome the frmness of the strongest man.
Murders have been confessed 10 under this process
which it was clearly shown afterwards that the
prisoner could by no possibility have been connec
ted with There are many other modes Of torture
used too numerous to me ntlon, some OF them such
as decency would preclude US from describing
but we cannot omit to notice one method more,
which is perhaps the most cruel and also the most
common 1t is the thrusting mans head into a
horses leather nose bag in which pounded capsi-
cumc. or in other words, cayenne pepper, have
been placed along with burning charcoal, and the
smoke from which, entering the eyes, nostrs and
mouth, and penetrating to the throat and lungs,
is productive at once OF semi-suffocation and Of
the most excruciatlng anguish possible. Such are
some of the modes of torture in daily and hourly
use among the company's officials in India. The
above facts are taken from the London papers of
the latest date.