New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-13
ITALY.
NEApOIITAE TORTI'RE

A Palermo letter OF March IL confirms the as,Ound-
ing fact that police agent named Baiona, hiss beee
rewarded by the King Of Naples with the Cross Of
Francis l., for having invented an instrument. OF ter
ture The name Of the new machine is La Torturd
del SatR-io The name of the first person upon whom
it was tried was Leo Re; The jsiler who wss watch.
ing the operation thought the man was dying. and
called in the superior authorities and doctor ~ho
took off the machine IL was found that the victim
was still alive, and the ialer was siterward logged
for his faint heartedness The letter, contadeting in
this respect former statements that the torture had led
to no revelations, aflirms that many of Bentivegnas
aocompices had been discovered by its means. The
friends Of many persons recently arrested have come
forward voluntarily 10 give evidence, in the hope OF
preventing the authorities from having recourse 70
torture.
We take the following description of King Bcmbas
pluythng from letter OF the Turin correspondent
His Majesty of the Two Sicies has recently intro
duCed luxury into hi prison discipline in addi-
ton to the many already existing II is called cap
of silence /cpt0 a. Hc1 .iO) and both tor the partc-
ular purpose for which il is ostensby applied. and a.
an instrument Of torture generally il may perhaps be
considered superior in refinement to the ceebrated
iron mask, OF any Of the engines OF antiquity The
invention il due TO the genius of Sgnor Baiona, In
spector Of Police at Palermo, and II appears 10 have
been 20 highly approved by the King of Naples that
he Immediately decorated the talented and philan-
thropic gentman with the order ot Francis L. ms
cap or ~ ffa, consists of circular band OF steel.
passing round the head just above the eyes with a
stmicrcuiar band ii the same material connecting II
the Top ot tnt neuu Ubul W u"
this >uperstruciure is chin strap Of steel wire, grow
ing broader towards the bottom. SO IA to conhne the
lower jaw completely, and make utterly impossible
10 articulate when the bands on the head are
properly screwed up; and to complete the
adjustment, there is strap of leather, with a
buckle attached To the chin strap which passes
round the back of the neck just below the ears and
keeps the latter finn in lis ace. IL is said that the first
experiments made with this novel instrument of torture
werc on two persons called Loire and DE Medci, and
that the oner suffered much from ii that he re-
manned senSeless for some time and gaoer who saw
him. belle, ing the TO be dying, ran aud fetched
doctor and u priest, without asking Signor Baona =
permission. When the doctor aud priest arrived
Sieror Baoua consented to allow the cap to DE re-
moved from the unfortunate prisoner, who was at
lergth restored 20 life after copious bleeding and
other remedies but he ordered punishment Of fifteen
blows ct stick 10 the gaoler, in order to check hls
over Jealous charity in future l'.
1t is positively asserted that the King personally
sent orders TO Prince Caselccala, the Governor OF
Sicily, Ia have recourse to these diabocal means to
te,ry rebels. The state Of Parerno IL dreadful The
military are prohibited from exchanging word with
civ ais and sailors on leaving the port stripped
naked, 10 ascertain whether they have any etters
concealed about them. Communication IL Therefore
almost impossible.