St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1859-03-31
SELECTED MISCELLANY.
Good Old Time Punishments :.

The highest offence recognised by the law
Of England. and the one deserving OF the
most sxruulary punishment. Is, aud ever
ms been treason For this crime death was
tie lzhtest l,uuishmcL; that could be in
ir.ci: and this punishment was ordered TO
IT, Undergone IN the most fearful manner
First ihc ,.t.iuted person was to be drd'cR
q tie r.a-e of execution. Originally, this
drawing Was Effected by iyiug the culprit's
icct 70 tue tail &c L"rsc and SO dragging
him q the scaftnld, With nothing be-
tween his laFe back aud the rralL As ear
" as the reign uf Edward l.. however. a
hurdle wa in'"rpused, and ;" tie severity
uG the punishment much less"ned. Arrived
at the place Of execution. he was to be hanged
by the ncr!. fnr few moments. and. whilst
living, cut down, agi then. hcins bound
living Il = stake. VAS T. be embpwrIlel
and his heart and other yisccra wcr" a. lie
burnt bcfre his face" Ills head hciug
then cut off w;gh Butchers knife. ard his
body Divided into fnar paris, he wa tu lie
exposed IN tic nave conspicuous places Of
the town, whore executions took place, ur
ia sruia other locality fixed upon by the
sovereign.
But bow dill this horrible punishment act
20 far "a regarded preventing the offence and
Awing Others by the exhiLitinn7 As . mat
ser of fact, there wee ten times rs many
persons tried and executed for treason du-
ring auv one year az the continuance of the
E@VCge laws against II. as there hav" ben
since the al, Itrln 4 t'oN" laws. Trca pn
ut the present time is all but au unkn rwn
offence. True. the government e: our cpun-
try has Of late wears undergone an cu;rc
change, and there is r.r Iess cause lor syri-
ous discomfort than formerly; but no one
can all"w that the severity Of the punish
mcnt in amy way contributed TO tue cessa-
ton of the offence.
As % the effect which these judicial tor
tures produced upon persons beholling them
let Samuel fepy,. Esq. say word:
"Octuber l3. 1860 i went out to Charing
Cross, TO see Major general Harrison hanged
drawn. and quarrcrcd. which was done there,
he I'okit:g a. cheerful us any man could in
hdI cop.uijsn
'.Hc WAS presently cut down. and his heart
thcwu - the r" pie a. Irstch H' e 'cas 9retd
shouts II ioy. Il Is sail that he said he was
'uge - cnn" shortly at tie right hand Of
Christ To- Judge ;hcm that had judged him
ara. that lis wife ID expect his coming again
Setting up shelves ia my stnly.'
Tho uniform punishment inflicted upon
scom=s: COR treason was, 10 he drawn 10
place OF execution. and then burnt alive; and
t"., was not legally abolished uutil tie year
l3sS. The pr .,at Punishment for the Of
fence is ia the case # males. g bo dr;.WG.
haugei. ami ,;iviied their bodies = jc ~
the disposal ug tie sovereign: ai.d of females,
9. ic drawn and bau-,zi simply. The crown
has it ir its power, in all cases by warrant
undor the s'gnmsnual. to rcmi. any portion
q: a,''cr cf these punishmcnts.
Couu'crfcitins the seals Of the Kingdom.
which vas also high treason, and, before
the beginning If she present century. pun
i~hrd ia The manner wc have described. is
r'w oHlr Visited with transportation or im-
prisomcut
Mex; IN atrociiy TO high treason came tie
ntlrncss Cf parricdc and petty treason. Petty
treason was the killing of the husband 10y
the wife. Of the master hy the servaut, and
Of bis superior by an ccclcsiastic. In each
Of these cases the offence was more than mere
murder, rs il involved breach Of the allie
glance due from the offending party. Petty
treason was therefore treated rs species Of
aggravated murder, and the convicted per-
son was ordered TO be drawn as we'll a
hanged.
Here,iotus .rlls us that the Persiars con-
sidersd the crime of parricide so impossib!v
awful, that they declared no one had ever
usefsf W Coasu ever ~, guilty. oI IHe OUCucn.
and they had, therefore no special puriSh-
ment fer Il. But this was not the case with
ell ancient nations. The Ecyrtians punished
parricide by sticking pointed reeds into every
portion Of their bo,iies. and then thruwin.
them upon a fire burning thorns. until
they were consumed; aud the Roman law or
dered parriciiestto be sewed up in leathcrn
bag with deg. aJpcce: viper, and an ape.
and 20 be Throwing iuta-the sea; while it is said,
on fair authority, That the Druids punished
paTTicides aud the murde. Of a mistress by
female Servantswith burning alive
The ofIerare of pe;ly ;rcsson was abolished.
or rather messyd int, tlatssf murder. y few
years agu. aSlN toe phhishmCnt Of both these
crimes made q ls&tme
Next IL. aflocity tn tire above offences Is the
awful crime Vt wilEtil murder. uniformly nun-
iSlej fnr ages past with death.
rrinr-i6 the reign uf Henry III. the mode
Of executing criminals varied: out since that
time hanging has Lscu the means almost in
varias'ly rcsuTted to. F.r many years, in a,ro-
eiGns csseS, the curt WIS accust. mel to or
der that the criminal should he hung in chains
Alter dcI;h, and tbs al,iti0u VIII. r. uati!