The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-08-08
Pressing % Dgath.

81 Pressing to Death.
In the good old times, when wretches "swun
that jurymen might dine" the judges in Eng
land not unfrequently resorted 10 what the La
/ aptly termed the psine forte a dWre-namel
} pressing to DEATH for refusing to plead. Tn
system continued in vogue till 1772, when Al
Get was passed by which any one refusing b
plead should be deemed guilty. the same q
though by verdict Of jury. The ''press yard
at Newgate, and perhaps at other prisons, yet
we believe, retains its name, albeit it is no Ion
ger used for its original purpose. We have be
fore us curious print representing crimina
in the act Of being pressed TO death. He is ex
tended fat on his back, his arms and feet drawr
apart at full stretch, and secured to staples il
the floor, piece Of plank is on his body, and
on that number Of heavy weights.
There seems to have been two kinds Of Grim.
inals. who formerly refused to plead to theil
indictments; the one, men Of property, who, BY
suffering death by pressure instead of hanging,
preserved their landed estate to their children
or heirs, which would not have been the case
had they pleaded and been found guilty by the
jury. The other class were ignorant, deter
mined men, who foolishly imagined that by oh.
stinately refusing to plead, they should even
tually escape the punishment due to their often.
ses.
When no argument could induce man to
plead, the Judgment Of the law was read over
to him as he stood at the bar. It was thus
worded: "That the prisoner shall be sent tc
the prison whence he came, and put into a
mean room, stopped from the light, and shall
there be laid on the bare ground, without any
litter. straw or other covering He
shall lie upon his back, his head shall be cover
ed, and his feet shall be bare. One of his arms
shall be drawn with cord to one side of the
room, and the other arm to the other side; and
his legs shall be served in the like Manner
Then shall there be laid upon his body as much
iron or stone as he can bear, and more And
the first day after he shall have three morsels
of barley bread, without any drink, and the
second day he shall be allowed 10 drink as much
as he can at three times Of the water that is
next the prison door except running water,
without any bread, and this shall be his diet
till he dies; and he against whom his Judgment
shall be given foriets his goods to the king.'
The last time that this punishment was in
ficted, was, We believe, upon shipmaster,
charged with piracy, who, to save his landed
property to his family, remained mute when
called on to plead. ua
In January, 1920, two highwaymen, named
Spiggot and Phillips, refused to plead unless
the effects taken from their persons when they
were apprehended were restored to them. This
was refused, and they, on their part, adhered
to their resolution. Thereupon they were SEN
fenced to be pressed to death; but when taken
into the press-room at Newgate, Phillips was
terrified, and begged to be taken back to plead,
which, as a mercy, he was permitted to do, al
though in strict law he could have been den led
the request. His companion, however, was
pressed, and bore the amazing weight of three
hundred and fifty pounds for the space Of half
an hour; but when an additional fifty pounds
was added his fortitude gave way, and he also
begged to be allowed to plead. The evidence
on the trial was conclusive, and the two men,
both of wnom were very hardened robbers, were
duly hanged at Tyburn. #
The following year another highwayman, ma
med Hames, likewise refused to plead to his in.
dctment, alleging as reason that "the people
who apprehended me seized fine SUIT of clothes
which intended to have gone to the gallows
in; unless they are returned will not plead,
for no one shall say that was hanged in dir
ty shirt and ragged coat" In vain was the
dreadful alternative explained to him, he con.
tinued stubbornly mute, and was taken to the
press.room, and bore weight of two hundred
and fifty pounds for seven minutes, when he
cried out to be taken back to court. He then
pleaded mot guilty." but was convicted and
hanged. .fI
A far more remarkable and more cruel case
than the preceding occurred at Nottingham as.
sizes in the year 1875. A poor creature, com-
monty reputed to have been deaf and dumb
from infancy was arraigned on an accusation Of
murder. Two witnesses, who were subsequent
ly known to have born him ill-will, swore pos
itively that they had heard him speak; he was
therefore called upon to plead guilty or not gull.
ty. A lawyer represented his case most feel
ingly to the judge; but the law on the subject
being supposed to be imperative, he was taken
into an adjoining room and actually pressed to
death. continuing, says register Of the times,
''obstinately dumb TO the last" The latter
fact, we think, most incontestably proves that
The wretched being was naturally dumb. i.
In another instance--and it is the last we
shall cite on the subject--a man was pressed
70 death, who assuredly was an imposter, so far
IS his pretended dumbness was concerned. His |
name was Matthew Ryan, and he was tried, or
hould have been tried for highway robbery, at
he Kilkenny assizes, in 1740. When in pris.
IN he affected to be lunatic, and in court coun-
erfeited dumbness. The judges impanneled
ury to try whether he was mute and lunatic
~ the hand OF God, or willfully So" The ju.
y returned in short time and brought in |
'erdict Of 'wilful and affected dumbness and
unacy." The judges on this desired the pris.
ner to plead; but he still pretended to be, in.
ensble to all that was said to him. The law
low called for the peiae fyste st dwe; but The
l..