The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-11-07
The Implements of TOrture-The
way Slaves are Punished in the
South

Col. Hanks who has had as much to do
with the plantations in the neighborhood
of this city, and has, in line OF his duty.
paid many visits to them, has discovered
many instruments and implements of tor
ture, which go far to show that the chival-
rlc Southern planters, or those debased
creatures, their overseers, would have
made excellent torturers for theSpanish in
QUESTION. Many of these implements prove
them to have been adopts in the refinements
of cruelty, and in some of them they have
displayed an inventive genius worthy Of
even the great Yankee Nation. From
among these numerous implements of bar
barity, he has selected few of the least
burdensonle, which he intends taking with
him to the North. First, there is an iron
screw made to tit the neck, which is tasteu-
ed with screw. To this are fastened three
upright prongs about Is inches in length:
to each of which is attached small bell
The beauty Of this instrument is, that the
person wearing it can never rest his head
upon the ground, the prongs keeping it al
ways, when in reclining position, a GER
tain distance from any support and the bells
keephim awake by their continual tinkling,
This was put upon the neck of young wO-
man by order OF her master, and she was
condemned to wear it for life. Fortunately,
the arrival OF the Yankees relieved her suf-
ferlngs ere death came to the rescue.
Another article is heavy iron collar,
with mouth piece or gag attached
This gag comes up from beneath the chin
and is lmmovably fixed in the mouth. In
order to speak, eat or drink, it must be
removed. The hated King of Italy never
had more effective instrument in his tor
ture room. A piece of iron armor, of in
genlous workmanship, to be worn on the
leg, forcing the victim to limp, and pre-
venting bis running away, was next ex-
hlDlted. 1t must have been extremely
painful to the wearer. There was very
thick iron ring, to which was attached by
heavy chain a square block of iron,
weighing over 60 pounds. This had been
welded on the poor slaves leg by the plan
taaon blacksmith-an operation not per-
formed without burning him severely; and
mus Durdened, he was compelled to keep
up with the other hands in the field, and
perform an equal amount of labor or be
further punished by the lash. To take this
OH, the IRON had to be cut at the anvil, and
then pried apart to get it over the foot-an
operation under which one slave, at least.
was known to have died on the plantation
where 1t was found. There We're several
otner implements equally effective for tor
mentlng and torturing purposes, but it is
unnecessary to describe them here, for
there is scarcely a plantation in the coun-
Try Where they are not to be found. The
wee ana pincers are tavorite implements
IN some places, and the overseers delight
10 get the thumbs Of runaway negro in |
The 1lrst, or pinch his flesh or tongue with !
The latter, to force him to confess who have
nave been his contederates, who harbored. |
clothed, or fed him while hiding in the
s"anps or forests, whence he had been
dragged by bloodhounds.
With these evidences before us. who will |
say that Slavery is not barbarous and i'm
moral? Its effects are to brutalize all who |
nave any connection with the institution II
as is well shown by the character of the
men who deal in slaves in our cities, and |
VINO act as overseers on the plantations.-
aug although there are many kind and
gentle masters, who never resort to any of
these extraordinary modes of punishment
YET these are but the exceptions that prove
the general rule. That the effect is demon
allzing upon society, is proved by the fact
that the greatest delight OF the people of
the country is to practice upon unotfending
strangers who chance to visit them and
claim their hospitality the same tortures
they infiict upon their slaves, with the ex-
:eption that they generally end by hang
my the unfortunate wight, because he does
not happen to be born in the South. The
instincts OF the masses in the South are
brutal, Notwithstanding their boosted CHI
vary and clvllization-and the reason is
their constant association with the barba
rous institutions of Slavery. This cause.
thank God, is now being removed. and
here .r IS every prospect that in few years,
WITH the example set them by ciyilized
people from the North, they will become
little more civilized and humane in their
conduct. and more respectful in their treat
nent OF neighbors when they call to see
hem at home.-N. o. Era, Oct. lltA.
PLATFORM OF GERMAN RADIcALs.-A
of Radical Germans has been
n session at Cleveland, which resolved on
he following platform: Integrity of the