Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-06-21
Foreign Correspondence of the Journal.
Horrors Of European Dungeons.
NUREMBERG. Bavaria. MAY


10 the Editor of The Boston Journal
Come to this old Town if you want
to get a glimpse of the world as it
was five hundred years ago. The
streets are unchanged. You behold
houses with high, steep roofs, covered
with red tiles and full of windows
which were standing in the time of
the Crusaders. At this very moment
| hear the deep and heavy tones Of
church bells which swung in their
moss-grown towers long before Co
lumbus sailed upon an unknown ocean
IN search of a western world.
There have been no devastating
fires to change the features of the city,,
Battles have been fought outside the
walls, but there has been no lombard
ment of the place; trade and COM
merce which flourished four centuries
ago has been turned to other chan
nels; there has been no tearing down
Iof old structures. to give place to new
ones, and so you see the town as it
was five centuries ago-the same
massive walls, high towers. with loop
holes, and battlements; the same
queer shaped houses, with jutcing
windows, curiously carved ornaments,
steeples, spires and weathcr-cocks !;
the same pavements which were once
trod by Luther and Melancthon.
Modern goods may be purchased in
the shops. You see no longer the
quaint costumes of the middle ages
life is not quite the same as it was
when tournaments were held in the
castle yard; but Of all places in Eu-
rope this has changed the least.
GOVERNMENT THEN AND NOW.
There are some men who claim
that the past was better than the pre-
sent, and who sing of the :" good old
times and there are a great many
men in America to-day who assert that
there never was a government so des-
potic as that of the United States at
the present time. The Military Re.
construction act Of the present Con
gress is denounced as worse than
anything of the middle ages" Cor
respondents of English newspapers
written from America, reiterate the
cry, and l doubt not that there are
many honest simple minds on botf
sides Of the Atlantic half persuaded
that there has been nothing in the pas
more despotic and overbearing thar
that enactment of Congress.
Come with me, then, to this ole
town, enter some of these edifice:
and look upon the administration OF
government as it was in the 10Th ,anl
'th centuries. We enter one of tht
towers of the castle, descend tiv,
steps, aud find ourselves in museum
where are preserved the books of re
cords, giving us a history of the past
and not only books, but implement
and instruments which show NOR,
clearly than written words the ad
ministration of those days, with whicl
the government of the United State
is now compared. Here is a pos
four feet high in the centre of tn
room, with two curious fixtures on tn
top, having some resemblance to gul
locks.
What is this? The girl who act
as our usher raises the hammer,
which come up with a click. Sh
touches a spring and down they &C
with a snap that startles you-force
down by strong springs, with whac
that would have mashed your finger
to a jelly had they been under tn
hammer. This is a finger crusher,
delicate little instrument used to e2
tort confessions from reluctant wi
nesses or suspected criminals. Her
are bracelets for the wrists, not 0
gold or silver, but of iron. and tn
parts which touch the wrist are st
with needles. Put them on your arm
and turn a screw and they close upo
the flesh, the needles piercing throue
5 cords. tendons, flesh and bones. 1t
one degree more eXcruciating tha
, crushing the fingers.
Here is a head-dress-a crow
which has been worn by many me
D and women. 1t has sharp knivt
+ which cut through the scalp to tt
e skull. Here are chains and weight
locks and keys, handouts and clasE
for the ankles, stocks for the fee
weights to-hold your feet to the foo
and pulleys to draw your head at tt
same time to the ceiling. Here is
bench Of solid oak, with corrugate
o surface, upon which many men hay
. been laid, held down by cords, to u
F dergo the kneading process, and th
rolling pin, knotty and knobby, all
of oak, which lies upon the table, h;
V been rolled backward and forwal
/ over the naked forms of men al
Il women, kneading live flesh to blood
dough Time and space would fa
me were | to enumerate the instr
< ments of torture here, Or to set for
'e their uses. We can only look att
G. cradle--a huge trough of oak on roc
ers-the bottom and sides thickly $
with pins, in which many victims ha
'e been rocked to death. Think of
1 ing on bed of 'oaken ,pins-till t
. flesh becomes livid jelly Here is
string of oaken beads, each bead 81
~ teen sided, about as large as hicko
q nuts. This was for saving off lie
!. and arms. -
: Here is an instrument shaped Ii
!" a pear. 1t is of iron, but to all {
pearance a harmless thing. But j
IS take it for a moment into your moul
IS and let me give a gentle pull at t
If string attached to the stem OF t
st pear, and it will be no longer a pc
+ b,,t a fall l,laxy,, l.lxr on iron lltv I