The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1867-08-13
Ne Hanou oftAs Eureabourg Gail.

the administration Of government as i
vas il the lgth and 18th ceninres
We enter ono II tie towers q ihc castle
dcscsnd 6fe steps and hnd ourselves ~
= museum. where are preserved the
books II records giving us 3 history of
iha pas; and not only books bat i'm
plemenss aud instruments. which show
more clearly than written wotda the cd
nlimistralion u those days with which
Tie government u the United States is
now compared Hers il a post four
feet high IL the centre u the room, with
two curioas fixtures on the top, having
aome resemblance ~ gun-locks
What i thlsY The girl who acts as
an usher raises the hammer which
comes up with click She touches a
spring and down they 20, with snap
that siart!es you forced down By strong
springs with a whack that would have
smashed your fingers to jelly had they
been undor the hammer This is a fin
ger-chrusher, a delicate little instrument
used to extorl confessions from reluot-
ant witnesses or suspected criminals. -
Here are bracelets for the wrists, not Of
gold or silver, but of iron, and theparts
which touch the wrists are studded with
needles. Put them on your arm and
turn a screw and they close upon the
flesh, the needles piercingthrongh cords
tcudons flesh and bones. IT is one de-
gree more oxcrnciating than crushing
the fingers.
Here is head dress "A crown which
has been worn by many men and wom-
en-. II has sharp knives which cut
through the scalp to the skull. Here
are chains aud weights to hold your feet
to the floor aud puHeys TO draw your
head to the ceiling. Here is bench Of
soLd oak. with a eorrogated surface,
upon which many men have been laid,
held down by cords, to undergo the
kneading process, and that rollIng-pin,
knotty and knobby, also Of oak, which
lies upon the table has been rolled back
ward and forward over the naked forms
OF men and women, kneading live flesh
to bloody dough Time and space
would fail me were i To enumerate the
instruments OF torture here, or to set
forth their uses We can only look at
the cradle, a huge trough Of oak on
rockers the bottom and sides thickly
set with pins, in which many victims
have been rocked to death. Think of
lying on bed of oaken Plus, rolling to
the right, to the left--always on pins
till tho flesh becomes living Jelly. Here
is string of oaken beads, each head
sixteen-sided, about as large as hickory
nuts This was for saving of arms and
legs.
Here is an instrument shaped like a
pear. II is Of iron, but to all appear
ance harmless thing But just take it
for gentle pull at the string attached
to the stem of the pear, and it viii be no
longer pear but full blown lilly-an
iron lilly unfolding its leaves so sudden
ly aud violently that your jaws are for
ced open till the joints crack in the sock
cts, while the delicate petals become
pincers, which grasp your tongue. No
outcry now No utterance Of words
No screaming to raise theneiphborhood.
Means and sighs only from the sufferer.
One twitch of the string and the tongue
is torn ont by the roots.
We must leave this museum without
mentioning the hundreds Of curiosities.
We 20 into the courtyard, stopping
moment to pluck leaf from lime tree
which was in fall vigor zoo years ago,
and then we enter another door descend
longer flight Of stairs to dark, dismal
dungeons, where no light ever falls ex-
eept through narrow, iron grated win
dows. Here are ladders with windlas-
ses and pullies. on which victims were
stretched till bones snapped, till joints
leaped from their sockets, and cords
and tendons were torn asunder Here
are racks and wheels, pillories and
stocks, whips and manacles. This was
the place OF torture We leave these
and creep through narrow passage,
through doorway after doorway, and
reach at last, far under ground, far
beneath all sight and sound of the other
world darker dungeon. This is the
room Of the Iron Maiden.
Here is a statue or image--a maiden
with ahood upon her head, an iron ruff
fle around her neck, enyeloped in an
iron cloak. Suddenly the folds of the
cloak are thrown open and by the dim
light Of the candle you see the lining OF
the garment is set with sharp spikes
Take one step forward and the folds on
close you, iron spikes pierce your body
and into your eye-balls, clear through
the vertebra they penetrate. Not a
quick embrace, but slowly you are en-
folded, one turn Of tie screw. lust
enough TO touch the apple OF the quiy-
ering eye; then after an age Of anguish,
another turn and hundred spikes
reach little nearer the nerves; and
then as heat thirst and fever rack the
body. another gentle turn aud another
age Of torture: and then one more adj
vance Of the spikes towards the vitals
till death comes on, and the maid
ou, unfolding her arms, dropa her VIC
tim through trap-door, down down
into unknown depth We drop peb-
Die aud hear the faint splash Of waters
far beneath.
Here Is q skull Anatomists say il Is
the skull ~ female. You may put