Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-06-21

the roots ! -4.o.a
We must leave this museum with
out mentioning the hundreds of curl
osities. We go into the court yard,
stopping moment to pluck leaf
from a lime tree which was in full
vigor 100 years ago, and then we
enter another door, descend longer
flight of steps, to dark, dismal dun
geons,. where no light ever falls except
through narrow, iron grated windows.
Here are ladders, with windlasses and
pulleys, on which victims were stretch
ed till bones snapped, till joints leap
ed 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 or sound of tie
world, darker dungeon. This is
the room of the Iron Maiden.
Here is the statue or image-a
maiden with a hood upon her head,
an iron ruffle around the neck, envel-
oped in an iron cloak. Suddenly the
folds of the cloak are thrown apart,
and by the dim light of the candle you
see that that the lining of the garment
is set with sharp spikes. Take one
step forward and the folds enclose
you. Iron spikes pierce your body,
and into your eye balls--clear through
to the vertebra they penetrate. Not
a quick embrace, but slowly you are
enfolded-one turn Of the screw, just
enough to penetrate the flesh, just
enough to touch the apple of the
quivering eye; then, after an age of
anguish another turn and hundred
spikes reach a little nearer to the
nerves; and then, as heat, thirst and
fever rack the body, another gentle
turn and another age OF torture; and
then one more advance of the spikes
toward the vitals, till death comes on,
and then the maiden, unfolding her
arms, drops her victim through trap.
door, down-down-down into un-
known depths We drop pebble
and hear the faint splash of waters
far beneath.
Here is a skull. Anatomists say
it is the skull of female You may
put your fingers into the holes where
the spikes which entered the eyes
came through No name, no record
God only has the book of remem
brance
We think of this dungeon as con
! .,oa4,l With tho barbario,n of the mid
die ages; but We are not quite so fal
removed from those days of rigorous
administration of law. Till Napoleon
with the legions of France came acros
the Rhine, overthrowing all obstacles
this iron maiden held out her arms t.
receive offenders against the law. On
the approach of the French army il
1903, the Virgin, as it is called, wit
other instruments of torture, wer
thrown into cart and dispatched il
haste out of the town, but fell into tn
hands of the victorious army. No
till then did the world know what sor
of punishmentS were meted out to OF
tenders Of the law.
; We are to remember that Nurem
burgh was free city About thirt
; patrician families for long time nor
opolized authority, and choose
Council of State consisting of eigh
persons who formed the Executive
This Executive was an irresponsible
body. The world knew nothing o
their secret administration of affairs
Men disappeared, and no one kne7
what became of them. The iron Vii
gin embraced them, and that was al
Another Virgin exists in Austria, d
Neustadt. There are other horrors
enough to curdle the blood. not o
] the Roman Inquisition, but of Germa
! governments. The cart almos
; ceases its beating when you look upo
their devilish inventions and thin
that though 1857 years have role
away since Christ came to redeem tn
world, yet we are only half centur
removed from these horrors.
| forgot We are told that mor
y terrible than this is the despotisl
) now welded by the United States
y 1t would be waste of time to motto
, such ALLEGATIONS. But history has i
Z uses. Standing in this room of tortur
a with the iron maiden before us, W,
with damp, cold sweat, as if the ire
e itself was undergoing remorse for Il
/ past, we may contrast the leniency {
u the Government of the United Stat,
o with that of all other nations. In IL
: United States assassins only are e
u ecuted; rebels are pardoned.-
q The mass of rebels are invited to tai
J their place under equal laws; to ha7
Ii their goods; to lose no rights. En-
/ land in these days blows rebels fro
u the muzzels of cannon France roas
e cave full of Arabs at once. ST.
< back into the last century and "
u have-reaching all the way down
g the beginning of what is called civi
Y vation in Europe-slaughter by t
le wholesale, confiscation, Imprisonment
driving out of people-30,000 at
< time-intolerance, bigotry and d.
J potism. The people Of the Unit
g States may challenge the aoorld to p
duce such an example of leniency
g thar sohich they are noao manyesting
p ,caYds those aoho hare done Uhat I'll
81 could to destroy the Government. g
- THE OLD BEER SHOP.
,e cannot leave Nuremberg withC
ar first visiting a beer shop. We go
n Through a small kitchen where a me