Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1867-07-12
vi ] = 4 ELLA NY.
THE HORRORS OF EUROPEAN
DUNGEONS

nal az Nsrcmhur-. Bavaria. writes bitterly +.
There are somo men who claim tLat The
past -as better than tie present. and Who
sing q the '' good old times. AM shcrc are
grrai many men ~ Auaerica. 90. .dsy ~ho
assert thai therc never was covcrnrnent
80 desPotic a. that Of tbc United States AZ
The present time. The Military Rccoa.
siruciioa at % Ihe present Congress j. le.
nounccd az "uorsc than anything Of The
middle Ages Correspondents o. tn Eng
ish ue-fPaPers. writing from America. re-
iieTaie thr CRY. ard douh, not that there
ar many honest simple minds On both sides
Of The Atlaniic-haif pcrsuaicl that there has
been nothing IN The pa, more dcspotic ani
more ovcrbeAriug thar tat enactment q
Congress.
Come ~iih me. then. % ibis oi5 town.
enter some Of these cdifocs anl look a3on
thc administration Of govcrnnent a. it vas
IN The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
We enter one % The towers Of the castle
desccnd i've stsPs. aud 6nd ourselves In
n'nscun. where are preserved th, books
q record. gising ~ thc History Of tbe past /.
snd not only books. bat implements and
iustrumsuts ~hich sho- more clearly than
words the standardization % those davs.
wiih Which The Governuicnt 90 the Unitcd
siates is no~ compared. Herc - pest
four icet high in the center Of The room.
18th t~o ouuous fStures on the top. hav-
inr some resemblance 90 gun locks.
What D. thisY The c,ri 80 acts a. our
usher. rai.es The hammers. which come up
18th ciick. She touches spriu- and
doEn ihey 20 wiih q snap that siariics vou
-iorccd down b. strong springs. nth a
uhack tha; wosil have mashed your Singers
% icily. hal thcy been under he hammer.
The d. 6rgcr cro-hcr. delicate lniic
Instrument used o. cxtort confcssi1us from
reluctant witaesses or sssPecied criminals.
here ar braccleis ;cr thc wrists. not oi gold
o. silver. bot - iron. anI thc parts ubirh
toueh che vrist arr 50 18th needles. Put
thcm on your arms and turn a screw. and
they close on the hcsh. the needles p.-rr-
iag through cords. tenson.. desh and bones.
l. b. one 1eertc more cxrruc.af.n, than
crushing The anseu.
Here is hcad-drcss-a rro-u uhich La
becn worn By many men AMI women. IL
has shsrp knives whi-h CIT through the
scalp 20 the stuil Here are chains and
veish's. locks ani keys. handcuF. and
clasps ilr tLc ankles. stosks for the f-c,.
weights 90 holi your feet 60 iLc foor. aui
paiieys 90 draw your bad ~ fhc zane tiaac
20 tic csiiin- Here is bench OF .oiiI
oak. vi'h a corrugated sarfacc. upon which
many men have tcen liid. tciI down bv
cords. % unlerso ihe kn-iling process. and
thst rolling pin. krotiy ana krobhy. also
of OAK. ~hi p iss upon thr table. bs. lr-n
rolled hackwsri and frrrarl over tir nakcI
foru,s of n.-n ar3 women. knsadine 1--we
fcsh 90 bloody dough Tine and space
vouii iaii u.r wefe I O. cnancratc fi.,, in.
.iruunents ol torture here. Or o. set forth
their usrs. We can only book 40 tic cra-
dic-a Lu-c trough oi oak on rorscrs-ibr
bottom snd SIDES ,hiekiy tci viiL r,us. in
Which many viciims have oskcd % death.
ThInk of i,ing On a bed q oaken pms. roll
inr to fie fright 90 fhe ief-aiusys against
rirs-uiI ite he,h becomes Erid jrny.
Here BE- string of oaken beads. each bad
sisfsen sided. about a. large a.. hickory
nui. Tbs vas for saving oT arm. and
itrs
Here is an insirument shaped ike a par
u is Of iron. Doe 90 al spreaaace barn
ie.s Thing urt just fake it f1r a rom.ut
iafo oar mouth. ani iet ore give gentle
poll 81 ths str.rg aitscbcl o. thc stem %
o. rcsr. srl it -iii ao longer be r. resr b1t
f1n t'osr l'y-aa iron iiy. unfolding .t.
icascs 90 fuidenly aai so viaienfiy that
yosr is-s are forced open Ug t.e i,.ais
cra.k in the sockets. vb1. che leli-nfc pet
a. become r.--ers si. 90 grasp vaa- t1rrlc, {,
40 oufory r1r No rtiranre of aor.is.
No scftaniHr fo raise the nci.l1arh98i
Maans ard a-ts only Hon, tlr sufferer.
one iri'rh offh. string toi 'he toa-se i.
torn ouf ~ fhe roo.s'
We must iease fI -ll..aui s..L1lt n..a.
tioning o. handrsi. of ..r.1sit... Weeo
info o. oouif farI. rarr.rra nou.at ,o
fl1fk ieai froa Imr u.e Glib aat .a
i-i s'gor 5o' years ago. anI ti.1 o. rrf.r
another door. trsceni iar.er G-tt o.
steps. to Dark. dismal dlugeans. uter. r.
l.ht ever falls escept tLrosgb narroa. ir.a-
grated sini1vs. Here arc h.-.rs. utt
SO liasses ari pulieys on vfi.h sa-, r.
sere srst.he.I ul bones snappsi. uI .siat.
lenfol from ttsr sockets. aud cords ani
tenions verc torn asanier H.re ore
~. ~ aL-.--. --------. 81 -la-.-. y.