Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-07-08

the weight of one arm, which is placed
over slender horizontal pole several feet
from the earth while the other arm, and
this are passed under the legs and tied
together by the thumbs below the knees.
No part of the body is permitted to touch
the ground. Let the reader suffer his
thumbs to be tied in this way. even with
his feet on the floor, and he will soon
realize the terrors of this frightful torture
The torture of the cage is caused by
compelling the culprit to stand on tiptoe
with his head protruding through the top
of it. The hole is just large enought foI
his neck, and ifhe attempts to rest himself
by drawing up his leg, the weight of his
body is brought to bear or his neck. Dur
ing the latter reign Of the emperor who
died in 1850, noted robber was compelled
to stand in public in such cage In the
suburbs of Fuchau, until he died IN agony
The torture of the tube is caused by put
ting a large tube of bamboo, or n smal
tub or pail. turned bottom side up, upon
the head of the cuIprit; incense is then
lighted and so placed that the smoke shall
ascend into the prisoners wooden head
cover As the smoke cannot escape
through the top, the victim endures indes-
crbable agony or is sutfocated unless the
instrument is removed.
Another mode of torture Is to compel
the prisoner to kneel on chairs or bits OF
crockery. His arms are outetrotohod, and
he is severely whipped if he dares to lower
them. Again, he may be made to kneel
on these hard and uneven substances with
his hands tied behind his back. The Chi
nese say that in the case of stubborn crImI-
nals it happens quite often that several
hundred blows inflicted with rattan
throng are laid on the prisoner while he Is
in this painful position.
A fendish mode Of torture occasionally
used upon State prisoners is called the hot
water snake Hollow pewter tubes, mad
in the form of snakes, are so constructed
that they can be wound round the arms OF
the prisoner Another, and the third coil
| is sometimes wound round the body. Boil
ing hot water is then poured into the
mouths of the snakes; and as 1t runs
through the hollow tubes 1t burns into the
unhappy victims flesh and occasions the
most exquisite torment. This devilish con-
trivance is still occasionally used at the
capital on State prisoners
The torture of iron wire is even more
diabolical than the boiling snakes. \
shirt-like garment made of very fine wire
with interstices something like those OF a
fishing net, is put on the prisoner. the
clothing from the upper part OF his body
having been removed. \ cord is attached
to it, in such way that when pulled the
shirt will dress down closely on the body
and the skin and flesh will protrude. more
or less, through the interstlces. \ knife
like instrument is then passed over the
wires on the outside, cutting or rasplng OF
the protruding skin and flesh. This oper-
alton is repeated at the option OF the dis
penser of justice.
The torture of the whip is no less inhu-
man. \ largs number of very fine hoops
are securely fastened to handful OF the
fbres of hemp The whole is then used
as whip with which to beat the prisoner
in order to elicit a confession. When a
blow is given with this whip many OF the
hooks will stick 50 the body of the victim
and unless satisfactory confession is forth
coming the whip is pulled or jerked back
by main force and another blow given The
operation is repeated according to the die
tation of the presiding officer.