The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-01-01

tulated with bis entertaissy on the Lavish
| profuseress of his conduct.
my lord,n answered the sheriff will
emotion, "don't blame me for showing my
gratitude to the Judge who saved my life
when was an outcast. Had it not beer
for you, should have been hanged in
Cornwall for stealing loaf instead of liv
ing to be the richest landowner of my ma
tive county."-Book about Lawyers
---------s%0.s-
The Horrors OF .E'urensbarg
Castle.
Mr.. Coffin writes to the Boston Journal
from Nurembmg, Bavaria, concerning the
dungeons and instruments of torture BY
which government was administered in the
10th and 18th centuries. Entering the
museum of the castle, he finds post foul
feet high, with two instruments on the TOP
resembling gun locks.
What is thiss The girl who acts as our
usher raises the hammers, which come up
with click, She touches spring and
they go, with snap that startles you, forced
down by strong springs, with whack that
would have smashed your fingers to q jelly
had they been under the hammer. This is
finger crusher, delicate little instru-
ment used to extort confessions from re-
luctant witnesses or suspected criminals.
Here are bracelets for wrists, not of gold or
silver, but of iron, and the parts which
touch the wrists are set with needles. Put
them on your arms and turn screw and
they close upon the flesh, the needles pierre
ing through cords, tendons, flesh and bones,
1t is one degree more exccuciating than
crushing the tingera,
Here is head dress-a cipwn which has
been worn by many men and women, 1t
has sharp knives, which cyt through the
scalp to the skull. Here Are chains and
weights, locks and keys, handouts, and
clasps for the ankles, stocks for the feet,
weights to hold your feet to the floor, an d
pullies to draw your head at the same time
to the ceiling. Here is bench of solid oak,
with corrugated 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
backward and forward over the naked
forms of men and women, kneading live
flesh to bloody dough. We look at the era
dle-the bottom and sides thickly set with
pins, in which many victims have been
rocked to death. Think of lying upon
bed of oaken pins, rolling to the right and
to the left, dashed always against the pins
till the flesh becomes livid Jelly, Here is
a string of oaken beads, about as large as
hickory nuts. This was for saving offlegs
and arms
Here is an instrument shaped like pear.
1t is ofiron, but to all appearances harm
less thing. But just take it for moment in
your mouth, and let me give gentle pull
at the string of the pear, it will no longer
be pear, but full blown lily, unfolding
its leaves so suddenly and violently that
your jaws are forced open till the Joints
crack in the sockets, while the delicate
petals become pIncers, which grasp your
tongue. No outcry now. Means and sighs
only from the sufferer. One twitch of the
string and the tongue is torn out by the
roots.
Wego into the court yard and enter an
other door, descended long flight of steps,
TO dark, dismal dungeons, where no light
ever falls except through narrow iron-gra-
ted windows Here are ladders with wind
we're stretched till bones snapped, till
oints leaped from their sockets, and cords
and tendons were torn asunder. Here are
racks and wheels, pillorics 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
beneath all sight or sound of the world,
darker dungeon. This is the room of the
Iron Maiden"
Here is the statue or image maiden
with hood upon her head, an iron ruffie
around the neck, enveloped in an iron
cloak. Suddenly the folds of the cloak are
thrown apart, and by the dim light of the
candle yop see that the lining of the gar
nent is set with sharp spikes. Take one
'tep forward and the folds enclose you.-
Iron spikes pierce your eye-balls, clear
through to the vertebr@ they pentrate. Not
! quick embrace, but slowly you are en-
olded; one turn of the screw, Just enough
o touch the apple of the quivering rye
hen after an age of anguish, another turn
md hundred spikesreach little nearer to
The nerves and then as heat, thirst and fe- ,,
,er rack the body, another gentle turn
md another age of torture; and then one
more advance Of the spikes toward the vi
ais till death comes on, and the maiden,
her arms, drops her victim
through a trap door, down down--down
into unknown depths We drop pebble
md hear the faint splash of waters far be-
leath.
The TEETH OF THE HoRsE.-A horse
las forty teeth-twenty- four double teeth.