Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-11-02

There lie no State In Europe In which
the bafbarous punishment of breaking on
the wheel is inflicted on criminals except
Servia one of the semi-dependcncies Of
Turkey. In Seryia they have three meth
DDS Of furnishing murderers, highway
robbers and incendiaries. In the most
aggr waited cases execution by breaking
on the wheel lie inflicted. In other cases
tho culprits are tied to chairs, and the
hcadsman runs sharp knife across their
thioite, and then breaks their spine. If
there are peculiar circumstances Of miti-
CATION, the culprits are shot by file of
Cldiers.
Ore of the most revolving crimes ever
committed in Seryia was the assassination
of the whole family of wealthy farmer
named Detiestisy, IN the Balm district,
about twenty miles from Belgrade, the
capital of servla. On the cath of April,
Detrestisy, q man Of forty years OF age, his
wife suean nah, Twenty-Five years old, and
his three children, Frances, Kathlnka, and
Audreas, aged respectively twelve, nine,
and four years, were found In the house
murdered. II was also discovered that
/ the mother aud the two daughters had
| been outraged. All the victims had been
beaten with bludgeons aud then stabbed.
An active search was at once made for the
perpetrators. Two days anerward they
were discovered in forest about four
miles from where the crime had been com
United. They were Sebastulous Alexiry,
formerly non-coAmissioned officer In
the army Of the Sultan OF Turkey, and
Moses Alexander We.thsten, an Austrian
Jew.
When they were arrested the officers
found several hundred sequius aud the
watch of the murdered farmer in their
POSSESSION. They were taken in irons to
Bucharest. Upon being brought before
the examining magistrate they denied any
knowledge of the crime, but the lash,
which is there still used upon mendac,ouF
criminals, was not long in eiiciliug con
fession from the tortured Werthstein
Aftcr receiving afty lashes on the bare
back he confessed that Alexiry and he had
broken into the house of the farmer in
order to rob him OF 800 sequins. The,
succeeded in forcing their way mo th,
house, but we're confronted by him, where
upon a desperate struggle ensued. Thu
farmer fought valiantly, but they clubbet
him, and then finished him with their diri
. knives
/ Alexiry refused TO con f ss, and remained
. firm even under the torture of the lash
! freely administered by order of the magis
S trate. Both Alexlry and Wenhstein weTl
T fully committed. Their trial before th
4 full bench Of criminal Judges came oil OF
70 the llth of June. II lasted but one hour
I Both were found guilty of murder witlou
cXleauating circumstances, and eenteneel
to be broken on the wheel. There wa
loud ~ plause In court when the seutenc
B, was pronounced. Alexiry listened to
Il without emotion. Werthstein, however
! broke into loud screams-tore his hal
and yelled for mercy. The officers of th
It court had to drag him back to his cell
The 18th Of July was fixed for the cxecu
C tion. They were to expiate their doom o
h the old glacis of the fortress OF Belgrade
upon which Prince Eugene, of Savoy
s made once his famous assault. The el
II ecution was to take place at u. m, an
an enormous concourse assembled to Wi
ness 1t. The scaflold was circular, {
wood, and the only distinctive featui
III, about II was 81. Andrews cross, slight
elevated above the platform.
~ About halfpast seven the executionel
=, arrived. One was heavy built man, an
= the other almost a giant. Both wei
- dressed in green flannel jackets and ha
y their arms bare. When the Ock on S
y Mays steeple at Belgrade struck eigl
~ here emerged from the gate Of the 10
ny tress procession headed by four hofR
% men. Next followed the carriages
~ which the Judges and the priests wei
~ seated. As the procession emerged fro
=, the gate loud shrleks were heard. Tn,
~ were those Of Werthstein, who, chain,
'i' as he was, hand and foot, screamed
"a Heaven for help. Under ordinary ci
~ cumstances his appeals might have hs
~ come effect upon the people. But know
- Ing the fearful crime he and his accol
se plces lad committed, there was not
III" voice raised in his favor, and the soldie
were rather encouraged t. punch hi
with the butt ends OF their muskets.
When the criminals had been broug
of on the platform every stitch OF clotbil
a left upon Alexiry was torn oil, and
Ter WIS firmly tied to the 81 Andrews Gro,
of Until this moment he had preserved
ed cquanimity. But now the execution
re- drew from green bag sort of iron eli
ed with a knob at Its head. The fasten
INT criminal looked wistfully at the man vi
he was to io'turo him, and then put him
ch death. The executioner raised the In
IL club and crushed Aloxiry's right should,
Ost The murderer gave a shrek, and made
led desperate Effort to free himself. He stru
lly gled desperately In his agony, but I
next blow which the executioner "a
md him-on the knee-pan-eiicited from I
of culprt a scream OF pain that caused /
her b God OF the spectators 10 freeze. Al
her this intlction he seemed ms nsiblc, q
ily the other blows that crushed his Join
)ut and the finishing strokes on his belly W,
5 given as to a dead man.
ing Meanwhile, Werthstein In his chains, h
ind to look on. He rent the air with his la
her cntation, and came near iainting aw
on when the executoner dealt Alexiry
to first blow. lie flung himself on the Il,
ing and begged piteously for his life; but at
ntll the lifelets corpse Of Alexiry had been
, Of tachtd from the fatal cross, the jew "
hit. dragged to II, and In spite OF his invo
ere ton, fastened TO 1t like his accomp.i
Of He yelled even before he received
ich first stroke with the iron club; but wi
ne that instrument Of torture descended ~
BILE. his shoulder joint he gave an uneaitl
zig scream, and the executoner's blow NJ
lar- his knee pan made him howl still woi
ays For five minutes-an eternity under
Wit, cireumstances-he continued his ye
ing. and il was not until the executioner e
her him three heavy blows on the abdon
int, that all was quiet, and seryian just
was satisfied.