The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-11
BROKEN i ON THE WHEEL.
TIE HORRIBLE PUNISHMENT OF 4
HORRIBLE CRIaE.


Servlan Justfce-The Cruelty or the
Middle Ages Revived In the Nine-
teenfh Century-Awful Scene nj the
Double Execution.
There Is no State In Europe in which the
barbarous punishment OF breaking on the
wheel.is inflicted on. criminals except SerVia,
of the semi-dependenclestof Turkey. In Ser
via they have three, methods OF: Furnishing
murderers, highway robbers and incendIaries.
In the :, most, aggravated cases execution BY
breaking on the wheel Is inflicted. In other
casesthe culprlts are lied to chairs, and the
headsman runs q sharp knife across their
throsts and then breaks their spine. Ifthere
are peculiar circumstances of mitigation the
culprits are. shot by a file OF soldiers.
One of the most revolving crimes ever com.
mltted in Servia was the assassination OF Inc
whole family Of wealthy farmer, named De-
trestisy. in Bialln District, about twenty miles
romgBslgrade, the capital Of Servia. On the
Oath Of April Detrestisy, q man OF 1orty years
OF age. his vile, susannan, lWenty.nlne Sears
and Arandess, aged respectively Twelve, nine
and four wears, were found In the house muir
dered. Il was also discovered that the moth
er and the two daughters had been outraged.
Ai the victims had been beaten with blud-
9eons and; then stabbed.
AN ACTIVE SEARCH
was at once made for the perpetrators. Two
DAYS afterward1 they were discovered IN a
forest about four miles from where the crime
had been committed. They were seoassa,as
Alexiry, formerly 8 non-commissioned ohcer
In the army Of the Sultan OF Turkey, and
Moses Alexander Werthstein, an Austrian.
When they! were arrested the officers found
several hundred zequlns and the watch OF the
murdered farmer In their possession. They
were taken-tn ren 3 to- Bucharest, UpQn being
brought before the examining magistrate
they denied any knowledge Of the crimes
but thelash, which Is there still used upon the
mendscious criminals, was not long In elicit
ing
D. A CONFESSION
from the tortured Werthstein. After receiv-
Ing fifty lashes on the bare back, he confess
ed that Alexlcy and, he had broken Into the
house OF the farmer In order TO rob him OF
three hundred zequins, They succeeded IN
forcing their way into the mouse, but were
-ruufr0ntedb by htmrrhvrrupon. "a desperate
scufae ensued. The farmer fought valiantly,
but they dubbed him, and then finished him
with their dirk knives. Alexiry refused to
confess, and remained hrm under the torture
Ol JIG ld6ua xkOClI
the magistrate. Both Alexiry and Werth.
stein were fully committed. Their trial be-
fore the full bench Of criminal Judges came
of on the 18th Of June. It lasted but one
hour. Both were found guilty of murder
without extenuating circumstances, and SEN
fenced to be
BROKEN ON THE Rec
There was loud applause in court when the
sentence was pronounced. AleXlry listeneo
- a. r,lShout opnNtinn Worth Stptn- h0wPCHr.
broke into loud screams, tore his hair and
yelled for mercy. The officers of the court bad
10 drag hlm back to his cell. The l4th OF July
WaS fixed for the execution. They we're to ex-
plate their doom OF the old glacls Of the
fortress Of Belgrade, upon which Prince
The execution was to take place al a. NJ,
Send an enormous concolrse assembled to wit
ness 1t.
THE soAFFoLD
was circular, of wood, and the only distinctive
feature about sff was q st. Andrews cross, |
slichtlg elevated above the platform. About
lhalf-paet seven the eIecutioners arrived. One
was g heayy-built man, and the other almost 8
, giant. Both were dressed In green flannel
Jackets and, had their arms bare. When the
clock on st. Mary's steeple at Belgrade struck
eight, there emerged from the gate OF the
foftressia procession headed by four horse
1en.TaNe1t followed the carriagein which the
Judges and the priest we're seated. AS the
pFocesaion emerged from the gate,
sn LoUD sHRIEKs
we're heard. They were those Of WerthsteIn,
yho. chained as he was, hand and foot,
soresmed to Heaven for help. Under ordina.
rycircumstances, his appeals might have had
somee effect upon the people. But, knowing
ma fearful crime which he and his accom-
plfce. had committed, there was not q voice
raised fn his favor, and the soldiers were ralh-
or encouraged to punch him with the butt
ENDS Of their muskets. When the criminals
had been brought on the platform every
stitch OF clothing left upon Alexlry was torn
of, and he was firmly
TIED TO THE ST. ANDREWS CROSS.
Until this moment he. had preserved bis
e~quanimity..l But now the executioner drew
htomths green; bag . sort Of iron club, with
q knob at Its head. The fastened criminal
looked wistfdlly at the mar who was to tor
ture him, and then put him to death. The
executioner raised the iren club and crushed
Alexiry's right shoulder. The murderer gave
ashriek,,!and made q desperate effort to Tree
himself. He struggled desperately In his
agony, hnt the. next. blow which the execu-
toner gave him-on the knee-pan-ellcited
from the culprit q scream OF pain that caused
the blood OF, the: spectators to freeze. After
this infection. he seemed insensible, aHd the
other blows that crushed his Joints and the
Gull Avn VII aS SNAJ "SAS 6tVSn az |
to
A DEAD NAN.
Meanwhile. Werthstein, 10 his chains, had
to look on. He rent the air with his lamenta-
tons, and came near falDting away when the
executioner dealt Alexiry the first blow. He
flung himself to the floor, and begged piteous-
" for his life; but, alter tue lifeless corpse OF
Alexiry had been detached from the fatal
Cross, he was dragged to It, and. In spite Oh
his invocation, fastened to 1t like his accom-
plice. He yelled even before he received the
hrst stroke with the iron club; but when that
instrument of torture descended upon his
shouiderjoint, he gave an unearthly scream,
and the executioner's blow upon hls knee-pan
made him how still worse. For ave minutes
-sn eternity under the circumstances-he
continued his yells. and it was not until the
-execntioper gave him three heavy blowso on
the abdomen that all was quiet, and Servian
justice was satisfied.
The English University of Cambridge is
more progressive than Is generally supposed.
6