The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-10-11
RROKEN ON TIE wKEIH..
SERvIAN U'STICE--IIORRIRI PUNISH
MENT FOR A HORRiRLEclIME.

MENT FOR A HoRRiRLEcENE.
There is no State ini Europe il
which the barbarous punishment Of
breaking on the wheel is inflicted OIL
criminals except Servia. Of the semi
dependencies Of Turkey. III Servia
tmy have three method. Of punish
ing murlerers. highway snhhers. anil
incendiaries. lii the most aggravated
eases. execution by breaking on the
wheel is Inflicted. IN OTTER cases the
culprits are tied to clGlfrs. and the
hca(lsinan runs sharp Knife across
their threats and then breaks their
spine. If there are peculiar circun-
stances of mitigation, the cnlprits are
shot by n file OF soldiers. ~
One Of the most revolving crimes
ever committed in Servia was the as
assination Of the whole famtly Of a
wealthy farmer named Aetrestisy, in
the Bialin District, about twcnt1 miles
from Belgrade. the capital Of Servia.
On the 24th of April, Detrestisy, a
man of 40 wears ofage. his'wife, Susan
nah. % years old. and his three chill
drcn. Frances. Katbinka, ;thtl Andreas.
aged respectively y, ., lind 4 years,
were found in the house murdered.
1t was also discovered that the mother
and the two daughters h'td been ont
ragged. All the victims had been
beaten with bludgeons, and then stab
bed. IN
An active search was At once made
for the perpetrators. 1woiAys after
ward they were discovered Iii a forest
about four miles from where the MR.
der was committed. They were Sc
baStnlos .Alexiry. formerly Il noncom-
missioned officer in the army of the
Sultan of Turkey. and Moses Alexan-
der Werthstein. an Austrian Jew.
When they were arrested, the officers
found several hundred zequins and the
watch of the murdered man 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 the mendacions criminals, was
not long III eliciting n confession from
the tortured Werthstein. After receiy-
ing fifty lashes on the bare back. he
confessed that Alexiry and he had
broken into the house ofthe farmer in
order to rob him of three hundred ze-
qnins. They succeeded in forcing
their way into the house, Int were
confronted by him, whereupon tles-
pemte scutfie cnsned. The flrmer
fought valiantly. hut they cluhled
him, and then flushed him with their
dirk-knives.
AeXiry refused to confess. and re-
manned firm, even under the torture Of
the lash, freely administered hy order
of the magistrate. Both Alexiry and
Wcrthstein were fully committed.
Their trial before the tull bench OF
criminal Judges came of on the llth
of June. 1t lasted but one hour. Both
were found guilty of murder. without
extenlmting circumstances, and sen-
fenced to Re broken Oh the wheel.
There was loud applause IN the court
when the sentence was pronounced.
AleXiry listened to ii without emotion.
Welthstein. however. broke into lond
screams, tore his hair, and yelled for
mercy. The officers of the court had
to drag him back to his cell.
The l4th Of July was fixed for the
They were to expiate
their doom on the old gIacis of the
fortress OF Belgrade, upon which .
Prince Edward Of Savoy made once
his famous assault. The execution
was to take place at s a. NJ, and an .
concourSe assembled to wit
leSS 1t. The Scaffold was circular, OF
wood, and the only distinctive feature
lbout 1t VAS a st. Andrews cross
slightly elevated above the platform. i
About halfpast seven tlieexention-
lrs arrived. One was heavybuilt
nan. and the other almost a giant.
Beth were dressed In green flannel
ackets, and had their arms bare.
When the clock on st. Mary'ssteeplc
It Belgrade struck &. there emerged
rom the gate OF the fortress a process
ion Headed by four horsemen. Next
ollowcd the clrriage III which the
Judges and the priest were seated. As
he procession emergedIEtom the gate