The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-09-04
The Turkish Basfiuado.

The Turkish Bastinado.
| had heard much of the bastinadO,
a punishment existing only in the
East, but / had never seen it inflicted
before, and | fervently hope l never
shall see it again. found the little
Governor standing at one end Of the
large hall of entrance, munching and
irving causes. A crowd was gather
ed around, and before him was poor
Arab, pleading and beseeching most
piteously, while the big tears were
rolling down his cheeks Near him
was a man, whose resolute and some
what angry expression marked him as
the accuser seeking vengeance rather
than justice.
Suddenly the Governor made a
gentle movement with his hand; all
noise ceased all stretched their necks
and turned their eager eyes toward
him; the accused cut short his crying,
and stood with his mouth wide open,
and his eyes fixed upon the Governor
The latter spoke few words in
very low voice, to me, Of course, un-
Ineligible, and, indeed, scarcely aud
ible 4; but they seemed to fall upon the
quick ears of the culprit like bolts of
thunder. The agony Of suspense was
over, and, without q word or look, he
laid himself down on his face at the
feet of the Governor A space was
Immediately cleared around, a man on
each side took him by the hand, and,
stretching out his hands, kneeled upon
and held them down, while another
seated himself across his neck and
shoulders Thus nailed to the ground,
the poor fellow, knowing now that
there was no possible chance of es-
cape, threw up his feet from the knee
joint, so as to present the soles in a
horizontal position. Two men came
forward with a pair of long, stout
bars Of wood attached together by &
piece of cord, between which they
placed the feet, drawing them togeth-
er with the cord, to fix them in their
horizontal position, and leave the
whole fiat surface exposed to the full
force of the blow. In the meantime
two strong Turks were standing
ready, one at each side, armed with
long whips, much resembling our
common cow skin, but longer and
thicker, and made of the thick hide of
the hippopotamus. While the oecu-
patton of the Judge was suspended
by these preparations, the january
had presented the American Consufs
letter.
Ny sensibilities are not particularly
acute, but they yielded in this in
stance. | had watched all the pre-.
liminary arrangements, nerving my
self for what was to come; but,
when / heard the scourge whizzing
through the air, and when the first
blow fell upon the naked feet, saw the
convulsive movements of the body, I
and heard the first, loud. piercing
shrek, could stand it no longer; /
broke through the crowd, forgetting
the Governor and everything else,
except the agonizing sounds from
which / was escaping; but the janiza-
~ followed close at nv heels, and I
laying his hand upon my arm hauled
me back to the Governor to be a wit
ness of the administration Of Turkish /
Justice. If / had consulted merely
the impulse of feeling, | should have |
consigned him and the Governor and .
the whole nation of Turks to the /
lower. But it was all-important not /
to offend this summary disposer of
Justice and / never made q greater
sacrifice Of feeling to expediency than
when l re-entered his presence. The
shrieks of the unhappy criminal were
ringing through the chamber, but the
Governor received me with as calm a
smile as if he had been sitting on his
own divan, listening only to the strains
Of some pleasant music, while | stood
with my teeth clinched, and felt the
hot breath of the victim, and heard
the whizzing of the accursed whip as
It fell again and again upon his bleed
ing feet l have heard men cry out
in agony-when the sea was raging
and the drowning man, for the last
lime, upon the mountain waves,
turned his imploring look toward us,
md, with his dying breath, called in
vain for help-but | never heard such
leartrending sounds as those from the
,oor bastinadoed wretch before me.
| thought the Governor would
never make an end of reading the let
er when the scribe handed it to him
or his signature, although it contain
ID but half dozen lines he fumbled
n his pocket for bis seal, and dipped
I in the ink the impression did not
suit him, and he made another and,
after a delay that seemed to me eter-
lal employed in folding it, handed it
% me with most gracious smile. l
Inn sure grinned horribly in return
md, almost snatching the letter, just
IS the last blow fell, turned to has
en- from the scene.
The poor scourged wretch was
'ilent. He had found relief in happy
nsensibility. l cast one look upon
he senseless body, and saw the feet
aid open in gashes and the blood
streaming down the legs. At that
the bars were taken away,
Ind the mangled feet fell like lead
upon the foor.
/ had to work nv way through the
crowd, and, before / could escape, II