Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-06
Crime and Its Penalties.

The day has forever gone Tor the hor-
rors of torture to be deemed fitting ac-
cessories of the extinction of life. In
the early ages of the world not only
criminals but prisoners of war were
killed with frightful fortunes. The old
Assyrian bas-reliefs represent victorious
monarchs boring out the eyes OF their
captives, and fiaying alive, burning, while
hacking with harrows and other sharp
instruments were common practices.
After the capture of Jerusalem by Titus
so many of the Jewish prisoners were
doomed to crucifixion that not wood
enough could be found to build crosses
on which to stretch them.
Burning, as all know, was the punish
ment specially provided for religious her
etics In these days of women's rights it
will appear singular that female offend
ers were often sent to the stake when
their male accomplices were hanged.
Such was the case with Catherine Hayes,
who murdered her husband in London a
century and half ago. In 1857 female
slave of Capt. Goldman, of Medford, Mass,
was burned for poisoning her master,
while man who was implicated in the
same crime was hanged. A woman was
burned in England for coming false mon
ey as late as 1863. Persons convicted
OF treason in England are still,
we believe, liable to be hanged,
drawn and quartered. This sentence has
not been carried out of late, and was often
robbed of many of its terrors in earlier
times, but it was more than once en-
forced with all its horrors. A contempt
rary writer tells of one of the rebels under
the house of Lancaster, who was first
hanged until he was half strangled. On
being let down still alive, he was disem-
boweled by sharp knife in the hands of
the executioner, the contents of his alb
domen and then his heart being next
drawn forth. The quartering of his
remains was the last act in the revolving
tragedy. Implement is still practiced
| by Mohammedan tyrants, and we read
only few months ago of its intiiction
ON three thieving officials Death comes
to the victims of this savage punishment
with much of the slowness and torture Of
| crucifixion
| The torrents to which Ravaillac was
| subjected for the assassination of Henry
Nv. of France, and century and half
| later Damiens, for scratching Louis XIV
with penknife, are too shocking for de-
tail. 1t is sufficient to say that after
having been placed on racks several times
| during their trial they were burned on
various parts of their body with melted
lead, burning pitch, and scalding oil, had
| their leg bones mashed by wedges being
| driven between the limb and an iron
boot and were finally torn in pieces by
four horses attached to their arms and
legs. Yet these horrible spectacles were
witnessed by thousands of interested gen.
tlemen and ladies of the court. George
Selwyn, who had strange love of wit
Messing executions, even went from Lon
don to Paris to see the last torments of
Damiens
Torture was not abolished in France
until about the time of the revolution of
1889, and in Germany it continued in
vogue for number of years longer. The
dungeons of Nuremberg Castle and the
Council House at Ratisbon contain,
among other devilish inventions, large
variety Of racks, iron boots and wire
| gloves, to be heated red hot before being
put on; boots into which wedges were
driven; the Spanish pear, which resem-
bled that fruit in shape when first put in
the mouth, but could be made to open,
thus half choking the victim and causing
him fearful pain by stretching open his
| jaws. Besides these there is at Nurem-
berg cradle filled with iron teeth, like
those of a harrow, in which man, after.
ward found to be innocent, was rocked
as late as 1903. There is also the Iron
Virgin, box of the form and size of
woman standing on her feet. The inside
of the door Is full of long spikes, which.
when it was closed, would penetrate the
eyes and body of the condemned. Be-
meath is a trap through which the corpse
might be dropped into deep vault be-
| low.
| Breaking on the wheel was common
punishment on the Continent during the
last century. The prisoner was placed
on an X-shaped, or st. Andrews, cross,
! lying fiat The executioner with an iron
bar would successfully break the bones
of the arms and legs both below and
above the elbows and knees, and finally.
IL humane, end the prisoners sufferings
| or, as the phrase went, give him com de-
| grace, by heavy blow on the breast.
The process completed, the broken.
limbed wretch was laid on the circumter.
encc of wheel, whence the name of the
penalty.