The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-05-19
tho revolution of July 1894, and
died in March, 1914, at the ago of

heading are tho only methods Of
execution. In England thoro was
a punishment called "pressing to
death. When tho accused refused
to confess his guilt he was mado to
die by the 7'cine forte ct dure. In
tho reign Of Elizabeth Tudor, ono
Mrs. Margaret Middleton, wife of a
rich citizen of York, accused of har-
boring a schoolmaster, refused to
plead guilty, because she considered
that such aploa would be equivalent
tor falsehood. She was divostod Of
all her clothes and robed in q long
linen habit. Sho lay down on tho
ground, her face covered with
handkerchief. Then door was
placed upon her, and her extended
hands were bound to two posts, hor
feet being secured to two others.
A sharp stono was placed under hor
back. Then upon the door wore
heapod iron weights, which broke
her ribs. while tho stone under her
back broke her spine. The poor
woman uttered only one exclamation
and was soon dead. Traitors were
usually boheaded or put to tho rack,
but thoso of lower class were
changed, drawn and quartored,"'
literally cut in PIECES whilo lifo vet
remained in the body. It neod
scarcely bo mentioned that for
"hcrcsy, great many persons have
been burnt alive at tho stake. The
last instance Of burning alive in
England occurred in 1912, when
bartholomew Lcgate was burned at
Smithtiold for holding opinions SINH
lar to those Of tho Unitnrians of our
day
In Spain and in hor colonies capi-
tal punishment is inflicted by tho
g"'rotte, which is species of vio>
lent strangulation, which is instan.
taneous and is said to be painless.
The punishment by the knolt,
which formerly WAS general through
out Russia for almost every variety
of crime, and which barbarously
murdered many persons by n slow
and prolonged and most horrible
torture, was abolished by the present
czar, Alexander II. Tho culprit
was bound to two stakes, and re.
ceivod Oh his bare back tho speci~
fled number of lashes from o whip of
plated thongs intorwovon with wire.
From one hundred to two hundred
and twenty lashcs wero the highest
number inflicted, and were consid-
cred equivalent to sentence of
death. If tho criminal survived ho
was banishcd for life to Siberia.
Formerly, tho nose was slit, the ears
cut off and tho lettor V (for gar,
rogue) branded on the forehead.
In China, simple beheading is the
mode Of capital punishment, and tho
unfortunate victim is usually half
starved before his execution, besides
being exposed in Wow of tho whole
community, who taunt him with tho
vilost and most abusive opithots,
sometimes alternated by blows and
the pelting of stones, sticks and
mud. Sometimes the bastinado
"a baton or cudgoD is used, and
tho punishment often destroys life.
Another Chinese mode Of legal life.
taking is horrible. The culprit is
placed botwcen two planks, aronnd
which rope is firmly bound, and
tho executionor saws timber and
man through tho middle.
A Singular mode of execution pre-
walls in tho empire Of Japan. It
was called hara>l1ari, ldraai-hru
(Which means '<belly- cut') and was
q rocogpointed knife. was often
done by tho person himself,' but
there wero professional performers
in most Of tho large cities Of Japan.
The tycoon would intimate to such
persons that ho was dissatisfied with
them, whereupon, taking the hint,
thoy made way with themselves.
The Japanese have little fear of
death, and endure tho most cruel
torturos with passive fortitude.
Punishment on the wheel was first
employed in Germany Oh tho mur"
derers of Leopold, Duke of Austria,
in tho fourteenth century. Accord
ing to tho German mode of this
sayage execution, the criminal was
laid on wheel with his arms and
legs extended, and his limbs, in that
posture, fractured with nm iron bar.
between tho years of $50 and 900,
the laws of Scotland was barbarous.
The following are some Of the laws: