Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-08-28

" iltu.
Then he whistled three times in A
shrill tone out of the window.
"oh, heavens :" cried the landlord,
falling on his knees.
A minute later two masked men rush
ed in.
They seized the landlord and Meynen
and handcuffed them. Then they gagged
them and put black hoods over their
heads. All this had been done with
out word being exchanged between
the middle-aged soldier and the two
masked men.
lie made a sign to the latter, who
nodded their heads and carried their
two prisoners out of the tavern to a
neighboring grove followed by the
soldier
The masked men laid their living
burdens ON the ground, They then got
three horses, one of which the soldier.
mounted. To the other two the hap
less landlord and Meynen were fastened
by means ofleather straps. The masked
men jumped into the saddles. They
then set out on brisk trot.
In half an hour they reached the
wooded hill fringing the southern part
OF the old Prinoipality of Diependorf.
The soldier whistled three times, rs
he had done at the tavern.
The signalwas Immediately answered.
herculean man, dressed in black
velvet, with a mask of the same color
before his face, made his appearance.
The soldier said to him: ''for Justices
sake.'
Justice will be done,'' said the her
culean man, in a sepulchral tone.
The two unfortunate prisoners were
united and then hustled into small
grotto, dimly lit up by few torchlights,
where a number of persons were lying
on the ground.
They wore black hoods over their
heads, and the fact that theiI hands were
shackled showed they were prisoners.
Meynen and the landlord were like
wise stretched out in their midst.
Six masked men with long halberts,
kept guard over them.
As time went on, many additional
prisoners were brought in.
These hapless persons in the vague
light of the crowded grotto, with the
masked watchmen who did not utter
single word presented weird and terri
Gle scene.
Suddenly Il solemn chant was intoneI
close TO the grotto b. number of male
voices.
Then a loud, deep bass voice was
heard TO shout out:
Undo Count Won Finkeni''
Two masked men entered the grotto.
They seized one of the prisoners, con-
ductedhimthrough a short subterranean
passage into a second grotto, which pre- |
sented still more startling appearance
than the one where the prisoners were |
confined.
Round the deal table eleven men in |
black cowls with black hoods were seat
ed.
A single torchlight Illuminated the |
grotto. On the table lay a grinning
skull.
When the prisoner stood before the |
cowled hooded men he was unshackled, |
the hood was removed from his head,
and the gag taken from his mouth.
He was middle-aged man, in the
rich costume of the nobility of that
period. His countenance was decidedly |
handsome, but its good looks decidedly !
marrcd by an air of sullenness and bru-
tality.
The twelve men rose from their seats. |
Lifting up their right hands, they cried,
.'woe, woe! ! woe,''
This was the ancient watchwOrd of
the Vehm Court Judges.
Upon hearing it the prisoners turned
very pale. The Vehm Judge occupying
the raised seat at the table-a tall broad
shouldered man-said to the prisoner:
.'Count Won Finken, the Vehm Court
accuses you Of being a highway robber,
an adulterer, disturber of public
peace"
81 protest.'' he cried.
sis he guilty,'' asked the presiding
Judge.
Guilty, Guilty." said the other
Judges,
'For your manifold crimes" said the
presiding Judge to the prisoner, "you
deserve exemplary punishment. Your
hands and feet shall be cut of. Your
eyes will be dug out. Your tongue shall
be torn out. If you survive this you
shall be buried alive"
The unfortunate Count howled in his
anguish and terror. But the executioner
was called in, and dragged him out
of the grotto.
A few minutes later his heart rending
wells were heard, as the executioner was
carrying out the dread sentence upon
him.
Fortunately when the tongue had
been torn from his mouth, he died, suf-
focated from the rush of blood from his
throat.
Forty-one prisoners were judged by
the terrible tribunal in less than two
hours. Sentence of death was passed
upon all of them. During all this time
the walls and cries of the victims as they
were bleeding under the knife of the
continued to rend the air.
Among the sufferers was the landlord
and Berthold Meynen, who were accu-
sed of having kidnapped young girls to
crafty the lust of Count Freyenburg.
Their hands were hacked OF, and then
they were hung to the stout limbs of
tree, with their heads downward. They
died in the most terrible agony.
Next morning the Nehm Judges and
their attendants had disappeared. But
the mutilated bodies of their sufferers
were found in the grove, with parch-
,nan.S and taIl-fale daOoers fastened