Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-05-20
when 1t is the inheritance Of the good.
The bad who discredit an honorable
descent are those who should be 81.
lent on such O subject.
The Fearful Torture, Comics
sion, and Execution of Bea-
trica Camel

sion, and Execution OF Bea-
trice Cenci.
The guide-books and the legend-keep-
ers tell pretty story as to how Guido
sketched the painting of Beatrice the
night before her execution in the prison |:
how the artist took sheet from the bed
and arranged it in the well-known grace
ful drapery for head and figure which
we see in the picture. ....
The story of her life is well known,
but short account of her profession
and execution may not be without in
terest. When the Cencis came to trial
Beatrice knew that the least sign of guilt
or fear on her part, or on the part of any
of the family, would end in ruin, and so
determined to bear torture, death, n
The assassin Mario, who had told all,
was now brought before the two women
in the prison and bidden to repeat his
story. Beatrice denied each and every
particular, and so warmly, and with so
much eloquence, that Mario was at last
led to say his whole story was a lie. 1t
was all All invention, he said-all lie.
lie was put upon the awful rack, and
still denied. He was made to sit in a
chair of sharp steel spikes, and his arms
and legs were drawn almost from his
body still he denied. The torture was
increased, terribly, namelessly, and
then, without word, he died.
The last evidence of Beatrice's guilt
was gone. The case was reported to the
Pope, and an order asked for the release
of the Cenci family from prison. For
the second time the end seemed to be-
The Pope, howeaer, was not satisfied
He had his own private conviction that
Count Genet had been murdered. An
order was issued to put the two women
in the prison of San Angelo. Still there
was no living evidence against them,
and hope was again renewed.
Hope in vain. TO Beatrice's horror
the Pope ordered that the Cenci family
should at once be put to the torture.-
The order was promptly obeyed.
The whole family were conducted in
to one room. Curious ropes and hooks
hung from the ceiling. On the walls
were other dreadful-looling instruments
of torture. At the back end of the
room stood two men, dark and SILENT
They were the torturers. At the front,
by n table with cruciliX upon it, sat
the Judge and his secretary. All was
grim and silent, waiting the torture.-
What n scene for Beatrice The room,
with its internal memories, Is still cX-
hibited to the curious traveller in Rome.
The questions commenced, and each
of the family strongly denied all guilt
IN the murder of Count Cenci. Mosca-
II, the grim judge, beckons to two grim
figures In the rear. They ADVANCE
Lucrezia and Giacomo are seized, strip
ped, and fastened by their wrists to the
suspended ropes. "Once more, are you
guiltyY" "No." Another wink, and
mother and son are jcrked to the ceiling.
The pain Is terrible, too great to endure.
They beg for mercy, acknowledged their
part of the guilt, and are so let down.
They have been hanging by the wrists,
with the arms drawn up from behind.--
Their shoulders and arms are almost
torn out of joint.
This much WAS only the introduction
TO the torture-court Of that enlightened
day on the continent. Bernardo, the
boy, comes next, but the awful specta-
Gle he has Just beheld Is enough. He
confirms all, more than all, anything,
everything, only spare him the torture.
lie confessed himself guilty, although 1t
Is well known he was perfectly innocent,
and was not even aware of the proposal
10 kill his father. And now comes the
young girl. She Is so young, thinks the
| ufcuulNl mOSNuli, w t'lu'i, eVbNhh'hhlJ
Il will be short work with Beatrice
| All little did he dream Of the soul pos
sessed by the maid before him. Beatrice
was led under the ropes, and stretched
up, questioned, threatened with things
ten times worse. can, ALL" she cried,
sis false" Further stretching, pulling,
and torture, and the girl still maintains
her innocence. Nloscatl was astonished
and perplexed. Even In the agony of
the torture the girls eloquence, reason
ing, pleading, was complete. Tie did
not know that Beatrice had determined
to die on the rack rather confess. What
can he do more? In his own mind he
begins TO believe that she Is, after all,
innocent, and that her family, for them
selves, have simply accepted guilt and
death as preferable TO further torture.
lie cannot 90 further, even he. She Is
ip,mordblc, lie stops, lets her down,
and reports his failure to the Pope.-
Courage and endurance have won the
div, even In Roman torture, and with
young girl as the victim.
Pope Clement VIII. sat In the Vot-
can. lie read the report, and was not
satisfied. IN fact, Clement VIII. was
bent on having the blood of the whole
Ccncl famiy. Nothing short of this
lie sent new orders. "Put the girl Bea-
trlce to other and severcr tortures."
Moscatl could not do this, and 30 n new
beast OF Judge was found, one Anteo
by name, to execute the horror. ''The
beauty and the eloquence OF the victim