Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-10-19
The rorer ofLondon.


The different buildings that make up
what is known.collectively as the Tower
have all histories, and all bloody ones.
There is nothing but blood connected
with it. The identical headsman's block
is carefully preserved, with the axe he
used and the mask he wore when en-
gagged in his delightful duty. The axe
is shaped very like a butchers cleaver,
and the mask about the most fiendish
face that devilish ingenuity could de-
wise. Ugly and deviish as it is, it was
propably an improvement on the face it
concealed You are shown the thumb
screws and rack. The thumbscrews
would extort a confession from a dead
man and the rack-well that is some
thing inconceivably devilish. You are
laid ina box; ropes on windlasses are tied
to your ankles and hands; then the wind
lasses are turned, inch by inch till your
joints are dislocated, After enduring
the rack and answering questions the
way they desired, for man in that ap-
paratus would say anything for "a mom-
ent's respite. you are hurried to the
block for fear you may recant as soon as
you get out of it. Then what was said
in the rack was put upon record as
testimony on which to rack and behead
other people. Those were the "good
old days of Merrie England"
During the reign of Edward LII, 600
Jews We're imprisoned in the dungeons
of the Tower for ''adultersting the coin
of the realm" The trouble with these
Jews was, they had too much of the
coin of the realm. and Edward too little.
The chronicler goes on to say that so
strong was the prejudice of the King
against these people that he banished
the race from England; but, with the
thrift that distinguished kings of
that day, he compelled them to leave
behind them their immense wealth,
which he gobbled and their libraries,
which, as he couldn't read, he had no
efor, and they went to the monster
les. 1 suppose he sold them by the
pound to the monks who could read.
King Edward has counterpart in the
English landlord of to-day He allows
no foreigner. 1t is curious how national
traits show in people through ages.
England has no more barons to take
things by the strong hand, but she
has hotel keepers. Their processes to
take any money out of the Kingdom, are
different but the result is the same.
They have no sacks now, but they have
beds, the thumbscrew is gone forever,
but bills are yet made out.
A large part of the vast building is now
used as great national armory. Stored
within its walls are 10000 rifles, of the
latest and most approved patterns, all in
perfect order, even to the oiling, and
ready for use at any moments notice,
England is always ready for war. 1t
would be quick nation that could catch
her mapping. These murderous weapons
look cheerful by comparison with the
barbarous tools the old English used.
After looking at the battle axes and
fails, and lances, it would seem to be
comfort to be merely shot to death with
4 Martini-Henry rifle. One could feel
some sort of comfort in going out via a
lecent rife-ball.
The guards of the Tower are the IA
nous ''Beefeaters, and are all habited
N the uniform in the time of Henry
VII who instituted the corps. The
present yeoman are all old soldiers, who
nave distinguished themselves, and a
7ery pleasant time they have of it. They
lon't have to drag women to the block
'y the hair of their heads any more, but
pend most Of their time standing around
and eating ham sandwiches,
which is certainly better than their an
'ient employment. There is nothing
,ruel in an English ham sandwich but
is indigestibility, and that only concerns
he eater. 1t is matter entirely be-
ween him and his stomach, and doesn't
concern me at all.