The Greenville times., 1883-01-06
singularly cheerful

glorious days of old an offender l
who had to be punished with the
wheel was stripped naked and
firmly bound to plank, face down
ward. The piece of iron on the
wheel was heated hot and the
wheel was rolled up and down and |
across the victims back till jus.
tice was satisfied. 1t was not ex-
peditious as the guillotine, but it
was just as certain. The only man
who ever survived it was adjudg.
ed a magician because he survived
ii, aud was promptly beheaded for
being a magician. That settled
him. He didn't bother Nurem-
burg any more,
There are also displayed switch.
es made of fne threads of "steel
which were laid on the back with
great effect. a little of this goes
a great way, but on being told that
in the adjoining tower is the steel
maiden you get over your Qualm-
ishness. Your party is taken in
charge by a guide, who shows you
large assortment of horrors be.
fore you como to the chief one, as
a sort of preparation. There are
stocks of all kinds, gags for tat
tiers, handouts, anklets and era.
die, the bed Of which is filed
with spikes, in which old.time of.
tenders were faithfully rocked to
sleep--a sleep which knows no
awakening. There are long tables
with screws at the top and bottom
to which men were strapped by
the hands and feet, the screws be.
ing turned until the unfortunate
man was torn apart. In those
cheerful days, when u merchant,
baker or butcher was found selling
his goods by false weight or meas
ure, be was placed in a cage and
carried all through the city, with
his name and trade fastened con.
spicuously in front. After making
the grand tour he was taken, cage
and all, to the river, and ducked
again and again, till it was thought
that his lesson was sufficient Il
prevent repetition. Perhaps some
such form might DO advantageous
in these days.
Wife-beaters IN those times wer'
severely punished. They were fur
nished with close.ftting helmet
: from which heavy weights were
/, suspended. They were given
conspicuous place in tho publ
f., square, appropriately labeled, AM
! placed in the stocks, with heav,
weights attached TO their arms an'
' feet; and there they sat the live
, long day, subjected to tho jeer
, and ridicule Of the town. Scoldln
, wives were put in cages, with gag
in their mouths, and exposed i
public square. You are shown a
kinds of beheading blocks an
gallows upon which noted villain
had gone to their reward, whil'
the walls are covered from top I
, bottom with pictures ofthe practi
cal operations of the various IN
struments that filed the room.
; All this preparatory tothe 'etct
9 maiden,' which is kept in a roor
!. above precisely as she was in th
\ days of her usefulness. You ar
:. shown what appears at first sigh
/. to be a rude statue of a woma
y clumsily hewn out of wood. Th
guide noiselessly opened it, on,
h door swinging to the right an
q the other to the left. The statu
0 was hollow and just the size of tn
# average man. Upon the insid
). were straps by which the offende
# was bound so that he could nC
v moves a single muscle. Both dool
, were lined with long, sharp STE
d spikes strong and thick. Whe
.. the victim was firmly secured til
:. door upon the left was slowl
a but firmly shut, and the Ion
q spikes went into his body, two b
# ing so arranged ~ to pierce h
>. eyes. Then tho door Oh the rigl
q. was closed in q similar name
o and he would receive anothI
IN complement of spikes, the closin
If of the door being done very slo'
10 ly, that the torture Of the man
n. the embrace of the maiden migl
10 be prolonged as long as possibl
3 The very last spike pierced h
I. heart After remaining shut I
il for awhile the straps were unlod
n. cned from the outside, q sprin
m was touched, and fell fifteen fe'
Q. into a cleyerly constructed IN
: chine that ground him up as fiji
n. as mince meat and dropped him
t. to the river below, ma king fo,
/ e n.l.