Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-10-10
The Asonies OF CrucIfixion.

all civilized communities demand that
life TO be sacrificed shall be sacrificed
swiftly and without needless pain. True,
various nations have different opinions as
to how this may best De accomplished; but
the American and English Governments
have decided that hanging ia the most
merciful. As compared with the Spanish
instrument of torture-the garrote-it is
questionable whether or not hanging is the
most merciful. A bunPling executIoner
may, in either csse, cause unnecessary
tortures. With these subjects, however
this paper has nothing to do. The writer
desires sImply TO set forth the various
modes of cruclfxion rs adopted by the
ancients, and to show what terrible suffer
ngs the wretched malefactor had TO uEdeT-
90 before death came to his relI,f. Hours
and dsys of unmItigated torture: thirst
which was unquenchable; a prolonged
suffocatIon: horrible gasplng for breath,
intensified only by II moments respite; the
bites of the vultures of the air, and the
stmgs and burrowlngs OF insects; tine burn
ing of the rays of tine MONDAY sua, and
the cold, clammy dews at midnlght-tell
us, in awful language, of that dies ira,
from repetition of which the present day
Is happily delivered. In comparison, our
present capital punishments are most mer-
cIful, and the vindication of justice most
humane.
The most primitive form seems 10 have
been an upright tree, TO which the victim
was either bound or nailed. In Ezra VI, IL,
IT is ordered that "whosoever shall alter
His word, let timber be pulled down from
his hcme. and, being set up, let MIN be
hanged thereon, and let his house be made
dunghiIl for this" Titus had no time tc
add Horizontal beam when c. ucIfying 500
Jews q day for months. tie simply drove
pole into the ground, TO which the victim
was lashed, and he was left 10 die. Slaves
were generally punished by having q
'.furca" (forB) slipped over their necks, TO
which their arms were tied, and this was
boosted 10 the top of a pole, and secured
there by q rope fitting into groove. This
device evidently suggested the more recent
cross, to save time, and as being more
artistic.
1t was usual to nail the hands, but TO
bind the feet Ii is erroneous to suppose
that single spike secured both feet TO the
cross, one foot In front OF the other. A
spike was driven through each foot some
times TO a support fixed on the cross just
beneath the plsntar surface of the feet.
Additional cruelty was sometimes practiced
by the victim beng seated on a spike or
''horn' (Jusun Martyr), though al times
piece of wood was so placed that he
might rest on 1t. The nails, aided by
intense heat, seon produced gangrene.
Although the culprit writhed in agony for
for some time, II is doubtful whether any
long continued activity of the body could
be maintained. The weight of the intes-
tines, gravitating downward, produced
intussusceptiOn. The circulation was
impeGed, the viscera pressing on the veins.
The lungs could not be empt ed. lnse cts
got into the eyes, nose, ears and wounds.
At nighIfsll the bones of the legs of those
still living were broken, ostensibly to
hasten death, but in reality, 10 crafty the
spectators, who were becoming sated.
Death generally resulted from gangrene
of wounds displacement OF vIscera, re-
gurgliatIon of blood through the valves of
the heart, pericaruitis and paralysis OF
heart and lungs. In many oases death
was accelersted by hunger and thirst, the
vlcissitudes OF heat and cold, OF the attacks
Of raveHoUs birds and beasts, and in Others
designedly accelerated by burning, stoning,
suffocation, breaking the bones or piercing
the vital organs" (Adem Clarke, 'COm.
mentary on Matthew" chapter Xvii, 35).
According TO Origen, TImoiheus and Maura,
a married pair who suffered about the year
286, under Diocle;Ian, remained for nine
days and nights on the cross, exhortIng
each other, and expired on the zenith day.
by order OF the Emperor Maximian, in the
year 297, seven Christians at Samosata
were subjected to long and varied tortures;
three of them were taken down from the
cross while yet alive, and the Emperor,
hearing of this ordered huge nails to be
driven into their heads.