The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-09-19
Punishment on the soles of the
Feet.

"As / walk up tho room q clock
strikes the hour OF two. The project
offers me his hand, and at his invita-
ton / take a seat by his side. Then a
negro clad in a long white robe and
wearing on his head an enormous yell
low turban, brings me a little cup of
coffee and a bundle of cigarettes. AS |
hand back my cup to this imposing ser.
vitor, three Arabs, escorted by two
guards, are led before the project
These unfortunates seem to belong TO the
poorest of the people their feet are bare,
their clothing is worn and ragged, their
hands tremble convulsively, their eyes
are haggard, and their faces twitch in
apprehension as they listen in MOURN
full silence to the words addressed them
by the perfect. After the exchange of a
few words two of the prisoners are led
from the room. Then five men enter.
These are ~torturers, and nothing %
fell or hang-dog than their looks can
be imagined. Four Of them seize the
Arab who is still standing before the
perfect, and the poor wreatch, as he is
cast on the ground, throws at him a
glance eloquent with agony and fear,
but the great mans countenance re-
mains fixed and impressive, and he
makes no sign of grace.
The victim was then placed ON one
of the slabs with his chest resting on
the stone, in which position he was
held by two OF the executioners. Two
others next raised his legs until his
feet were in a horizontal position In
which they were retained by means OF
a cord fastened to either end of q stick.
Each mar held the stick with one hand
while with the other he kept fast hold
of the Arabs legs. III the grip of those
four powerful and expert men it was
impossible for him to move and almost
impossible for him to writhe. On this
the fifth torturer, who had taken no
part In the preliminary proceedings,
came forward, holding in his hand a
sort of lash consisting of five strands of
twisted gut or hide. The face of this
man was singularly hideous and repul
sive.
He raised his arm and struck with the
regularity Of a pendulum the upturned
feet of his helpless victim. At the
fourth stroke the Arab uttered cry of
pain, and at every fresh stroke the cry
was repeated. But soon the cry be-
came ascream, the hagellated flesh visi-
bly, shuddered and the soles were
scanned with red and livid streaks.
Sitting silently on my cushion, chewing
mechanically the tobacco of my extin-
| guished cigarette, / could not help
shivering with horror. at the sight Of SO
much suffering. / felt as if ! were
under the influence of some terrible
nightmare. Osman Bey, his secretary,
the five ex~ecutioners, with their stern
and sinister features, looking unmoved
on so cruel . sight, seemed for 3 mo-
ment rather the creations of disorder
ed Imagination than beings of flesh and
blood, but the heavy thud of the strokes
and the screams of the victim recalled
me to the sad reality which + was SC
reluctantly witnessing. Then the pun
ishment ceased, and the Arab, with
CHASTITY face and body shaken with q
feverish trembling. had to incline him
self respectfully before the man by
whose order he had been cruelty tor
mented. Helped by q guard, for his
manned and bleeding feet refused tc
support him, he was then led, still
moaning with agony, from the torture
chamber. The two other Arabs were
afterwards punished in Like manner.
1t wa now past 3 o'clock, and his Ex-
ceilency, putting on his usual pleasant
smile, gave me his orders concerning
the services Of the police. ! then sa-
luted him and hurried away from the
place where ] had seer the practical ap.
p~lication of a harharcus iarispfu.
dence. "-[Hilaire Gays Book on Egyp-
tian Tortures.
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