Daily Republican., 1884-03-20
THE STEEL MAIDEN.


In an adjoining tower IL room
where there are preserved number O
very curious instrume nts of tortue usei
in Nnr-inburp hundreds of year,
ago, before the DAYS of tails and peni
tentiaries. There are tnumbscrews Of
the most approved, patterns and hel
NETS tor gossiping men and women A
singularly cheerful piece of furniture IL
q large, heavy wheel, on one side OF
which stands out a large, sharp piece OF
iron. Ia the glorious days OF old an
offender who had TO be punished was
stripped naked and firmly bound to a
plank, face downward. The piece OF
iron on the wheel was heated hot, and
the wheel was rolsd up and down and
across the victims back till Justice was
satisfied or the victim was dead.
lnasmuch ~ the spike was long
enough to 90 half way through the
man body, and was always heated red
hot, the victim generally die and JUS
,ice was ent rely satisfied. 1t was Dot
~ expeditions as the guillotine, but il
was just as certain. The only man who
ever survived it wan adjudg,d ma
gician because he survived it, and WAS
promptly beheaded tor being a ma
gician. That settled him He didn't
bother Nuremberg any more.
There are also displayed switches
made Of fine threads Of steel, which
wrr" laid on the bare back wi h great
'ii'ct. A little Of these things goes a
great way, but on being told that III the
adjoining tower IL the " steel maiden,
You get over your quaiuishbrss. Your
party is taken IN charge by guide,
who shows you Large assortment. OF
horrors before you come 10 The Chlei
one, ~ sort OF preparation. There
are stocks OF ali Kinds, gags. ior tat-
tiers, handouts, anklets ana cradle, the
bed Of which is filled with spikes, IN
which old time offenders were faith
fully rocked to sleep--a steep from
when was no Awakening.
There are long tables with sore" al
top and bottom, TO when men were
strapped by the hands ana Ieet, the
screw then turned TIL the unfortunate
man was torn apart, In those cheerlu!
days, when merchant, butcher or ca
ker was found selling his goods by false
weight or measure, lie was placed IN
this cage and carried all through The
city, with ms name anu trahe fastened
in front. Alter making
tho grand tour, he was taken, cage ana
all, to the river, and ducked again and
again, till it was thought that his les
son was sufficient tOprevent repetition.
Perhaps some such form might be adj
vantageons in these days.
Wif.-beaters in those times were Sc
verely punished. They were furnished
with close-titting helmets. from which
heavy weights were suspended. They
were given a conspicuous place in the
public square, Appropriately labeled,
and placed in stocks, with heavy
weights attached TO their arms and feet,
and there they sat the ive.long day,
subjected To the jeers and ridicule of I'll
town.
Seeding wives were put in cages,
with gags ia their mouths, and exposed
in the public square. You aro shown
all kinds of beheading blocks and gal.
lows upon which noted villains had
gone to their reward, while the walls
are covered from top to bottom with
pictures of the practical operations of
the various instruments that filled the
room.
All this preparaiory to the steel
maiden, which is kept in a room above,
precisely as she was in the days of her
usefulness. You are shown what ap.
pears ut first sight to 10 rude statue
ofla woman clumsly hewn out of wood.