Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-15
RAsTUE ToRTURw.


The executioner, with the help Of his
assistants, inclosed the leg and knee
! within the tight iron boot, or case, and
then placing wedge Of the same met
al between the knees and the edge Of
the machine. took mallet in his hand
and stood waiting further orders. A
surgeon placed himself on the other
side of the prisnor's chair aud applied
his thumb to the pulse, In order to 1egu-
late the torture according to the strength
of the patient. When those prepar-
ations were made the president Of
the council repeated with the same
stern voice the question. ''When did
you last see John Balford, OF Burley7"l
The prisoner, instead of replying, turn
ed his eyes to Heaven, as If lnploring
divine strength. s~s The Duke Of
Lauderdale glanced his eye around the
coucnil, as if to collect his sufferings,
and, judging from the mute signs,
gave nod to the executioner, whose
mallet instantly descended on the
wedge, and, forcing it between the
knee and the iron boot occasioned the
most acute pain, as was evident from
the flush which instantly took place on
the cheeks of the sufferer. The fellow
then again raised his weapon and
stood prepared to give second blow.
"Win you say" repeated the Duke,
'when and where you last parted from
Balfour, of B1r1ey2" "You have my
answer" said the sufferer, resolutely;
and the second blow fell. The third
and fourth succeeded, but at the fifth,
when larger wedge had been intro
agony. ~ :'He is gone,': said the
surgeon; she has tainted, my lords, and
human nature can endure no more"
And when the unfortunate Macbriar
was recalled to his sense the duke pass
ed sentence of death upon him. This
gives an idea of the kind of instrument
was in favor in the Bastile, but not in
the Bastile, alone.
On the 18th OF October, 1868, Giles
Davot, priest was committed to the
Bastile, accused of sacrilege. He was
soon afterward condemned .sto make
amende honorable in front of principle
door of the Church of Notre Dame, to
be hung and strangled to gallows on
the Place de Greve, his dead body cast
into the flames, and his ashes scattered
| to the winds; the said Davot first of all
to suffer the ordinary and extraordi-
nary question, in order to learn the
truth from his mouth" After having
been examined at considerable length
this unfortunate wretch was subjected
| to the torture of water-that is to say,
he was chained down to the floor and
was then filled with water. For the
ordinary question four cans administer
eu, and for the extraordinary, eight
cans. After the first can," says the
report Davot said, MY God, have
mercy on mel What do you wish me to
say? have told ALL Exhorted to
tell the truth, he said that if he knew
anything he would not allow himself to
be tortured At the second can he
cried, I know nothing-I am ready to
die!' Exhorted again, he persisted that
he had nothing to reveal. At the third
can he said nothing. At the fourth can
he cried, That he had told the truth;
that he could support it no longer; that
it they would relieve him he would tell
the truth He was relieved, but hav-
ing once more declared that he had
spoken the truth, the extraordinary
question was commenced. At the fifth
can he cried, oh. my God! Oh, my
Godl' At the sixth can he said, Il am
dying. 1 can hold out no longer. 1
have told ALL At the seventh can he
said nothing. At the eighth can he
screamed out that he. was dying and
said no more.'' After this he was re-
lieved and unbound. and as the mas
ter sergeon, Morel, said it would be
dangerous to leave him any longer in
torment, he was placed on a mattress
near the fire, when his declarations,
made under the question, were read TO
him. After reposing himself for some
time he was examined. Asked for his
name, surname and age, after having
placed his hand ad pectsss, he said. 81
am Files Devott, priest, forty years
Eof age" The rest of the sentence was
afterwards ruthlessly carried out
Hon. ID. Bingham.
QUAY. the chairman of the republi-