Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-12-27

ed them TO cxpel the Jews. Nearly two
millions of their most Industrious and
able subjects were thus driven by these
sovereigns from their country; IA blow
was self inflicted on Spain from which
she has never recovered; indeed, the
| whole policy OF the InquisitiOn was the
means of dragging down Spain from
the highest To the lowest place among
the Kingdoms OF Europe.
Their highnesses OF the InquisitiOn
saw that to put down the rising spirit
OF Professionalism they must bend the
whole resources of their Institution, in
the most merciless and relentless fash
ion, TO stamp out, at once and forever,
every spark and vestage OF heresy.
And their resources We're simply APP
palling. They had lately received "a
great extension OF powers. and were
practically able 10 arrest, confine tor
ture, convict. and burn whomsover
they pleased. and perpetuate npon
them the most iuhuman cruelties.
Once within their clutches, their vic
tins were practically helpless At
tempts have been made TO show that
it was otherwise, but historians Of
their own confirm what we have said.
No doubt in their prisons there were
cells that were fairly comfortable, but
these were reserved for aduiterers, pi-
rates, smugglers or political offenders
who were not very dangerous to the
church. But for heretics the places
OF confinement were usually under
ground dungeons, dark damp, and
dreary, never warmed by the comfort
able glow OF fire, hardly reached by a
struggling sunbeam, uncleansed and
putrid, breeding diseases that per-
haps in mercy, ended the life of many
prisoner before he was condemned
TO the fire. At the dead OF niyht the
victim would he summoned TO stand
his trial in a dismal chamber, where
his merciless judges would be found,
while the" familiars Of the Inquisition''
moved about, executing their orders.
their faces covered by garments with
two holes opposite their eyes, as if
TO disguise their very humanity.
II the accused person would
not confess his guilt, or would
not disclose the name OF others
whom he knew to be heretics he was
ordered the torture. The forms of
torture were varied. but two obtained
pre-eminence the rack and the pulley.
The rack was hollow machine of
wood, with no bottom, but "a bar
against which the body lay, while the
limbs were fastened by tight cords that
often cut through the flesh TO the
bone, and on the mouth cloth was
placed on which water slowly descend
ed, causing most irritating sensation,
and a struggle for breath that often
broke blood vessels in the lungs In
the pulley, the victim had heavy
weights attached TO his feet. his arms
We're bound behind, he was hoisted by
a rope 10 the roof, then by the slack
ing OF the rope allowed 10 drop with
jerk so violent that sometimes every
joint was wrenched from its socket. ii
the first application OF the instruments
Of torture was intellectual the victim
was flung back into his horrible cell 70
digest his agony as he might, and
called out perhaps next day to under
go repetition OF the process Some
times it would be repeated day after
day for many days in SUGGESTIONS; and
sometimes years upon years would DO
spent in captivity with 'an occasional
touch OF torture to break the monoto-
ny OF the confinement