Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-04
FROM THE DARK AGES.
Horrible Instruments or Torture Now
On Exhibition la London.

tne Castlo OF Nuremberg, and they
are now on exhibition in London
The most valuable, as it is the rarest
Of the whole collection, is the iron
maiden (Eise,me JunQftau). This
terror-inspiring torture instrument is
made OF strong wood, bound together
with iron bands. 1t opens with two
doors to allow the prisoner to be
placed inside. The entire door is
fitted with long, sharp iron spikes, so
that when the doors are pressed to
these sharp prongs force their way
into various portions of the victims
body. Two entered his eyes, others
pierced his back, his chest, and in
fact, impsled HIM alive in such man
nsr that he fingered in the most ago
nizlng torture. When death relieved
the poor wretch from his agonies-
perhaps after days-a trap.door in
the base was pulled open and the
body was allowed to fall into the
moat or river below. Persons were
condemned TO death by the embraces
OF the iron maiden for plots against
the goversing powers, parrcide, and
religious unbshef. The date of this
rare specimen is tho fifteenth century,
A great number of torture machines
were apparently constructed with
such devilish ingenuity that they
would twist and rack the delicate
human body to the point of madness,
and yet not actually endanger life.
The torture bench, about ten feet
long, was used for stretching prison
srs, the feet being fastened to one
end, the hands to the other across a
roller studded with spikes called
spiked hare"
The torture chair, the seat being
completely covered with sharp wood
en- spikes, body, arms and legs being
strapped to the chair, and in some
cases two heavy stone weights at
tsched to the feet.
The metal boots, which, being
placed on the prisoners feet, molten
lead or boiling oil was poured into
them.
A CHASTITY relic in black box of
cofin-like appearance is the dried
head Of a child murderess still trans
fixed on rusty spear head.
There are tongue-tearers, thumb.
screws, mouth gags, Spanish CATERS
for squeezing the legs to pulp, brand
ing irons, foot-scrsws, iron chain
gloves, to be used when red hot; iron
nippers, iron-wire whips, heavy
stones to be worn around the neck,
thief-catchers, and large number of
tvo-handled exscutioners' swords.
OF the humorous articles-if, indeed,
humor can enter into such grim COM
panionshIp-we may instance the
sham masks, or branks, worn as
signs of degradation for slight offenc-
ss by men or women, those for the
nobility having visors to them like
helmets, SO that the features were
concealed till the pennance was over;
wooden collars, with bells and tassels
for scolds; ducking stools and churn-
shaped boxes, known as drunkards'
cloaks-an uncomfortable garment
fitting too tightly around the neck to
allow the head to be withdrawn. and, /
while too heavy to walk about IN for /
any great length of time, vet not
quite short enough to permit the
searsr TO kneel down in them.
Among the pictures is one Of Da-
mien, Of whom it may De remembered .
that, sitter four horses had failed to
pull him asunder, be was afterward .
tortured with boiling oil, and, that
not killing him, was finally bound to
3 stake and burned TO death. Ap-
ProPriately enough, the instruments
are in series of dungeon corridors
and cells that the Messrs. Tussaud
have erected in the basement of their
establishment. The two cells select.
cd for illustration are copied from
the Museum of Antiquities, formerly
the prison of the Inquisition, in Ant
rerp, and have all the semblance of
reality. The first dungeon cell is a
ANAL room about eight feet by FIVE,
so constructed that the air in il could
be pumped out so that the inmate
died slow, suffocating death; per
haPs the refinement in cruelty was
reached in the plausible escape cell.
1t was false beacon TO an escapipg
prisoner, bait 10 a poor wretch who
no doubt thought he was about to re-
gain his freedom, may be conni-