The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-07-30
HORRIBnE RMlcSs
Instruments Of Torture Used In
the Dark Ages.

A Ra-c Coflpotson ftom the Castle Of Mo-
remburg on Exhfbition IN the
City q nonde-- ,0sAesH
AvsaHEU4R
The earl Of Shrewsbury recently pur-
chased the torture implements Of the
Castle Of Nuremberg, and they are now
on exhibition in London. The most
valuable, as 1T is the rarest Of tho whole
collection, is the iron maiden (Eisermo.
Jungfrnu). This terror-inspiring tor
ture instrument, says the Albany Ar
gus, is made of strong wood, bound to-
gether with iron bands. It opens with
two doors to allow the prisoner to be
placed inside. The entire door Is fitted
with long, sharp iron spikes 80 that
when the doors are pressed to these
sharp prongs force their way into va
rious portions Of the victims body.
Two entered his eyes, others pierced
his back, his chest, and in fact, impaled
him alive In such a manner that hc
fingered in the most agonizing torture.
When death relieved the poor wretch
from his agonies-perhaps after days
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
governing powers, parricide, and re-
ligious unbelief. The date Of this rare
specimen is tho fifteenth century. A
great number Of torture machines were
apparently constructed with such dev-
ilish ingenuity that they would twist
and rack the delicate frman bodtAto
the point OF msdnSsA dAd yet not
actually endanaDx ~.
The torture bench, about ten feet
long, was used for stretching prisoners,
the feet being fastened 70 one end, the
hands to the other, across q roller stud
ded with wooden spikes, called '-spilro
hare" .-r
The torture chair, the seat being COM
pletely covered with sharp wooden
spikes, body, aEsfn and legs being
strapped TO the CHAIR, and in some cases
two heavy stone weights attat4soa to
the feet.
The metal boots, v4sidA bsAng paabeo
ON q prisoners foet, molten lead or boil
ing oil was poured into them.
4 ,hastly relic in black box Of cof-
fn-lfse appearance is ths dried head Of
child-murdereos sstl tre.sa1k , On q
rusty spear.heeA
There are tonguote1srs, thumb
screws, mouth gags, Spanish gators for
squeezing the leSs TO pulp branding
irons, foot-scrows, non chstn gloves, TO
be used when ted-Aoss iron ntppess,
iron-wire w4ltrA heltY stonN 70 b
worn around ~ neok, thieAostshers
and large nunSss q two-handled En-
ecutioner's swesa.. OF the hanposoaa
articlcs'f, indeed hutnor can enter into
srch grim compunfonkAfp-we may In
stance The sna4ns-mdeaA o. bsanks,
worn as signs ~ S4ssradatAon 1ps a,i0hS
ofenses by men o. women, thoso for
the nobility having 1sors 10 tAssn Nlcs
helmets, so that the featsrss wsrs, CON
cealed TIL the pensnes was over wood
en- collars, WITH bctls and tassels for
scolds; duoAtn9 stos4s and ohu,n-sAaped
boxes, known aDasaahds' cloais-an
uncomfortabs 1s1nenA fltinS TOO
tightly round the neeh 10 allsw The head
to be withdrawn, and whAs tos heavy
to walk about IN br any groaA length
Of time, yet not quito short enough 10
permit the weeres 10 knesl down In
them
Among the p1oeRrusis one Of Damien,
of whom It may " remembered thak,
after four horses had failsd 10 pull him
asunder, ne wss afesrward tortured
with burning ell, and, that not killing
him, was finally bound 70 . stsks and
burned to death. Appropriately enough,
the instruments sEe placed In ssssies OF
dungeon corridors and cells that tho
Messrs. russaud havo erected In the
basement Of thsh eseabhshmenA The
dungeon ceM y q s0lA poem about
eight feet By ntN - ooostr~otsA that
the air In It could Be pumped o~k, 10
that the inmates died . Ao~, suffo-
eating death; pesnaps tks refinement
of cruelty was foashsd n The plassibls
escape cell n va Alse beacoa to
an escaping psissoeA . bs8 70 . poor
wretch, who - ADxht thoxsAA - was
about to regain hi fseedos,, nayes .
connivance botetRt hs YoaA hurry
down the darn s1bas eosridoe 10 where
the rusty gate unaoclsed o. carelesslv
left ajar would weapoEe Ain. 10 where
the bit Of shint.0ssay sesn through the
barred window So~A gladden. his
heart, and pushing opsa ~ gaAs WITH
eager hands would at enos stop into q
deep well Of wstss witA psspendio.lax
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