The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-10-15
PUNISHMENT OF PolsoNERs.
Crucified by the Ancient Romans and
Boiled Alive by Our Forefathers.

Crucified by the Ancient Romans and
Boiled Alive by Our Forefathers.
In ancient Rome poisoning was pun
ished by crucifXion, no matter what
the rank of the criminal, although this
penalty was usually reserved for slaves.
A Roman of respectable station having
been convicted of poisoning his ward
was sentenced to be crucified, but pro-
tested against the punishment as unfit
for gentleman. The emperor there
upon ordered the cross to be painted
white and otherwise made more pre-
sentable than those commonly used.
Whether the convict expressed himself
as better satisfied is not recorded.
In England, during the reign of Henry
VIII, the public mind became greatly
excited through several cases of poison
ing, and parliament enacted law mab
ing boiling to death the penalty. This
law was on the statute books about
sixteen years. 1t was made retroactive,
so as to take in case that chiefly
prompted it's enactment-that of Rich
ard Rosse, otherwise Coke, the Bishop
of Rochesters cook, who poisoned
seventeen persons, two of whom died.
Coke was boiled at Rochester. The
infliction was attended with peculiar
cruelty, as Coke was put into cauldron
of cold water and gradually cooked to
death.
A few years later, in March, 1912, a
young woman named Margaret Davy
was punished in a similar way on con-
viction of poisoning. The public were
not satisfied as to her guilt, and, not
withstanding the comparatively slow
travel of news in those days, the story
of Margaret Davy's trial and punish
ment soon spread through the kingdom
and aroused universal horror. Boiling
to death remained on the statute book,
however, as long as Henry reigned, per-
haps because the monarch himself had
dread of being poisoned. Immediate
ly after his death parliament repealed
the law.
Among the Turks the usual method,
both of trying and Furnishing a poisoner,
is to make him drink his own concoc-
ton, if any can be found Otherwise the
a confession. A poisoner who survives
the preliminary ordeals, but is convicted
nevertheless, is tortured to death by
being spread-eagled in the heat of the
sun. 1t is said that up to recent pc
riod the sultan's list of palace employees
included Turkish doctor, expert in
poisons, whose duties were not confined
| to attending the sick and tasting the
sultan's food. 1t has been known in
Constantinople that the skill of the sui
tan's poison expert was called into serv
ice whenever his master wished to get
rid of some one who had offended, but
who had been guilty of no open viola
ton of the sultan's wishes or DEGREES
The present sultan, Abdul Hamid, among
other reforms, has dispensed with the
court poisoner. Pittsburgh Leader.
First Builder of Locomotives in America
Locomotives were built for the frs
time in this country by Matthias w
Baldwin, of Philadelphia. 1t was il
1929 when the news reached Americi
that steam engines were successfully
used on the Liverpo oil e. Mancheste
railroad. Mr.. Baldwin, who was theI
in the iron-manufacturing business
saw the great Importance of the new
invention and predicted that it woul'
work revolution in business methods
He also realized that it would aid i'm
nediately in the development of thi
country, where the transportation facil
tiles we're very inadequate. The sam
year he constructed the m odel of loco
motive engine-the first seen in Americi
and exhibited it on small railroad
Then he began the work of building
locomotives in earnest The first one
turned out Of his shop were eXtremel.
crude compared to those made to-day
but they met all the demands mad
upon them at the time and proved salts
factory Mr.. Baldwin's manufactor.
was gradually increased until 1t becam
one of the largest concerns of its kin
in the world. Twenty-Five years ago
employed more than 1000 men and sen
locomotives to all parts of the globe
Mr.. Baldwin died September Z, 1866. =
Chicago News