The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-14
Ion HUMAN TORTURE.
ONE Of the Fearful instruments
Of Death That We're Used
IN Past Ages.
.ho Remarkable Ones Which Are
Now on Exhibition In
London.
\ Few Of the Devices That Might Not Ne
Amiss In tho Ninstosnth
Century.

! spent = day among Some hundreds OF
he hell maohines' Of past ages. COM
orissd In the famous historical collection
1f instruments of torture from tho royal
,astle OF Nurembusg. belonging to the earl
II Shrewsbury and Talbot, but temporarily
a the possei . on Of 8. Leo Bapty. Thus
says 4 London letter 10 the Washington
Stsr. This collection IL the most complete
il existence, and IL OF wonderful educa-
eional value. a. showing the progress which
The world a. made in the interests OF
tsuth, humanity and Justice.
it, most conspicuous object il the cele-
DRAFTED iron maiden" OF which all students
OF history have read. To approach her
makes the blood run cold and the imaRina-
tion teem with horrors 40 n pic-
lures the many wretchos. Of noble birth or
mean. God-hatinR or God-loving. murder
ous or dove-like, guilty or innocent, who
we;e led mp to her smiling face and in
closed In her stomach, in that awful EN-
brace Of death in It's most horrible form.
This iron maiden is In a very good state Of
preservation, and still quito capable OF
huaoing an individual to death, though her
interior arrangements are somewhat rusty.
She is built OF strong wood and iron, and
from her shoulders down stands out after
the fashion of the old-fashioned %crinoline.
Two doors under her chin opened to admit
the victim md disclosed scores of long and
still very sharp iron spikes. When the
doors were pressed to, these prong forced
their way into various parts of the victims
body. Two entered his eyes. others pierced
his ohest-in fact. he WAS impaled alive in
suoh q manner that he died in the most
agonizing torture.
The iron maiden now blinks through hor
battered eyes on other instruments Of tor
ture as cruel as herself. Near her are to DO
most terrible torture known as the 'reine
forte ct dure," which was peculiar to Eng
land. This was the punishment to which
was condemned the person who refused to
plead to the offense with which he was
charged. He was laid fiat on his back, with
his arms and legs drawn as far asunder as
possible by ropes. Then as much weight
as he could bear was piled upon him, which
was increased day by day until he pleaded
or died. He was given the very smallest
possible amount OF food. and the day he
ate he was not allowed to drink. Who can
picture without a shudder the terrible agony
Of the victim-agony which was inflicted
in the name Of religion or justice in the
good old timesY'
There are in the collection several speoi-
mems from various countries of the pear
shaped screw gag. It was known in Spain
~ the mouth pear. It 10 made of iron in
sections, and can be squeezed together in
the shape of a pear. 1t was an especially
handy adjunct to the torture of those pri-
vately seized, astwhen forced into the mouth
ttsprang open and the victim could not ut
ter q sound. There are about half a dozen
mouth openers, instruments. with gradua-
lions to open the mouth to a certain size.
They were nsed when ii was found reces-
snry TO slit the victims' tongues or tear
them out by the roots, or while boiling oil
Or molten lead was poured down the throat.
II q prisoner. fearing a more awful end,
openers were used while he was
being forced to eat. Another mouth
instrument is known as a tongue.
tearer. 1t il in the shape of
a pair of tongs with q screw, and by it a
strong hold could be taken of a tongue. so
was principally used on blasphemers. An
Iron implement to be afixed to the ears b.
fore they were cut of was in common use
for comparatively minor offenses. Many q
poor devil took a ride to death on the
"Spanish donkey" an instrument formed
sharp point. The victim was placed strad-
dle-leRged on this and heavy weights were
hung on zach foot until the sharp point of
the donkey's back cut clean through his
body or broke him right in hAlveG. Spain
10 also credited with the invention of a boot
made of two strong pieces of heavy wood,
fitted inside with p%rotrudinQ iron knobs or
buttons. and made to screw up 10 az to
completely break the leg aud infiot the
most sRonizinR torture.
A portion of tho flooring Of a prison IL
interesting for its ingenuity. 1t is OF oak,
cut into diamond-shaped points, so ~ to
be as hurtful to the prisoners as possible.
and az in many cases the walls were also of
the same material, it was very painful to
lean, sit, lie or stand. Another ingenious
instrument IL AZ iron Drank, made only In
skeleton, but 30 constructed that parts
cover the mouth, nose and eyes. II has q
long, outstanding hsadtop, and was worn
by a prisoner perhaps for years. until his
identity was almost lost. The iron spi-
der" was frequently used on women, whom
it horribly mutilated. II is shaped some
what like . spider and was made to grip
the flesh Of various portions Of the body
and then tear it away. There were In the
collection about a dozen specimens of the
iron mail chain foot glove, which, when
red hot, was made TO fit the victims foot. A
couple of wheels gave one an idea of what
''breakin0 on the wheel" meant. This was
not a figure of speech. but . stern and ter
rible reality. When the condemned was
laid out on the wooden bed and the wheel
brought into action upon him and weighted
with all the strength of the exscutioner and
his assistants. every bone in tho body was
literally broken. In some countries the