The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1893-08-04
Crime and Its Punishment in Differ
ent Lands.

ON'J N"SA'J WIZ 90 WClO pun w utabbs
ln France, at the present time, the
presiding Judge acts as u prosecutor,
cross examining the prisoner with
the utmost severity, aud doing every
thing possible to make nm contra
dict himself.
According to old German law any
lltigant had The right 10 challenge
witnesses, or even the judges, 10
mortal combat, ON the accusation
that the evidence was untrue or the
Judgment unjust.
During the reign Of Henry Will
Il, 400 persons were legally executed
III England, a large humber OF whom
were lnOtlenslve or unfortunate. In
one year 300 beggars We're hanged Tor
something food.
LII Russia, England, Scotland, Ire.
land and the United States capital
punishment is by hanging, III Frauce
by the guI!otine, in Spain garrote, in
Germany and most other European
countries by beneading.
lmpaling WAS used as punish
menC III Turkey up TO 1855. Tue last
men impaled were four Arab Shieks,
VII" tau rebelled. They were i'm
paled ut the four corners of the Bag
dad bridge. One OF them lived nlne
days.
Among the SaXOns a person accused
OF crime could clear hmselt by means
OF GOmpurgaLors, that is 10 say, he in.
duced twelve persons to come in and
swear to his good reputation aud that
they did uoV believe him guilty.
Some tribes of North American In
dams punished mAtriclde4 by naug-
ing thenu by their hands to the limbs
OF tree, a. height just sufficient to
permit the wolves to reach them from
the ground. they were then left to
be eaten alive.
The maximum murder will outu is
dlsproved by statistics. In the ten
yeas ending with 1886 there were
1856 murders committed in England
I'd Wales and III 1904 of these cases
no race OF the criminal was eve,
fonn that led to his apprehension.
A peculiarly severe punishment in
use amoug the Chinese is the loss Ot
sleep. The criminal is kept awake
by his guards until he DIES The
sufferer sometimes lives two weeks
under the torture, and almost always
becomes u Taying maniac.
According to the latest available re-
tutns, Russia has the largest prtsou
pOpuIHti"u, lOS $40, next comes India
with $3.50, Italy With 6S,S2S, Japan
with 63,S2S, France with 80, $3.50, the
United States with SO ,25S, and Great
Britain with 30,474.
The last instance Of boiling to death
took place IN Persia IN 1870 The
offender WAS guilty OF stealing stale
revenues, WAS put in large cauldrCn
OF cold water, which was slowly
heated to the boiling point. HIS
bones were distributed, a. u warning,
among the provincial taX-cOllec ors
The Chinese punish atrocious
crimes by inclosing the criminal III
an iron cage, his head passing
through All opening at the top At
such y height Cnat his knees are bent
and he can noItnei stand nor sill.
Criminals thus punished usually b.
come Insane through suffering III |, s.,
thah TWO DAYS
The gu,l,Otiue was not invente, by
the physIcIah whose name il bear .
1t was in use In Europe from Rom n
days. Or. tjuuOLin merely alV,-
Gated its use in Paris as a merciIul
mode OF Intlicting capital punish
ment, aud WAS Greatly annoyed at the
nOtorely he attained in connection
with il.
The difference between med ;@val
aud modern laws consists in the tact
that according u the former u crime
Wa+ committed agHiust the individu-
al VINO WAS injured, and the right OF
redress lay with him; according TO
the latter, the wrong nas been done
To tue state, which alOue claims ne
right OF punishment.
In the England Of the sixteenth
ce atury Stealing above the value of
Il peucV, burning haystack, killil g
or stealing \ sheep, breaking u dyke
or bridge, breaking a OanK OF a fish
pOud, cutting down a tree in an
orchard, and the malicious tearing or
deiacing Lne garments OF u person III
the street were all capital Ottens.s.
According to tho authorities, the
crimes punishable in this country by
death are treason, murder, arson, rape
piracy, robbery OF the mail with
jeopardy TO the life Of the person in
charge rescue OF a person convicted
OF capital crime when going to execu-
ton, burning = vessel OF war, or dee
troying vessel belonging to private
owners.
In Ashan!ee psrricides are tied
hand aud foot 10 stakes driven in tn,
ground near a Large ant hill. Tn
ants are then irritated by stick
thrust into the entrance OF thei
dwellings, y guard is set aC respect.
fuI distance to prevent rescue, AND
the prisoner 10 left to be eateu alive
In fOrty-eight hours nothing is left Of
the criminal but neatly cleane,
skeleton.
) The punishment of the boat wa
common in ancient Persia. Tn,
offender WAS placed between TIVE
boats, his head projecting from a hol,
cut in the end OF one Of the skitfs
The boats were laid in such position
that the sun shone in his face all dal
long, He WAS fed with honey ant
milk, poured into his mouth AM
over his face, the mixture attracting
myriads of flies. Mithridates wa
, subject d to this awful torture AnC
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