The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-11-06
"GATCHING."
Most Agonizing Torture Ever Con-
ceived by Man,
Innocent Persons Buried Alive IN
Fresh Plaster.

things by studying the methods in
vogue in Persia, For instance, they
might learn how not to execute Grim
inala and they might study the adj
vantage, or lack Of it. Of executing
an innocent man as q warning 10 the
guilty.
Five men were recently buried alive
in plaster OF Paris in the province Of
shiraz, Persia, as a warning to high
way robbers who had been committing
depredations on tho road between Bu-
shire and Islahan. Shortly after the
murder Of the Shah a succession Of
robberies occurred, and it was esti-
mated that property worth half a mil
lion changed hands within a week.
Almost every day travellers were
stopped, robbed even Of their clothes
and then beaten with sticks.
H. r II. Ruhkn-ed-Dowleh, Gov
ernor Of Shiraz, concluded that steps
must be taken to stop the robberies
He could not catch them, but he al
ready had five men in prison for re-
iusing to pay taxes He concluded to
execute the five innocent tax-dodgers
in order to brighten the guilty high
waymen.
One of the most horrible modes of
execution in vogue in Persia is known
as Catching" A hole is dug in the
ground to a depth Of three or four
feet. A hollow pillar is erected above
this. The victim is then placed in the
hole and plaster of Paris poured in
around him and water added.
This mortar, known as Catch, soon
hardens, swells and obstructs the cir
culation of the blood. The suffering
Of the victim is awful-words cannot
picture it. Death does not afford a
a welcome relief for hours and each
minute the agony grows more in
tense.
A correspondent of the London
Graphic witnessed the execution. Not
knowing the fate in store for them the
men walked to the place of execution
without fear, surrounded by q howl
ing mob. The mob was kept back
from the torture place by q Gordon OF
soldiers.
''They were taken into high-walled
garden, guard being placed at the
entrance, writes the correspondent,
"and in a short time the first to be exc
cuted was brought out. Round his neck
was a steel collar with chain, which
his guard held tightly in his hand.
Some one offered him pitcher o.
water, from which he eagerly drank,
and then, not knowing to what awful
death he was doomed, he walked calm
ly and without word to his well. 1
took nearly an hour to fill the vel
with Catch, during all which time
the sticks of the soldiers we're in u.s.
to keep the crowd from pressing to,
close and hampering the movement
of those employed with the Catch.
"When the Catch became solid an,
frightened on the poor prisoner, hi
yells were frightful to listen to, and a
they were carried over the walled gar
den, those waiting their turn realized
that the death to which they wer
doomed, 80 far from being the pair
less one they had hoped for, was in
stead of a terrible nature. Wher
three days later, passed along til
road, 1 found capitals had been adde
to the pillars, covering the heads {
the poor men, who had thus horribl
been done to death.
The correspondent says that th
Governorship of a state is held by I'll
man who makes the largest present
the Shah. AS the Governor colleo
the taxes and must force the amour
of this present from the people
we'll az substantial sum for himsel
the condition Of the people is pitiabl
! Unless thoy struggle to raise Il
amounts demanded they are Liable
be thrown into prison or they may
executed at the pleasure of the Go
ernor who has bought this Office.
q A Moderate Price.
"Isn't my wheel beauty. 1t CO